The darkness could of fooled Starscream. At first he awoke, believing his optics were on the brink of failing, but turning on his head lamps he discovered something much worse. Cast iron chains dangled from a tall crackled celling, window slits so tight only a scrap of moonlight was allowed it. It was enough to illuminate his captor. Hook sat there in the dark, his optics seemingly offline, though with Hook one could never truly tell. Gentling pouncing through room, with all the agility of a cyber cat, Starscream came ever closer to his victim.

The medics classic 'tools of doom' surrounded him as he slumped over the desk. From the outlook he looked peaceful, age had not come to overtake him yet. Perhaps he had something to live for before the war. One rumour said he lost his spark mate. Some said he was bitter. Others said he needed a good frag. Not like Starscream cared about such gossip.

Starscream clutched tightly at his spark plates, despite Hook being an excellent surgeon, he enjoyed to put his patients in pain. Starscream winced. One of his most painful memories came from a dog fight he had, with that dratted Hot Shot no less and his wing had been all but decimated in the blast. Despite it looking good as new in the end, Hook was as savage as his words. Starscream could feel the lack of coolant drying his optics to dust, even now.

As he crept closer he could feel victory in his servos. He'd been wanting to do this for the last millennia.

Lifting his servo high into the air, it came crashing down with blunt force onto the medics head. Hook barley had time to blink an optic before Starscream savagely kicked his faceplates with his pede. This was just too easy. He may be in a weaker, younger body, but he sure as hell never forgot how to fight.

"Wakey...wakey Hook"

He shook the constructicon widely, as it hung limply in his grasp.

"Its no fun when your not conscious enough to witness it." Starscream laughed madly as he reminisced the medics foul words.

Starscream picked up one of the medics tools. A long talon shaped claws not so dissimilar from the ones in his dreams. A perfect weapon for such a sharp mind. Starscream held the talon tightly as he scrapped over Hooks shell, taking care to make energon spill out from every pore.

"I'd ask you to attach these onto my digits. But..."

Starscream shoved his faceplates directly into the medics audios.

"I'll never go through that again."

Starscream brought the talon round, ready to silence the pitiful creatures life out of him.

"What will your master do without you?" Starscream smirked until a snarling wail came from behind him.

Razor claws dug into the seekers back as he tore the beast off, dropping the unsuspecting Hook in the process and dashing for the open exit. Hook could barley make out the situation, his spark madly beating in panic. Why did the seeker hate him so much? He was only trying to help. More than can be said for his 'master'. A wet tongue that was licking his wounds suddenly curled up next to the old mech, sensing his discomfort.

"Thank you...Ravage." Hook smiled as he drifted offline.

Hook awoke slower from recharge than he would of liked. And to be hearing Megatronus voice battering his audios of all things. His voice was static and faded as the leader swarmed in and out of his vison. Soundwave stood behind him, a ghost in the shadows.

"Where...is...he?" Megatronus was furious, Hook could swear he was biting his denta so hard energon was oozing out. He paid no mind to it, his optics focused on his master above him.

"I don't know." Begged Hook, though the twinge of frustration could be sensed from a mile away.

"You insolent fool." Megatronus raged as he stomped on the medics stomach, even Soundwave flinched at that.

"Get...out." Megatronus snarled, his digits clawing into his hands.

"I'm sorry..." whispered Hook as he offered a gentle servo towards his leader, only for it to be slapped away.

"I said GET OUT!" roared Megatronus. No more words were needed after that, Hook limped hurriedly from the chamber, coolant flowing from his optics.

"Megatronus: We need the medic:" Soundwave said dryly as he gently stroked the shaken Ravage.

"He'll be back." Megatronous snarled as he swept his servos over the berth where Starscream once lay.

"They always come back."

"Dam Mech..." he growled, attempting to reline his jaw was a pain. The strobe lights and blaring music were nuisance enough. If not for the energon he wouldn't be here.

"You look like you need some help there."

Hook growled, bad enough the closest bar was an Autobot bar, even worse now one of them dared to approach him.

Hook was then surprised at what he saw. This was no annoying youngling attempting to sell him cheap energon glow sticks or a musty old mech poorly attempting to serve more credits out of him. The bot before him was quite...pretty. His face was worn for sure but not so much as his. Not that he wouldn't look good with a few more stretch marks, in fact it might fit his steely optics even more. A light grey mixed with bluely perhaps even greenish undertone hugged around the mechs excellent physique. Hook chucked as the little bots orange highlights flashed madly in front of him. Very cute indeed.

"What's your designation?" Hook asked curiously.

"Autobot Kup at your service."

'Oh drat' Hook spat in his head. His evening had just gone from bad to worse. He was in an Autobot bar, of course the mech approaching him was an Autobot.

"Hmmm I'm a medic. I am in no need of your service." Hook huffed hoping to scare the pick up truck off.

"But you seem pretty badly wounded, at least let me help patch you up, I..." Kup nervously pressed forward. Dam this bots stubborn Hook thought to himself.

"I am in no need of you 'assistance.' Now go bother some bot else." Hook snarled as he leaned further back into his seat.

"Hesh no need to be techy, I'll take my leave." Before Kup could turn the constructions servo grasped onto his, the lies in his words would never show in his optics.

"I...Could use your assistance." Hook tetchily pointed to his jaw, rather expressing it as a machine to be fixed, than a injury to behold.

"Fine." Kup huffed as he realigned his tools, shining the lamp against the injured mechs mouth piece.

"Hmmmm I'm gonna need more room." Kup sighed as he scanned the entire shell.

"Owners got some rooms upstairs, sure he'll let us borrow one to fix ya up." Kup winked at the medic.

Hook felt the rush of energon burn his faceplates, surely the mech wasn't suggesting 'that'.

As if on queue the pickup truck let out a chuckle, turning Hooks face from stoic to rage.

"No...no..no.. I just meant to patch you up. Though..." Kup chattered nervously, hoping he wouldn't scare the crane away.

He cooed as he leant over the medic.

"I wouldn't mind." Kup purred his last words.

Hook stormed up. He'd had about enough of this pick up truck and his wild fantasies, not a surprise considering the aptly named 'pick up' model.

"Sorry...sorry.." The pick up truck turned as shame and embarrassment contorted his face. "I'm too bloody old for this." he wept.

Hook kept his hand on Kups servo, fine maybe he did have some pity left in him. His vents huffed in frustration as he sat the younger mech back down.

"If its any consolation, your not." Hook heaved as whipped a servo around the room. "By in large, I would much prefer you over any mech in this room."

Kups face immediately brightened after that. Good, thought Hook, he'd been needing a sane assistant over a sobbing one.

Hook sighed in relief. "Show me to the room then mech."

"This is fine craftsman ship for sure." Kup was impressed, with the instructions from Hook they had both managed to realign his jaw and fixed the internal and external injures in such a short period of time. It was almost as if the old mech had been pushed out of the factory line again.

"What can I say, I'm nothing if not a perfectionist." Hook puffed in pride as he buffed himself up in front of the mirror.

"Are you sure you don't need any painkillers...Um some Energon perhaps." Kup asked concern licked his voice, if this had been any other mech they'd be screaming in pain. But Hook was no ordinary mech.

"No thanks mech. I pay for what I need." Hook wavered the pick up truck off as he began to add polish to his frame.

"Someone like you should be at the Autobot medical centre. Gosh, I mean you could take on Ratchet with your skill set."

Hook spun around, surprised to hear that of all things. Never before had he been compared to Ratchet. That medic had a skill set far beyond his own. He was more of a butcher in comparison. For one so 'old', he certainly wasn't wise.

"So did your boss do this to you." Kup huffed, clearly sensed he was being ignored.

"You think my boss did this to me?" Hook laughed.

"Please, I may only have a bit of medical knowledge, but I know abuse when I see it. Seriously you need to leave them." Kup stood defiantly in front of him now.

"Perhaps your not as stupid as I first thought." Hook slurred as he clutched his helm tightly.

Kup looked gobsmacked for a second, but that was not enough to deter him.

"Look I am one of the Geography lecturers at the science acadamey and I know bots at the medical academy." Kup exclaimed excitably, clearly hatching a plan.

"Of course you do." Hook could practically fell his optics rolling over to the back of his helm.

Kup placed a digit over Hooks mouth piece as he continued.

"I could get you an interview spot." Kup winked at him.

"Nah mech my..." Hook blushed as their chassis met.

"Consider it done." Kups face lit up with glee as he jumped away from the medic.

"I'm chief CMO at DC HQ and head of construction. I don't need another job. Trust me it pays well enough. And despite this." Hook pointed to his jaw. "I can say its worth every credit. Better than being slunk behind a bar serving oil cocktails." Hooks words grew colder by the second.

"But if you were a medic or construction officer here, I'm sure you'd earn the same if not more." Kup looked up to him, a gleam of hope in his eyes.

What Kup didn't expecting was the roaring laughter that echoing from the crane.

"Really, I think you've been drinking too much high grade mech! I'm a cold casting construction mech. Even the rest of the Decepticons don't take a second glance at us." Hook chuckled as he pushed Kup off, heading towards the door.

"I did." Kup shouted as he attempted to block the cranes exit.

Kup waited for the medic to go into another rant, it never came. Hooks optics looked dead before him as he swayed in front of the smaller bot, who struggled to hold him up as he fell.

"Hook!" Kup screamed in panic, frantic on who to comm , despite the medics specific instructions that he wanted no outside help before.

"I'm fine mech..." Hook growled as he grabbed the pickup trucks servo, pulling himself up to his pedes.

"Just Energon rush." He said as he wavered Kup off, staggering towards the berth.

"I think not." Kup brought out his scanner. "Your low on energon, but how?"

"Look around you mech. What's that saying you Geographers have, for the rich to stay rich, the poor must stay poor." With that Hook pushed himself from the berth exiting through the door swiftly as he headed to the exit, a voice cried after him.

"Drinks on me next time!"

"Who says there will be a next time." Hook shouted back as he punched in the coordinates for the elevator.

"Well mechs love the bar..." Kup trailed.

"Perhaps they enjoy the company." Hook snickered as the elevator doors closed before him.

As he exited the building a little ping commed up on his messages.

"Friends :)"

"Maybe mech...maybe." Hook chucked as he headed out into the cold winters breeze.

As Hook walked away his spark felt a little warmer. Perhaps an Autobot and a Decepticon could be friends after all.

Banging his fists on the door in a rage, Starscream fumed at the possibility that the shuttle wasn't in. It wasn't Skyfires fault mind, he had left the keys behind himself. His revenge on megatron would have to wait. Clutching his belongings he had just collected back from the storage holder, Starscream couldn't help but feel he was like a lost little sparkling who ran away from home in a huff, only to come crawling back. He couldn't wait for Skyfires 'parental rage'. The shuttle never usually got angry, despite being tormented throughout the years, which would even make the most friendliest of bots go mad, Skyfire the saint never battered an optic. But on the rare incidents he did get mad, even Optimus Prime himself shuffled his pedes in fear. Starscream feared this would be one of those times. Accepting his fate he squeezed his servos over his faceplates as though to shield him from the shuttles fury. Not that he needed to worry about that.

"Starscream!" The excitable shuttle lifted him into the air spinning the tiny bot around like mad. "I'll never let anyone hurt you like that again!"

Starscream barley grasped the words as he swore his tanks would purge, be it from the high velocity or the sickening claw marks down his back.

"Ow." Starscream squeaked, immediately Skyfire put him down not wanting to cause the seeker any more pain. The shuttles faceplates dropped. Starscream bit back his mouth piece as the shuttles face darkened.

"Who did this to you..." Skyfires shouted violently, optics burning down at Starscream, his servos clubbed in his hands, towering menacingly above him.

"It was a cyber cat...A cyber cat!" Starscream wept in panic as he leapt away Skyfire and hid behind his berth blanket to avoid the shuttles rage.

Skyfire stopped in his tracks, his servos shaking in realisation as he rushed over to the shivering seeker.

"Oh I didn't mean to scare you Starscream" Skyfire gently patted the seekers helm, who in turn leant into his servo.

"I thought it was those mechs...I heard them call you such terrible names..." Skyfire spat in anger, away from Starscream.

"No...I didn't even know about that..." Starscream turned around deflated. He'd tried to burn those memories away from before the war. Back then the cowardly seeker did nothing. This time it would be different.

Skyfire quickly attempted to change the uncomfortable subject.

"Would you like some help with the wounds?" Skyfire noted as he lifted out a welder from his sub space. He was constantly getting minor injuries from the lab, so he was did quite a good job Starscream noted as the shuttle finished his handiwork.

"And lets just buff this side up." Skyfire said, finally his work was complete.

Starscream looked in the mirror. Skyfire had done a fine job, in fact it looked better than before.

"Sky..."

"Star if you want to see a medic, that's okay." The shuttle fumbled. "I know a frame such as yours needs to be in better condition I..."

"No need." Starscream giggled, it was adorable how embarrassed the shuttle would get around him, he'd quite forgotten what his sweetness was like. In his minds eye he couldn't forget the future, he couldn't forget the day he turned back on Skyfire and he couldn't forget why. It was all for him.

"I need rest now Skyfire." Starscream whispered softly, receiving no response, he had failed to realise that the shuttle had already off lined into a deep recharge. Perhaps he had a long day too Starscream concluded as he tucked himself into his own berth.

Megatrons cruel whispers got louder as he shifted uncomfortably in his berth. With every twist and turn the voice got louder until Starscream shot up like a bolt. There was no way in Unicrons core he was going to get any recharge like this. Gently climbing out of his berth, pede lightly against the floor as not to disturb the shuttle. Starscream made his way over to the kitchen, pouring out more fresh energon. He didn't like to take Skyfires stash but the shuttle did say take as much as you want, whilst patching him up. Who was Starscream to turn down a free buffet, especially over one who could afford it.

Tip toeing back to berth, his pede landed harshly causing the seeker to awkwardly fall into the shuttles arms. Gently he attempted to lift himself out, the servos around his back only proceeded to get tighter, all but trapping Starscream in his rightful place. The touch was still gentle. Far more than what Starscream deserved as he was far less than Skyfires worth. If he had know where those markings had really come from, the gentle shuttle would purge himself from shock. Starscream knew his place, but it would be nice to fantasize for just a little longer.

Starscream would have to leave his side eventually. Physically as well as metaphorically speaking. Skyfires grip was tight but it should loosen up in the early hours of the morning. Yep. That was definitely the plan. Sneak out before the shuttle noticed, for sure. Setting his internal alarm early, he found himself snuggling sideways against the shuttle, Starscream could already feel Skyfires smoothing vents lulling him into a deep and peaceful recharge.

Skyfire was surprised he woke up so early. Considering the dreadfully long day before, he had expected to be in berth till noon. What he didn't expect was Starscreams presence. Laying peacefully in his berth lay the seeker. Morning light reflecting off the darkened face, the warm sunlight highlights marooned his features. Beauty wasn't even a close enough word to describe the seeker to Skyfire. Slowly he ghosted over the seekers lips as he lifted himself over the berth.

"Starscream." No answer. He was deep in recharge.

Skyfire stroked down the faceplates. "You scared me."

"I searched half of Cybertron looking for you."

Skyfire turned back around to clock in some more recharge, he certainly needed it.

He never saw the coolant running down the seekers face, crumpling his own image of perfection.