I've just finished final exams for the semester, so to celebrate I typed up this chapter here. I have to say again that Skyfire is pretty out of character, and in this chapter it's at an all time high. It might even seem ridiculous, but as I said before, eventually his attitude will be explained. I thank you all again for the reviews you've left me- you guys are great!
Text in parenthesis is someone speaking over the com link.
All text that is italicized in bulk is a flashback.
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers and don't get anything but personal entertainment from writing this.
Enjoy.
Chapter 6: Breach
Soundwave led the Decepticons in a mock assault on a nearby oil refinery. They made sure to cause as much trouble as possible when they arrived by firing in the sky and hollering at one another about nothing in particular. Ravage pretended to guard a group of humans, most of which scattered early on during the assault, while the others pretended to gather Energon.
In a showy display of heroism, a large group of Autobots appeared. Optimus Prime looked around for Megatron but couldn't find him anywhere. He began to worry that they had walked into another trap that would result in another retreat.
"Where is Megatron hiding?" the Prime demanded.
"Megatron: Indisposed. Note: As Second in Command, I take over," Soundwave replied. His comment caused more than a few of the Autobots to falter. Wasn't Starscream the Decepticon Second in Command? Had they forgotten him so easily? To add dramatic flair to the already confusing scene, Thundercracker made himself known.
"Seekers, attack!" He transformed into his jet mode, along with the other present Seekers. Optimus Prime assumed his theory was correct. They had replaced Starscream as Second in Command and Air Commander due to his exile from the Nemesis. His mind filled in the blanks, creating a story based on the few things he pulled from Starscream and the scene playing out before him.
Megatron and Starscream probably had an argument. Starscream most likely tried to kill the gun-former in another of his power plays but was unsuccessful. Megatron probably had Starscream forcibly removed from the base while he recovered. It made perfect sense. Soundwave would assume Starscream's role as Second in Command and therefore stand in as leader during Megatron's assumed recovery time, and Thundercracker would become the new Air Commander.
The Autobot Commander dove at Soundwave. The Seekers strafed any enemy they could. Astrotrain, Octane, and the Cassetticons attacked from the ground. Skywarp and Blitzwing were nowhere in sight.
Three Decepticons appeared near the Autobots' base- Megatron, Blitzwing, and Skywarp. Megatron looked around briefly at the scorch marks and rubble that surrounded them and wondered if he stood on the spot at which his Second was captured. He quickly snapped out of it.
"We don't have much time. Blitzwing, rush in ahead of us and cause as much trouble as you can," Megatron ordered. The triple-changer transformed into his tank mode.
"I'm going to crush them!" he yelled happily and moved forward to blow the door of the base open. Skywarp and Megatron ran in a short distance behind him.
"Skywarp, remember that we're here for your wing mate, not to play with Autobots," Megatron stated. Skywarp's faceplate reflected only the seriousness of the situation. The pair ran throughout the base as quickly as they could, shooting down the few Autobots that crossed their path in the wide hallways they sprinted down. Eventually, they came upon a large, open room with another hallway that split to the right. The large room was of the earthy colors that were commonplace in the Ark, but it had a telltale label near the hallway to the right. It read "Holding Area". Skywarp stealthily crept ahead of his leader and peered down the nearby hallway. He quickly pulled his head back and looked to Megatron.
"The holding cells are in that hallway. Sunstreaker's down there guarding one, and he's the only 'bot out there. I bet Screamer's in the cell he's protecting," Skywarp whispered. Megatron nodded.
"I'm going to charge down the hallway. I want you to teleport behind Sunstreaker and take him out when I do," the gun-former ordered.
"Yes, sir," was all he heard from the Seeker as he took off in a sprint, turning the corner to the hallway quickly. Skywarp teleported. Sunstreaker heard the sound of hurried footsteps and looked down the hall toward the source of it.
"Me-Megatron!" he sputtered in shock and surprise as he shakily made a grab for his blaster. That was all he managed to say before Skywarp shot him point blank in the back with a nonlethal shot. He fell to the ground at Megatron's feet with a resounding thud, his weapon clattering to the ground nearby. Skywarp kicked the blaster away before stepping aside to let his leader inspect the door they now stood before.
Megatron opening it but found it to be locked. He heard a clattering sound mixed with scuffling feet coming from the other side. He took a few steps back and motioned for Skywarp to do the same. Someone was inside with Starscream and knew they were outside. The Decepticon Commander fired his Fusion Cannon at the door's locking mechanism, taking care not to use it at full power. The door lock melted away and Megatron kicked the door in, revealing Skyfire standing behind a restrained Starscream, holding his throat. The Air Commander's head hung limply in his captor's grasp.
"Don't come any closer!" Skyfire cried, "Starscream belongs to me now!"
"Get away from him, Skyfire!" Skywarp growled, his body tensing. He noted the instrument in the shuttle-former's hand. It looked to be a scalpel of sorts, which the Autobot held to the unconscious Seeker's throat. Megatron noticed that some of Starscream's helm had been picked away and his body was littered with scrapes and dents. When had the Autobots become so harsh with their prisoners? Skyfire had one hand resting on Starscream's left wing and the other around the Decepticon flier's neck. The gun-former slowly began charging his Fusion Cannon. Skyfire seemed a bit off.
"If I can't have him, no one can!" Skyfire pressed the blade closer to his captive's neck, nicking a few cables. Energon leaked down onto Starscream's cockpit. The sensation seemed to wake the small flier, because he slowly raised his head. He locked optics with Megatron and didn't bother trying to hide his surprise.
"I-I called and you ca-came for me," he whispered. Megatron smirked, though he didn't quite understand the full meaning of his Air Commander's words. He raised his partially charged Fusion Cannon, attempting to aim it only at the Autobot holding his Second hostage. Skyfire tightened his grip on Starscream's wing, causing the smaller mech to hiss in pain.
"Don't do anything rash," the shuttle-former laughed, looking from Megatron over to Skywarp. The violet Seeker had considered teleporting, but there wasn't much space behind Skyfire and he didn't want to risk his leader's life over a sloppy warp. He wondered if Megatron just planned to shoot through both mechs. It wouldn't be a surprising move, but Skywarp hoped the Decepticon Commander actually wished to save Starscream.
"Don't you hurt him!" the teleport ordered, hoping Megatron would heed his words as well. Skyfire glowered at him.
"Nothing I do to him will compare to the pain you Decepticons have put him through. I was going to reprogram him, but when I looked into his mind before starting the process, I found something interesting in there. I was surprised at first, but I suppose it makes sense in the most disgusting way possible. Megatron, you're a lucky mech. I tried for ages to get Starscream to grace me with a second glance. I don't know how you managed to win him over, even after I was promised that he would choose me instead."
Skywarp assumed whatever Skyfire had found in Starscream's mind tipped him over the edge into insanity. He didn't know Skyfire as well as Starscream or Thundercracker, but he never would have thought the shuttle-former would act so crazily. Megatron came to the same conclusion and couldn't help but wonder what Skyfire had seen from his Second's memory files. He took a tentative step forward- he needed to test his boundaries.
"Now, now, Megatron, I told you not to do anything rash, but here you are, aiming your weapon at me and trying to get close to my little Starscream. I'm going to have to do something rash myself to let you know how serious this situation is," Skyfire said, tilting his head to the side to get a better look at his captive's left wing. Skywarp could tell what was going to happen next, and his wings twitched anxiously as a result.
"Don't you dare!" the teleport growled.
"It will pale in comparison to the pain this unworthy mech over here has caused my beautiful Starscream," Skyfire said, clearly referring to Megatron. Skywarp took an angry step forward but was stopped by Megatron. Skyfire cackled- an eerie sound- before tearing at his captive's wing with all his might. The appendage came off after many agonizing seconds. Starscream howled in pain, looking up at his rescuers as he did so, his optics glowing intensely. Then his head dropped and he hung limply in the Autobot's grasp once more. Energon poured from the wound, painting the floor. Skyfire chuckled madly and tossed the detached wing at Starscream's trine mate, who caught it clumsily in his fright. After a silent moment passed, Starscream's head rose back up. His air intakes whirred rapidly. He looked at Megatron, a resolute expression mixed with one of pain on his faceplate.
"Do it." The Seeker's command could just barely be heard.
"What do you mean, Starscream?" Skywarp asked, panicked laced in his voice.
"Megatron, fire at Skyfire!" the injured Air Commander rasped shakily. Megatron hesitated at the fear and confidence mixed together in his Second's voice. Skywarp looked from Starscream to Megatron and back again.
"Don't say that! We're going to get you out of here alive!" the violet Seeker assured. Skyfire switched the position of his hands. The left now held the scalpel and the right rested on the smaller flier's remaining wing. Megatron ran through countless calculations quickly. Skyfire was a good amount larger than Starscream. He was leaning to the right more than he needed to. Starscream's spark chamber was centered in his chest, behind his cockpit. Megatron considered the diameter of his Fusion Cannon's blast at a powerful enough charge to pierce Starscream and hit the Autobot behind him. He corrected his aim. Then he opened the com link with Hook.
"Hook, respond!"
(Yes, Lord Megatron?)
"Prepare to receive Starscream."
(As you command, Lord Megatron.)
Megatron switched channels, to talk with the rest of his army.
"Decepticons, retreat!"
(All hail Lord Megatron!) His soldiers replied as one. Skywarp looked over at the Decepticon Commander. The gun-former was about to make a move. Skyfire stared at Megatron for a moment, a crazed look in his optics.
"You can't have him, Megatron! I'm so much better for him! I won't let you take him away from me!" the deranged shuttle-former shouted and tore at Starscream's remaining wing. The Seeker cried out again, looking up pleadingly at his leader. Megatron frowned but quickly steeled himself.
"Starscream belongs to me and me alone," he growled possessively as a bright purple beam shot across the room and tore through both Starscream and Skyfire. Skywarp stared at the scene, mortified. Skyfire's body hit the floor with a loud thump, and his scalpel clattered to the floor noisily. Skywarp stared at the scene in shock. Starscream had been forced into stasis lock, still hanging from the stasis cuffs. A clean hole had been burned through the top right portion of the flier's body. Megatron looked his Second over hastily. The shot had been perfect. He walked quickly to his soldier, stopping in front of him to grab Skyfire's scalpel. With it, he cut through the restraints and caught Starscream's body when gravity claimed it. Skywarp regained a bit of his composure and ran over to his comrades. After receiving a slight nod from Megatron, he placed a hand on the gun-former's shoulder and they disappeared in a flash.
They appeared in the Medical Bay, where the Constructicons waited. Megatron placed his Second on the closest medical berth carefully. Hook shooed him away and immediately began his work. Skywarp set the wing he had been holding onto a neighboring berth. The other Constructicons pushed the two warriors from the room entirely. Megatron didn't care to argue, and Skywarp was still in shock. Shortly after, the remaining Decepticons returned to the base. Thundercracker wasted no time and ran to his bondmate.
"What happened?" the blue flier whispered. He felt too many emotions pouring from his bondmate and couldn't decipher anything specific. Not only that, but Skywarp had been adamant about blocking his lover when Starscream was found, which could only mean the situation had gone terribly wrong.
"I don't really know." Skywarp fidgeted, trying to relax so he could relay the story with use of their bond. Thundercracker tugged him gently toward the floor and away from the others. He joined his lover on the ground and held him, stroking one of his wings in a comforting gesture, not caring that the others could simply walk down the hall and see them in such a state. After a moment, Skywarp managed to share his story. The image of Starscream looking up and asking Megatron to fire became superimposed in Thundercracker's mind. Hadn't they just lectured their unstable leader about begging for death? Thundercracker's concern toward the Air Commander quickly morphed into anger. Skywarp reasoned with him aloud, hoping his voice could sooth his bondmate.
"You saw how hopeless the situation was. I couldn't even warp to jump in and save him. It was the best course of action. If things had been done any differently, he'd probably be dead right now. At least this way, he has a chance to survive."
"That doesn't change the facts."
"It was a last resort, TC."
"Warp, he pretty much ordered Megatron to shoot him."
"Didn't you see the way Megatron reacted, though? Those hesitations? The tone of his voice? Just the fact that Megatron agreed to save him says a lot. He was concerned too and didn't want to take the shot, but he knew it was the only way. He even took the time to aim," argued Skywarp. Thundercracker pondered this for a moment before smiling at the teleport.
The other Decepticons had been congratulated on a job well done and were informed that Starscream was receiving medical attention before they were ordered to leave- except Soundwave and Starscream's trine mates. Megatron and Soundwave spoke amongst themselves.
"As I'm sure you now know from my jumbled thoughts, this mission was very taxing. Skyfire has become very unstable. He tried to reprogram Starscream. I wonder how long it will take Prime to realize he has an unbalanced mech running around in his base."
"Affirmative. Skyfire: Unstable. Cause: Images from Starscream's mind related to Lord Megatron," Soundwave responded.
"What?" the gun-former asked, finding it difficult to focus on his conversation with the Communications Officer.
"Note: Skyfire is angry with you for stealing away Starscream's attentions," the tape-deck answered. Megatron snapped back to the conversation upon hearing these words and mused over them. Skyfire had been incredibly upset with him for doing little to nothing to earn Starscream's affection. Megatron fought the urge to laugh aloud at his triumph over Skyfire, though he knew Soundwave heard it in his mind.
"Return to the Control Room and report any strange activities to me immediately," he ordered.
"As you command, Lord Megatron," the Communications Officer responded before turning to leave. Soundwave couldn't help but think that even though Starscream had been rescued by Megatron, the Seeker wouldn't be so receptive to his leader. Megatron approached his Second's trine mates.
"Skywarp, Thundercracker, return to your quarters and recharge. Starscream's wounds are extensive and will take a lot of work to fix. I'll have Hook contact you if he wakes up and you aren't present," Megatron said. The Seekers were surprised at his calm tone but appreciated it. They nodded to their leader in thanks before disappearing from the hallway in a flash. Megatron opened the door to the Medical Bay and stepped inside.
"How does he look?" the Decepticon Commander asked, trying to seem only clinically interested.
"A lot of the wounds on his body are superficial, but the hole in his chest, his missing wing, and his helm will take more time to fix. He's lost a lot of Energon as well. I can't believe the Autobots actually did something like this," Hook said, trying to quickly seal up Starscream's chest wound, "He's lucky though. Whatever hit his chest was only five and a half centimeters from his spark chamber. Whoever fired at him was either a really terrible or really accurate shot."
The Constructicon looked up at Megatron knowingly. The gun-former approached his unconscious Second and looked over his wounds. His face was contorted in pain, even in stasis lock. The other Constructicons stood around the table as well, poking and prodding different areas of the wounded flier. He left the room and walked to the Control Room to go about his duties but planned to return to the Medical Bay after his work was finished.
The Autobots returned to the Ark, thoroughly confused by the Decepticons. Their enemies hadn't even attempted to gather any Energon. When Optimus Prime saw the main door of the Ark, he realized they had been tricked by a decoy. He cursed himself mentally for falling for such a juvenile trick. He couldn't help but wonder why none of the others in the base contacted him to let him know of the Decepticons' deceit.
As soon as he stepped foot into the base, Sunstreaker ran up to him.
"Optimus! I was just about to call you over the com link! The Decepticons, they surprised us. Blew open the front door and wrecked the place before we even had a chance to think! Megatron was here! And someone else, but I'm not sure who because he shot me from behind. You have to get to Skyfire though. He's in bad shape!" Sunstreaker cried. Ratchet walked up through the rubble of the main door and spoke.
"Take me to him, quickly!" he urged. The two mechs took off down the scorched walls of their base.
"The rest of you, check the base for our comrades. If someone else is hurt, bring them to Ratchet immediately!" Optimus ordered. The others scattered about the base as ordered. The Autobot Commander stood at the front of his base for a few minutes, mulling over the day's events. What would the Decepticons want from the Ark? When the answer hit him, he cursed. Of course, they came for Starscream. He had so easily believed the Decepticons had replaced their resident traitor, had hoped they had replaced him after learning that he played a large part in planning the Decepticons' strategies. Was that the only reason that they rescued him? After all,
Starscream claimed Megatron banished him from the Nemesis. If that was the case, why did Megatron come personally to rescue his Second in Command? Was he worried the Autobots would pull some important information from Starscream? It would be a difficult task, seeing how the Autobots didn't believe in the more aggressive methods of interrogation. Optimus Prime called Wheeljack over the com link and asked him to gather a small team to fix up their wrecked base before making his way to the Medical Bay.
When he arrived, he saw Ratchet tinkering away on Skyfire, with Sunstreaker and a few other mildly injured mechs waiting for their turn. A box of tools and other equipment the truck-former had never seen before lay near Ratchet's feet.
"What's that tool box for?" Optimus wondered.
"I found it in the room with Skyfire. You might want to give that particular holding cell a look, Optimus. I don't think you're going to like what you find." Ratchet never looked up from his work but his urgent tone indicated that the Prime should check it out immediately. He left without another word, walking quickly to the Holding Area.
He returned to the cell Starscream had been held in, and saw that the door was no longer in its rightful place. That was the least of his worries though. Energon painted portions of the floor and wall- far too much to belong to a single mech. Optimus took his time looking around.
The door lock had been melted off-, clearly the work of Megatron. The wall opposite the doorway possessed a scorch mark signature of Megatron's Fusion Cannon as well. The stasis cuffs used to restrain Starscream had been cut through, not shot through. The Prime looked down and saw a scalpel of sorts and pieces of metal on the floor. He didn't know what to make of all the details. He picked up the scalpel and some of the metal before returning to Ratchet.
The medic had made a reasonable amount of progress on Skyfire by the time the Prime returned. Optimus walked over to the medical berth and held out the scalpel.
"Do you recognize this?" he asked.
"Hey, that's mine!" the medic said, "That things been missing for days! Where'd you find it?"
"It was in the cell we were holding Starscream in. These scraps of metal were on the floor with it. What do you make of it, Ratchet?" the leader asked.
"I don't know what my tool was doing in there. I bet Perceptor could help you figure out what the other stuff is, though."
"Right, I'll go pay Perceptor a visit, then."
Sunstreaker watched his leader leave, trying his hardest to keep the guilt he felt off his faceplate.
Optimus found Perceptor in the Command Room of the Ark.
"Perceptor, I need you to take a look at something for me," Optimus requested.
"Of course, Optimus. What is it?" Perceptor asked.
"This scalpel and these pieces of metal were on the floor of Starscream's cell. I'd like for you to tell me what the metal is from, and have a look at the Energon on this scalpel. I have a feeling it doesn't belong to any of the Autobots," Optimus trailed off. Perceptor nodded and took the materials from his leader. He transformed into his microscope form and examined each of the materials carefully. His leader waited patiently nearby.
Perceptor transformed again, holding the scalpel in one hand and the metal in the other.
"This," he held up the hand with the scalpel in it, "has traces of Starscream's Energon on it. And this," he held up his other hand, "is consistent of the metal found in the helms of Cybertronians, particularly Seekers. It is also Starscream's."
Optimus' optic shutters widened slightly in shock. Why would Starscream's Energon and pieces of his helm lay scattered on the floor of what used to be his cell? Deciding his next necessary course of action, the Prime thanked Perceptor and sought out Sunstreaker. He entered the Medical Bay for a third time. Ratchet still worked on Skyfire, but he looked to be almost finished. Optimus set his optics on Sunstreaker, who squirmed slightly under his gaze. The Lamborghini-former definitely knew something.
"Sunstreaker, I need to speak with you," Optimus said sternly. The smaller mech made no argument and stood to leave the room with his leader. Once outside, Optimus turned to his soldier.
"I need you to tell me what happened while I was gone. For some reason, Starscream's Energon and pieces from his helm were on the floor of the cell we were holding him in. You were the one guarding his cell, so you must know something," the truck-former prodded.
"I didn't mean for it to get so out of hand, Optimus, I swear!" Sunstreaker began, "Skyfire said he was just going to fix Starscream, change him a little so he'd be more receptive."
"What do you mean?" Optimus interrupted.
"Okay, I was guarding Starscream's cell like you told me to, and Skyfire came down there to visit him. Then the alarms went off and everyone was leaving. Skyfire said the timing was perfect and he left to go get something, so I went in there to make sure Starscream hadn't been doing anything. Skyfire came back with a box of tools and said he was going to convince Starscream to change sides. He said he was going to change him a little, fix him and persuade him to help us. I didn't think he'd be able to convince Starscream. Then he asked me to stand guard outside, so I did because I thought, hey it's only Skyfire. Then I heard Starscream yelling for help, saying something about reprogramming, but I didn't have time to do anything because I heard footsteps in the hall and there was Megatron, sprinting toward me. That's all I remember."
"Skyfire tried to reprogram Starscream?" Optimus asked, never believing he would ever say such words about someone as docile as Skyfire.
"Yeah, that's what I heard. I'm sorry Optimus. I didn't know. Sure, I roughed Starscream up a bit, but that guy is just so arrogant! I never wanted to reprogram him though! That's crazy!" Sunstreaker shouted, flailing his arms around for emphasis. The Prime could tell that the Lamborghini-former spoke the truth and knew he could be trusted.
"I know, Sunstreaker. I need to have a word with Skyfire." Optimus walked past his subordinate and through the doors of the Medical Bay again. When he entered, he saw Skyfire sitting up on the medical berth, optics fixed on him.
"Skyfire," Optimus began harshly. The shuttle-former seemed to know what was coming and jumped off the berth.
"What were you thinking?" the Prime started his lecture, but Skyfire cut him off.
"You wouldn't understand, Optimus! He took Starscream from me!" the flier shouted.
"There is no excuse for what you tried to do, Skyfire! Even the Decepticons have the right to maintain their sentience!"
"I already told you, you wouldn't understand! I had to do it! I didn't have a choice!" Skyfire gripped his head and shook violently.
"Ratchet! Something is wrong with Skyfire, we need to sedate him!" Optimus ordered. The medic jumped into action, but Skyfire was too fast. He charged forward, using his greater mass to knock Optimus off his feet. He rushed out the door, transformed, and flew toward the nearest exit as fast as he could. The Autobots in the Medical Bay were left speechless as Optimus pulled himself from the ground.
"There's no way we can follow him or track him down, he's already got a head start and the Aerialbots aren't fast enough to catch him at this rate, especially if he leaves the Erath's atmosphere," Ratchet stated.
"I know. I don't know what's wrong with him, but if he causes anyone else harm, we're going to have to deal with him," the Prime said. The others nodded remorsefully. No one could even guess what had happened to the lovable scientist to which they were all accustomed. Optimus trudged out of the Medical Bay, needing to inform the others of this most recent development within the Autobot ranks.
Megatron lost track of how much time had passed. Though he had intended to be productive, he had made absolutely no progress on the work front. He sat in his throne in the Control Room, thinking of all the ways to punish of Skyfire. That and he couldn't stop thinking of what the deranged shuttle-former had said.
"I don't know how you managed to win him over, even after I was promised that he would choose me instead."
What did Skyfire mean by that? Had Starscream promised himself to that crazy mech? The gun-former tried to keep his cool, since the last time he lost it resulted in Starscream being captured by the Autobots. He needed to think things through a little before rushing down to the Medical Bay and doing something he might feel guilt toward later. That feeling had been quite troublesome already, and he had no intention of experiencing it again anytime soon. It took him much longer to calm himself than he preferred, but part of him wasn't so surprised. Anger had always been so commonplace in his life, and in the arena back in his days as a gladiator, it had been what got him through each round. He sighed audibly, not too concerned with being heard since Soundwave was the only other mech in the room, and he certainly already knew what plagued the gun-former's mind.
Megatron sat in his throne for a while longer, still mulling over what Skyfire had said. The rescue scenario played out in his head a number of times, eventually piquing his curiosity as to what Skyfire had done to his Second's mind to a point where he stood and made his way down to the Medical Bay. When he made it down the few levels to his destination, he cycled air through his intakes before going any further. He had no desire to go in there hot tempered and ruin all the work the Constructicons had just done.
Finally calm, Megatron walked into the Medical Bay with a stoic look of disinterest on his faceplate. When his optics fell onto the form of his Second, he noted the incredible amount of progress they had made. No doubt Hook had kept the others in line, as he was always one to enjoy working on the beautiful Seeker. Starscream's wings were as perfect as Megatron remembered them to be, and the hole in his chest no longer existed. At the sight of their leader, all but Hook ceased their work and stared at him expectantly.
"I take it his repairs are going well?" Megatron asked neutrally. Hook finally looked up and replied.
"Yes, Lord Megatron," the crane-former stated haughtily.
"Yeah, only 'cause Hook here's being a slave driver!," Bonecrusher complained and turned to Hook, "We all know how pretty you think Starscream is, and how eager you are to keep him looking good, but he's almost fixed and we still haven't gotten a break!" Megatron shot Bonecrusher a glare before returning his gaze to Hook.
"Everyone else can leave then, if his repairs are almost complete. Hook, I trust that you are capable of fixing the rest of the damage on your own," said the gun-former.
"Of course, Lord Megatron. He will be good as new in short order." Hook waved the other Constructicons off, most of who left quite eagerly in search of Energon and recharge time. The crane-former continued his work, fixing the lesser wounds that plagued the Seeker's form. As he worked, Megatron watched, waiting for a break when Hook would change tools.
"Is it possible for you to see what Skyfire did to Starscream's mind?" he asked when Hook finally stopped to change equipment.
"I'm not certain. Connecting to someone else's CPU is dangerous business, though. This is more in Soundwave's area of expertise. Would you like me to go speak with him on it?" Hook asked, noticing the way Megatron eyed his Air Commander.
"Yes, have a word with him about it. He's in the Control Room. But make it quick, you don't get to recharge until you've finished here."
"Yes Lord Megatron, I'll make it quick."
The Constructicon left hastily to seek out Soundwave. Megatron took the opportunity to walk over to his Second's body. Only superficial scrapes and dents remained on Starscream's chassis. The expression of pain on Starscream's faceplate had lessened, though he still seemed tense.
Without realizing it at first, one of Megatron's hands drifted to rest on a white wing. He mentally shrugged and lightly slid his hand across the white expanse of metal. Lazily, he traced the Decepticon insignia branded and painted on the wing. His thoughts drifted back to Starscream's earliest days as a Decepticon, but before he got too far, the sound of the Medical Bay doors sliding open snapped him out of his reverie. Instantly, he pulled his hand away and took a step away from the medical berth. Hook said nothing, though he noticed his leader's actions. He rather liked living and would never call Megatron out on his strange behavior.
"Well?" asked the Decepticon Commander impatiently.
"Soundwave said that there is an 87.9% chance that Starscream's mind wasn't altered, and that's without actually coming down here and feeling out his mind for himself.
"Excellent," Megatron said as he gave a sweeping gesture which indicated that Hook should continue his work. The perfectionist Constructicon made quick, and perfect, work of the flier's remaining injuries and cleaned him up nicely as well. Once he felt completely satisfied with his work, Hook looked to his leader.
"He is good as new, if not better. Now all he needs is recharge and Energon."
"Good. Contact Skywarp and Thundercracker and have them report down here immediately with some Energon for their Air Commander," Megatron ordered.
"Do you intend to wake him now?" Hook asked.
"Yes, there's no sense in waiting to see what Skyfire may have done to his head."
"Of course, I will contact Skywarp and Thundercracker right away."
Hook called for the other Seekers over the com link, demanding that they make an appearance with some Energon as soon as possible. As soon as possible turned out to be less than a minute later. The two appeared in the room in a flash, Thundercracker carrying a few Energon cubes with him, as Megatron placed a large black hand on Starscream's shoulder and shook non too gently while saying the flier's name forcefully a few times. The Air Commander's optics snapped online and he looked around in confusion. His gaze finally settled on his leader.
"Me-Megatron?" he whispered as his optics finished coming into focus.
"Yes Starscream?" he replied. Thundercracker and Skywarp took a few steps closer to the berth.
"What happened?" Starscream asked, trying to sit up and look around. Megatron raised a hand to push the Seeker back onto the berth, but Starscream misunderstood his intent. He brought his arms up to block his face.
"Lord Megatron! Please don't hurt me!" the flier begged. Megatron pushed him back down on the berth before speaking.
"Calm down fool, I'm not going to hurt you," he gritted. The Seeker dropped his arms back to his sides and took a moment to calm himself. He realized he lay in the Medical Bay and tried to remember why. Slowly, he recalled the events that had transpired. He shot up to a sitting position, slamming a fist on the berth, when his thoughts came to Skyfire. He growled menacingly and tried to stand, briefly forgetting he was in the company of others. Megatron gripped the Seeker's shoulder and applied pressure, forcing Starscream to remain seated on the berth. The flier looked up at his leader, confusion evident on his faceplate.
"You've just recently been repaired, Starscream. Lay back down. I don't want to have to force you," Megatron stated. The gun-former's words brought all the aches and pains of his body to Starscream's attention. The Seeker moaned and lay back down, trying to diffuse his own anger. The recently repaired flier ran a systems check to make sure the repairs were sufficient and that Skyfire hadn't managed to permanently damage anything, including his CPU. Everything checked out, and he couldn't help but sigh in relief. Briefly, he wondered if Megatron killed Skyfire. He doubted it. The sound of footsteps caught his attention, and soon Thundercracker and Skywarp came into view.
"How are you feeling, Screamer?" Thundercracker asked.
"Don't call me that," the Air Commander grumbled, in a foul mood. Hook skirted out of the room stealthily to grab some recharge time.
"Skyfire didn't do anything to you, did he?" Thundercracker continued, ignoring his leader's grumpiness.
"He certainly tried," Starscream hissed, "But he failed."
"That's good to hear!" Skywarp said cheerfully. Megatron remained silent, though he mentally sighed in relief at his Second's reassuring words.
"What did those Autobots do to you?" Thundercracker asked.
"Roughed me up some and tried to reprogram me. Skyfire didn't make any progress, though. My CPU is in perfect condition." Starscream sat up slowly. Megatron eyed him carefully but didn't move to stop him. The Air Commander took to looking over himself and the repairs Hook and the other Constructicons had made. Thundercracker handed him an Energon cube, which he took and drank from greedily. He downed a few more before he began adjusting his wings in various positions to make sure the repairs were sufficient and to work the kinks out. Megatron briefly became hypnotized by the motions.
The Air Commander could tell his trine mates wished to help rub away the soreness but didn't dare to do it in front of Megatron. 'Oh slag, Megatron!' the Seeker thought to himself. He suddenly remembered exactly why he had been alone in the middle of nowhere before the Autobots captured him. His wing adjustments ceased suddenly as he tensed.
"What's wrong?" Skywarp asked, taking a step closer to the Air Commander. Starscream looked up at Megatron, locking optics with him. Was he still angry? Was he only holding back because of his Second's recent repairs? The Seeker decided to play it off as nothing.
"Nothing, I'm just a little sore still. That's twice in the last month I've lost that wing," Starscream grimaced. After an awkward silence, Starscream slid off the berth to stand and stretch. He looked to his trine mates and noticed the look in their optics. They desperately wished to ask why he had been all alone near the Autobots' base. It also became obvious that they believed it related to Megatron, since they failed to ask the question aloud. The death glare Skywarp occasionally shot the not-all-there Megatron was also an indication of that fact.
"I'll be in my quarters if you need me," was all he said as he made his way to the exit, desperately wishing to avoid such a conversation with his trine mates at such a time.
"Want me to warp you there?" Skywarp offered.
"No, it'll be good to walk the kinks off," the Seeker answered with turning around, knowing his trine mates would understand from his words and body language that he had no desire to talk about what happened. Thundercracker and Skywarp shared a look before Skywarp grabbed his partner and they disappeared.
Starscream arrived at his quarters and almost collapsed once inside. His entire body ached, and he didn't even bother locking the door once inside. Instead, he trudged over to his berth and plopped down on his back. The Seeker offlined his optics and tried to fall into recharge. He failed to notice his door open and close for a second time as someone entered the room. The trespasser approached his berth, casting a shadow over him and giving him the feeling that he was being watched. He onlined his optics and looked over at him. Starscream gasped and sat up, backing up on his berth until his back hit the wall his berth sat up against.
"Megatron! I'm sorry, I didn't mean any harm the other night, I swear!" he pleaded, instantly assuming his leader had come to punish him. The Decepticon Commander simply stared at his Second. Starscream watched the hands of his leader carefully, waiting for one to reach out and grip his throat. Second after second passed, but still Megatron said and did nothing.
Eventually, he moved. Starscream held up his arms defensively at the motion but nothing happened to him. He felt the berth shift under the pressure of added weight. The Seeker lowered his arms and found Megatron sitting with him. The situation seemed diffused enough, so Starscream spoke.
"I-I was surprised that you- uh, that you and the others came to my um, my rescue," he stuttered, giving his leader the closest thing he'd get to a thank you. Megatron looked at him carefully, but Starscream couldn't maintain optic contact. He felt like he should have a hand around his neck or a fist in his gut. Not only that, but his pride hurt a little for even attempting to gratify Megatron with an apology. The gun-former was pleased with the way he rendered his Second a stuttering, nervous wreck. The silence was unnerving and Starscream knew Megatron still stared at him. The Seeker quickly became anxious- a characteristic that wasn't unusual for a flier who had sat around as long as he had, which only served to make the situation worse.
"Do you need something?" Starscream asked, still refusing to lock optics with his leader again.
"No Starscream, I don't need anything," Megatron finally spoke. The Seeker shifted uncomfortably.
"Why exactly are you in my quarters then?" the Air Commander wondered, the usual bite lacking in his question.
"I came to discuss a few things with you," he began, "I spoke to Soundwave the morning after our victory celebration."
Starscream remained silent. 'Here it comes,' he thought.
"He showed me footage from our victory celebration," the gun-former continued. Starscream shifted again, knowing a beating was coming. Megatron said nothing further and nothing happened. The silence ate away at the flighty Seeker.
"I didn't mean for anyth-," the gun-former was on him in an instant, completely cutting him off. Their lip components met as Megatron crushed his lip components in a bruising kiss. The flier didn't know what to do. As soon as the kiss began, it was over. The leader of the Decepticons was already standing, as though ready to make a break for the exit, but he wouldn't escape from Starscream so easily.
"Is that supposed to be your apology? I did absolutely nothing wrong yesterday, yet somehow I wound up as a prisoner of the Autobots, one of which I remind you is completely insane now, in case you've forgotten!" Starscream shouted. Megatron glared at his Second.
"Starscre-," the flier wouldn't let him talk.
"No! I had to endure threats from you, and torture from the Autobots, and do you know why? Because you got drunk off your aft and woke up with corrupted memory files! You should have been the one put through that torture, not me!" the Air Commander yelled. Megatron marched back over to his Second reached out an arm as though he intended to choke the flier. Starscream glared at him and continued his rant, stopping Megatron from attacking.
"Now you intend to strike me? After all that I had to go through simply because you couldn't remember what happened when you woke, you're going to attack me. Go on then, I'm becoming quite accustomed to receiving punishment for things I didn't do, so go ahead!" he pointed a finger at his face, "Right here, Megatron! Just get it over with! I don't see why you bothered coming to rescue me if all you plan to do is hit me! You should have left me with the Autobots, because they were doing a great job of punishing me!"
Megatron closed the gap between himself and the flier quickly, startling Starscream from his rage induced haze. The gun-former grabbed his Second's face with both hands, and instead of receiving a punch, Starscream received another kiss. It was brief, and soon there was space between their faceplates once more, though Megatron had not released the flier from his grasp.
"Fool, do you honestly expect me to apologize? Especially to someone like you? You should be glad that I came to your rescue at all, you ungrateful traitor," Megatron whispered, no malice or anger in his voice. Starscream faltered at this. He expected to be yelled at, to be struck. Instead, his leader was giving as much of an apology as his pride allowed. This completely threw the flier off and left him unable to come up with any witty retorts.
"Megatron," he said, not knowing what exactly to do.
"With a reputation like yours, what did you expect me to think when I awoke?" Megatron asked.
"Considering your recent…behavior…you could have come to a number of conclusions that didn't involve me doing something wrong."
"What? Did you expect me to ask you politely?"
"You have a nasty habit of shooting first and asking questions later. That's largely contributed to the reputation you've given me over the years," growled Starscream in response.
"You are lucky I didn't shoot you when I woke up."
"And you're lucky I didn't shoot you while you were over energized."
Megatron chuckled at his Second. He rubbed the flier's face with a thumb and spoke again, this time quieter than before.
"I thought I was going to kill you when I shot through you to reach Skyfire."
"You must have actually aimed for once in your life," Starscream teased.
"Perhaps I did."
Megatron released his hold on the Air Commander's face and sat on the berth, pulling Starscream down to do the same. The flier hated how easily Megatron had diffused his anger, especially since he prided himself on his ability to conjure up rage to direct at his leader at any given time.
"Starscream," he began, his mere voice sending shivers through his Second's circuits, "What did Skyfire do to you while you were the Autobots' prisoner?"
There was a slight hesitation before Starscream spoke.
"He tried to get me to join the Autobots. He told me they'd be better to me than the Decepticons. He said I could pursue my love of science. He said I would be happy with the Autobots, with him," Starscream trailed off. He felt Megatron tense beside him.
"What did he do to you?" the gun-former asked, trying to get his Second to explain every single thing that occurred in his cell.
"He um, he kissed me when he first saw me," Starscream felt strange discussing that but felt the need to tell his leader for some reason, "I guess he thought he could coax me into joining, but I bit him instead, which is why I guess he decided to try to reprogram me," Starscream trailed off. Megatron chuckled.
"You bit him?" the gun-former chided. A part of him felt angry at Skyfire thinking he was allowed to kiss the Air Commander. Starscream huffed near him.
"It's all I could do, they had me restrained!" the Seeker cried, his voice squeaking. Megatron laughed again.
"What's so funny? If I could have done anything else, I would have! I was just biding my time anyway!" He pouted indignantly. The chuckling didn't cease.
"Slag it, stop laughing at me! I would have figured a way out of the situation myself! I didn't need your pity then, and I don't need your mockery now!" the Seeker shouted angrily. He jumped up from his berth, intent to leave and sleep with his trine mates for the night. Megatron gave him no such opportunity, though. He grabbed the flier by the arm and pulled him into his lap. He nuzzled the surprised Seeker's neck.
"I'm sure you could have escaped eventually," he laughed, "But I didn't feel like waiting a million years for your return!"
Starscream scoffed at the insult without realizing the dual meaning of his leader's words. Megatron reached both hands up to stroke his pouting Second's wings. He quickly realized his love for the appendages. Starscream slumped against him as he rubbed away the pain from his recent damage and repair. His leader's soothing ministrations had him fighting recharge in a matter of seconds. He leaned back against Megatron, no longer caring about the hatred he was supposed to hold for the gun-former. What Megatron was doing with his hands was just too nice and he was so tired. The gun-former laughed again before resituating them so they were laying together on the berth, Megatron on his back on the berth and Starscream on his front on top of Megatron. The Seeker nestled in against his leader unabashedly and quickly fell into recharge.
The silver tyrant figured it wouldn't hurt to stay just a little longer. He was quite comfortable. He felt at peace for the moment, a feeling which rarely graced his processor. Only when the Air Commander was gone did Megatron realize how accustomed he'd become to seeing the fiery mech every day. Relief had washed over him when Starscream's optics onlined in the Medical Bay and he learned Skyfire had been unsuccessful in his reprogramming attempt. As recharge came to claim Megatron, he realized how hard he was falling for his Second- something he didn't know how to handle at all.
