Starscream was no stranger to pain. In that field, megatron was an expert, and had often took care to impart his knowledge onto the seeker. He practically knew how to tell what type of injury he had on pains alone, and while not immune to it, damage that wasn't extreme had grown into minor inconveniences. However, the seeker had never experienced true agony. Or at least, not as bad as this.
The true structural changes had only begun 2 solar cycles after he had settled, which he had spent shifting in feeble attempts to get comfortable. However, upon nightfall, hours after he had refueled and devoured as much metal as he could hold, he could feel a pressure begin to build in his legs, all the way down to his peds. He ignored it, hoping that it was nothing or something that would result in his death.
He could not ignore, however he may have tried, the horrendous crack that echoed throughout the cave as his peds split open, as his lower legs shifted as internal mechanisms snapped, forming the bases for new joints. The shriek that tore from him almost startled him, mind focused only on the duller but still intense pain throughout his legs. Hours later, his arms had begun to do the same, and while they did not bend, they spread as his peds had, forcibly growing wider. His shoulders shifted soon after, moving slightly lower down his torso, jutting out from his body just a tad bit more.
These modifications came in increments. Some were slow, the slightly dulled pain the only indication that changes were occurring, and others were explosive, painful changes that left his wiring exposed and voicebox hoarse.
As the process continued, the time between the pressure and the expansions drew shorter. What once took cycles had shortened down to one, to breems, then finally to mere kliks. They were never any less painful, the soreness in fact making Starscream more sensitive in those areas. The only thing he was thankful for was that the expansions grew less common in the active areas as time passed.
He would often fall into a fitful recharge, quickly waking when an expansion occurred, or when he required a refueling. When he crawled over to the pile of cubes and scrap the seeker found themselves feasting on the metals more often than on the energon. The supply of scrap was steadily dwindling, but still stood tall enough to scratch the ceiling.
During the 7th solar cycle Starscream could feel pressure building again. It was centered in his thorax, along his chestplate but slowly crept up to his spinal strut. Starscream waited as the pressure built, kliks growing into breems growing into cycles, and the longer the wait the more unstable he became.
He was sure this was the one, this was the expansion that would take his life. His spinal strut would snap in two and he would die from either a lack of energon flow to his processor or from starvation. Or perhaps his spark chamber would be contorted violently enough to squeeze out his spark. He hoped his death would be quick, as he did not know for how much longer he would be able to endure the pain.
But the pressure continued to build and build, now just slightly painful, the sensation running from the base of his helm to that of his rear. Night had fallen cycles ago. The seeker was sobbing, mortally afraid, shifting to anger as his mind raced.
Was this a punishment from Primus, a 'frag you' before he was cast into the Pit? Was this what he deserved for all he did during the war? For all the pain and death he had caused, for his envious and treacherous nature? For losing sight of his true self and allowing the war to twist him into a monster?
He snarled into the dark. 'Frag it all… Frag it all! Do your worst!' His voice trembled. 'I'm not scared anymore, so hurry up, finish the job! Finish the fragging job-!"
He heard 3 cracks before he blacked out.
(This was mostly just a test but if people like this i'll gladly continue.)