Thank you Akirisan X and Francesca Zatnik! I need all the motivation and betaing I can get! College is eating my butt *frowny face*

klik: second, breem: minute, joor: hour, orn: day, decaorn: week, lunar cycle: month, vorn: year

I own nothing.

Starscream walked down the halls of the lower level. No other Decepticon was down here, but still it was not quiet; the voices in his central processor had not restrained their vexatious chatter. He needed to find some way to calm himself, calm the voices. He needed to go out for a flight; needed to escape his mind, and this place. Even if was only for a bit.

You are going to try to run away again.

"Just fly. Then come back."

What you want is to never come back.

"Useless. I am unable to escape."

He entered the elevator and keyed for the upper hangar. Starscream leaned against one wall and attempted to relax as the elevator slowly rose through the other levels of the ship.

The ride had finally come to a stop and the door quickly slid open. The bright light from the outside entered and draped over the Seeker. He remained leaning for a few more astroseconds before he reluctantly pushed himself away and exited the elevator.

He didn't even take two steps before the distinguishable purple flash of Skywarp's warp generator appeared in front of him.

"Hey, Screamer." Skywarp stepped forward and held out a datapad. "Megatron wants you to survey this area for any humans, once you do that you'll help the Constructicons build a new space bridge." His tone was neutral; it sounded strange coming from his vocal box. The cheeky and cheerful tone was no longer presented for Starscream. He missed it.

Starscream hated this, hated that his trinemate would go so far to isolate him. To make him feel this way – depressed. And now Skywarp was handing him his mission; a mission meant for a scout.

Megatron didn't even bother ordering you directly for the mission. He wants you to perform a scout's job by surveying the area. Then he wants you to help the Constructions. They require no help. Megatron just does not wish to deal with you. He knows you are worthless, knows that you can only perform low level missions.

"You got all that Screamer?" Skywarp gave snide smirk. He knew what Starscream was thinking. Even with the title of Second in Command, his rank among the rest of the Decepticons was the lowest it could be. Skywarp must have purposely agreed to hand the mission over to Starscream if only to see the expression on his faceplates, or just personally make Starscream feel more worthless.

He disrespects you. Just like the rest of them. Just like Megatron.

Starscream could no longer restrain the anger he felt. As quickly as a spark beat, he grabbed Skywarp's throat and shoved him against a wall. He then pointed his null ray so the tip touched the trapped Seeker's helm. The datapad dropped; the sound echoed through the hangar. Skywarp stared into his trineleader's enraged optics and for the first time, he was scarred of him.

"I am your trine leader. Your Air Commander. Your Second in Command. You will treat me with respect and address me formally." He tightened his grip. Skywarp grabbed his wrists but didn't do much else. He was terrified that if he was to pull the servo then he'll get shot. "I have had enough of your insubordination and these pesky nicknames you keep calling me." The noise of a charged weapon engulfed Skywarp's audios. Starscream smiled, baring teeth, as his optics grew bigger and glowed brighter.

Deactivate him. Deactivate them all.

"Starscream, let him go."

Starscream turned his head to see Thundercracker. His weapons had been charged, but remained at his sides.

Starscream came out of his maddening daze, lowered his weapon, and released his grip on Skywarp's neck. Without a word, he turned and purposely stepped on the datapad before he left.

Skywarp rubbed his neck and looked at Thundercracker. He was still shocked and confused by what had just occurred. "Umm tha-"

"Idiot, you could have just teleported," yelled Thundercracker.

"Yeah." The dark Seeker frowned before he smiled. "But I didn't."

Thundercracker was irritated; then again, Skywarp always irritated him. Had Thundercracker not shown up, then he would have lost a trinemate. "Go back to your sh-"

"Thanks." It was his turn to interrupt. Skywarp was still flashing that smile. He wanted to show his gratitude but didn't know how, or if his trinemate would have even accepted it. Thundercracker was just protecting his trine, or, was he just protecting his friend? Must have been friend, because this trine was dead; they had lost their trineleader long ago. Skywarp waved slightly before he teleported to the communications room to continue his shift.

-0000-

Starscream walked down the halls. He had no particular destination; he just needed to review his actions. He had been so close to deactivating Skywarp, ending the spark of one of his tormentors, even though it was he who made him that way. He wanted to end his life, needed to. But what would that have brought? Would he have regretted it? Deactivating his trinemate? No, that word seemed wrong. Trinemates are supposed to look after each other, like a bonded family unit. This trine was filled with nothing but hate.

And you are to blame for that.

Starscream continued to walk while lost in his thoughts. Then he noticed that Megatron headed towards him. He stopped his stride, drowned by the large shadow, and looked up at his lord.

"Have you looked over your mission details?" Megatron's voice was powerful. It always sent chills through the Seeker's frame.

"No." The datapad was broken.

"Soundwave informed me that you should have received it a few breems ago."

"Well, I did not." He tried to get pass Megatron but a hand was firmly placed on his shoulder and he was forced back to stand in front of his lord.

"You lie. I know that tone."

He was becoming impatient, angry. And if he was angry, Starscream received punishment. "You are correct. I was about to leave to survey the designated area."

Starscream was shoved roughly against the wall. The vibration of the impact tingled through his frame.

"You lie again."

Starscream looked into his leader's crimson optics. Megatron was furious; the Seeker was in danger.

Run! Thevoices screamed in his processor. He needed to escape.

In a panic, he kicked Megatron on his abdomen and ignited his thruster. The burning sensation was enough for Megatron to release his grip and back away, creating some distance between he and his Second. Starscream made a stance like he was about to dash.

If you run, you'll receive a worse punishment.

He stayed, frozen in fear. Fear of a worst punishment. He looked at his master before bowing his head. "Forgive me, my lord. I-I was...frightened." The last word was but a whisper.

He kept his head down and saw the approaching shadow on the floor. He braced for both a physical and verbal assault. But nothing came.

"Do I frighten you, Starscream?" Megatron sounded amused, not angry. This only frightened the Seeker even more.

He had to suck up, had to make his leader feel high and powerful so he could hopefully escape without a beating of some sort. He had to hide his pride, or what was left of it. "Yes, my lord."

"You burned my armor, Seeker. How will you make it up to me?" It was not a question but a statement. He knows Starscream will make it up, knows he HAS to make it up. And already knows how. Megatron began stroking the edge of a wing.

Starscream hated pleasing his lord, but it always ended the same way: a severe beating and rough interface. "Anything you want, my lord."

"A wing..."

"Wha-" before he could finish one of Megatron's hands pushed down hard on the Seeker's shoulder while the other took hold of a wing and pulled. Starscream screeched in pain as his wing was torn from his body. He fell to his knees, shivering in agony. Energon poured from the large opening and ripped wires sent sparks flying. His mouth was open in a now silent scream.

"Yes. This will do nicely. Don't anger me again, or I'll be back for the other." He walked away with the wing in hand. His footsteps echoed, quieter and quieter. Once Starscream could no longer hear the footsteps, only then did he begin to cry.

-0000-

Starscream was beginning to feel anxious. It had been a decaorn since he lost his wing. Hook was forbidden by Megatron to replace the missing appendage. So for the time being, the Seeker was stuck in the base, with nothing to do. He missed the outside- missed flying. Of course, he could fly with just one wing, but maneuvering will be almost impossible, even flying straight will be extremely difficult - and being off balanced in the sky made him vulnerable to any human or Autobot attack. Even walking made him feel lopsided. He hated this. He needed to go outside. Here, he was in constant fear of angering Megatron and losing his other wing. Or coming across his trine; he couldn't face them right now.

He walked towards his private quarters when he suddenly felt weak and dizzy. His legs felt like they would give out, which they did. Everything went black after that.

Starscream's optics onlined to the blinding lights of the medical room; he dimmed his optics to better fit the lights' setting. His body ached all over; he must have hit the floor hard. He still felt dizzy, so much so that the room felt like it was tilting at an angle; he thought he could fall off the med berth.

"You idiot! You fell into stasis because your energon tank is only twenty percent full! Did you shut off your warning system?" Hook yelled, as he approached Starscream from his left.

Stasis? Energon? "Wing was leaki-" he whispered.

"Leaking my afterburners! Your wound stopped leaking orns ago! Plus, you receive three rations a orn! There shouldn't be a reason why your tank is this empty!"

"I do not..."

"Wait, you haven't been taking your energon?"

Starscream remained silent. He grabbed on to the sides of the berth in case he fell off; the room was still spinning. If he had enough energon in his tank, he would have purged.

"You idiot! Do you want to starve?"

Hook's voice started losing more and more volume. He knew Hook was still talking, but he just couldn't make out what he was saying. Starscream's vision began to blur, all he could see was fuzzy white from the med lights spinning in his vision. He offlined his optics and drifted back to recharge.

-0000-

Starscream walked back to his private quarters- without falling into stasis this time. Hook had filled Starscream's tank, not to full capacity but just enough to not suddenly fall into stasis, and handed him a cube of high grade. Once he was in quarters, he looked down at the cube with disgust. He wasn't in need of fuel, plus, just looking down at the cube made him want to purge. He placed the cube on his desk, next to the corner filled with a pile of glowing cubes long since abandoned, and retreated to his berth.