CHAPTER 2

Not going to lie, you guys shocked and flattered me with the response to the prelude/first chapter. And I would like to also point out that I did indeed freak out when I saw that a few authors that I follow either favorite or alerted to this.

Also HUGE thanks and love to all those that stuck it threw my uh rather ridiculous wait time on updating…I really didn't mean for that and I hope to never take that long again or even close. And a special thank you to Kangarooney with your review that kicked me in the butt to get moving :D even if it was two months later I get this going again…

One last point if I may.

I'd like to ask for a beta reader? I don't care how many times I read over aloud or not I miss things. I reread chapter one and found a lot I thought I had covered. Just drop a PM if you might like to try it out or have interest.

Thank you, enjoy~

After exactly five terrestrial hours of snapped orders, frustrated pot shots, and less than witty banter all to only end up ducked in the chilled ocean waters had Starscream almost past whatever happy beat his spark wanted to dance to.

They were currently hovering in root mode waiting for the base elevator to rise up allowing the three tried seeker s to enter. Exhaustion was the only thing that the three shared though.

Starscream had at first been pleased with himself. Having poured his earlier frustrations the night before into an all-out mock battle of the ages for their morning practice. The air commander had planned for a torturous training drill knowing full well that he'd be pushed to his own limits…But the look of horror and the disgruntled mutterings from the dark seeker had simply made his vindictive side's day.

That was till Skywarp's own self pervasion kicked over to vengeance. The black and purple seeker had at first just gone with the planed exorcises; sticking to rude grumblings with a few thrown in equally rude faces. Of course it evolved with the strain of the mock fight. From gripes to outright name calling, perfect formations purposely undone with sloppy 'accidental' maneuvering, even going from answering orders properly to using every language he could think of down to eventually using human sign language. All of which could almost not be understood due to the warper's own lack of understanding the foreign languages.

Starscream had actually taken the evolving disobedience relatively well at first, only giving half-sparked shots and mild insults in return. Simply far too pleased that he was causing the foul mood. No, it was Thundercracker who had turned the runs from a petty game of will into a mess of flustered salt incrusted seekers. The normally rash and calm of the three had not had a successful night of recharge. He had spent most of the night cycle rolling about on his berth and finding only restless recharge for a joor or two. And as unusual as a poor recharge was for the blue seeker so was his mood in the cycle after.

Perhaps understandably then that getting up early for practice much less an all-out air skirmish wasn't going over well for the recharge deprived seeker. But he was also nothing if not a good soldier.

Taking orders and at one point even mech handling Skywarp into formation to keep it going. Not to say he was exactly chipper about complying or gentle with his wingmates. It only turned ugly more towards the end when Starscream and Skywarp had ground down to yelling at each other, again, and Thundercracker had tried to make his escape. Here Starscream turned on him as well spouting his necessary presence for practice. Not in the mood or mind set to pacify the air commander, Thundercracker made a half intended- half slipped cutting remark. This was received with a fair level of shock, but quickly dissolved into snickers from one and an angry engine growl from the other.

The blue jet huffed his vents and moved to leave again. Starscream not one to be undermined grabbed for the retreating seeker. There was a slight struggle as the two warring jets hovered over the ocean waters. Skywarp having been pushed past his short level of patience now that the attention had moved on from him made short time of injecting his brand of wit into the tiff.

One might take note that the three seekers had decided to have their impromptu shouting match but a servo full of meters above the water. So it's easy to see how when Skywarp made to side with TC and Starscream was still enforcing an iron grip all while Thundercracker jerked for one last escape off balancing the three in a domino effect. With the ocean so near they had no time to untangle and right themselves before making a rather large splash in the choppy waters.

Foam had gone everywhere only to erupt again as two jets rocketed out of the depths. Skywarp had simply teleported roughly half way back to base above once again, dumping a large amount of salt water that had been displaced with his warp.

After doing a fly by that left his audios ringing Thundercracker zipped the rest of the way back in graceful ire. Starscream listing off every unfavorable name he could at the passing jet before heading back himself. Both older fliers graciously throwing the blame of the whole act to the younger. In all though taking it as the sign to stop.

As one should expect from the air commander, after having his plans of revenge over thrown. He was not happy, but even that anger was pushed aside for a new problem. The elevator it seemed could not rise fast enough for the three. Starscream was making use of the time. Making it his private mission not to look at the dripping idiot, easier said than done. For all the harassment of the mock fight Skywarp had actually come up with one or two clever retorts. Even the warpers 'mishaps' during formation were perfect manipulations; perhaps could only be out done by Thundercracker or himself.

The way the planet's single sun beamed off of his dark wet glossy armor was one of the more pressing distractions.

To cover his rapidly dwindling self-control, Starscream pushed past a growling Thundercracker as the lift broke the waters opening with a groan.

Not giving the slightest back ward glance Starscream paced ahead and towards his quarters. The halls pasted in a blur along with the cons pressing to the walls in escape of wing to face plate. Entering his room and practically attacking the private wash racks his rank provided him. It would do no good to let the salt dry on his armor and more importantly, sensitive wiring. Not to mention whatever organics lived in the murky waters.

Slapping the controls to life; filtered water and solvents poured down in a cool cascade, instantly talking some of the tension out of stiff struts. Cycling air softly through vents to further cool systems and relax Starscream could finally take a mental step back and look back of that morning's rather abrupt ending. The white jet was still up on whether to call it a disaster or if not quite a complete success.

After all, most of his plan had worked with the added bonus of a soaked black and purple seeker images file added to his own private and ever growing stock of the idiot. Which still shocked him at times that he even had such a folder, much less such a large folder. There was any number of pictures and tidbits saved in there. Things from a rare astute comment, ridiculous retort, images of a good prank's fulfillment or lewd angles and positions he had caught from day to day. Even, though he'd never admit it, had a soft recording of the black seekers more childlike warm laughing he himself had pulled from the younger jet at some silly reply while over charged one night cycle much too long ago.

And wasn't this water supposed to cool his plating?

Starscream quickly closed all files he had pulled from that senseless folder, leaving his HUD clear. Turning the water on a bit stronger while ex-venting where he could without drowning his vents; he managed to regulate back to normal and finish his self-cleaning. And not a moment too soon it seemed.

::Starscream!:: demanded Megatron's raspy voice over his internal comm.

Stepping out of the racks wet floor space while giving the system a flick to shut off, Starscream moved to take up a towel. One of the only positive things to come out of the dirt ball of a planet.

::Starscream!:: came a second bellow of the Commander.

Taking time to dry and softy polish as he went with the towel Starscream worked from thrusters up to white wings.

::Starscream, you treacherous flying idiot, answer me!::

Reaching for the tips of his wings always proved hard, perhaps if he twisted just so.

::If you do not answer me in the next astro-second I will-::

Ah, might not have reached the back or tips quite, but the pull of wires with the shift of armor was nice.

::-place your helm in a vat of the foul smelling-::

Tossing the towel to the side the jet moved over to a towel covered mount he had installed some time ago.

::-humans can rein over your lifeless scraped self, letting those disgusting spawn-::

Rubbing wings across the soft surface in a most enjoyable manner.

::- and only then would I allow such a pathetic excuse of a Second-in-command-::

Finally pulling away and settling himself Starscream proceeded to show off his newly cleaned and gently buffed self in the reflective wall panel. Yes that would do perfectly, of course what about him wasn't?

::undwave, and crush-::

::Megatron, my Lord, perhaps if you put that much effort into real plans then this war would be over.::

An awkward sort of pause came over the comm. Megatron it seemed had put himself on such a roll that he'd almost completely forget there was someone on the line.

Starscream couldn't keep the smirk off his face if he wanted.

:: I-Starscream you had better have a good reason for ignoring my call!::

::I would never ignore a hail from our magnificent leader.::

::Please, don't strain anything Starscream I would hate to see you in pain.::

::Was there a point to this dull waste of a call or-?:: In much too good of a mood to let it spiral out of hand into a fight, again.

::Hnn, report to the bridge. Soundwave has found something.:: The tone suggesting that the Air Commander wasn't the only one in a strange but good mood.

Before Starscream could question or even confirm the order Megatron cut the line leaving soft static.

"Hump!" was all the seeker gave before exiting his quarters and making for the most ridiculous maze to get to the Command center. He might be demanded there, but that didn't mean he had to be quick about it. What should have taken only a breem or two at most turned into a winding ten breem long stroll.

But it seemed his stab at insubordination was a waste. Soundwave was the only one to greet him as he entered the Command center. Shift change taking over leaving the rest of the large room only half filled.

"Our glorious leader calls me out from my important business and does not even show? How like him." The SIC commented as he made it fully to stand in front of the passive Soundwave. Who merely twisted to his left to pick up a data pad.

"Lord Megatron's location: classified." Droned the TIC while handing over the data pad.

Taking the offered pad Starscream snorted "Classified? I'm sure it is"

Soundwave had already turned to continue his duty. Now ignoring the seeker.

Letting his rather good mood overlook the laps of respect, Starscream focused on the data pad in his servo. Scanning the already open file and quickly realizing it held new mission orders. Nothing truly outstanding for that he was certain. It seemed that what Soundwave had found was something of an odd energon deposit. What making it odd being the electronic reading also found with the energon. The site needed to be scouted or at the very least see if the Autobots had stumbled across the same readings already. Which all meant the Second in command of the entire Decepticon army was being sent out on a something a half wired stunticon could accomplish.

Anger rose quickly causing his grip on the data pad to tighten making it creak. Starscream just barely caught the glance Soundwave sent him from across the room. Taking a slightly larger ventilation of air the jet loosed his hold and made for the doors he had just entered. There was little point in arguing his way around this. Megatron was out, Primus knew where, and Soundwave would either ignore him or simply stare. Starscream wasn't sure which was worse.

It wasn't completely a horrible situation though and certainly not the worse the SIC had ever been in.

::Thundercracker.:: Starscream commed over his private link to his wingmate while starting the trek to his lab for a few items.

::…If this is anything other than you ordering me free of shift than I don't want to hear it.:: Came the grumbling reply after a moment of crackling static filled silence.

::You will do as I order wither or not you want to hear it. I am yo-::

::What is it?:: came the terse reply cutting in.

::Grab an early ration and meet me at the elevator.::

::New orders?::

::Obviously::

::I'll be there:: the line being cut on the other end making a soft snap.

Only mildly offended by his grump of a wingmate he opened his channel again to hail their third. Perhaps sending off a half sparked prayer that the warped warper would make this easy.

:Skywarp::

:Answer me Skywarp::

::…Skywarp!::

The tri-colored seeker almost smacked his audios uselessly as a pounding beat of music flared over the comms line. No words could be deciphered as the music, least he thought it was music, blasted it in grabbled rhythms. Manually forcing the volume of the sound down did Starscream start to understand the lyrics.

::This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill::

::Skywarp!:: he yelled back, attempting to overpower the music.

::Fifteen percent concentrated power of will::

::Shut that slag off and answer me!::

::Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain::

Before the frizzing SIC could screech out anything else the sound cut off. The line was almost creepily silent making Starscream wary.

::Skywarp, you had-:: anything else he might have said was drowned by the startling impact of lyrics again.

::AND A HUNDRED PERCENT REASON TO REMEMBER THE NAME!::

No, his prayer went unheard or Primus was just showing him that special brand of humor again.

Picking up the pace to reach his labs Starscream added a few new items to his list of equipment.

The warper was indeed not going to make this easy.

But when did he ever?

I don't own the characters or the song