Vicious circle Chapter 14: Two Lovers, a transformers/beast wars fanfic

Warning: slash scenes Starscream x canon character during flashbacks. I explain the choice of the character at the end of this chapter.

Many thanks to Silvernight for editing this chapter.

Vicious Circle: Chapter 14 – Two Lovers

Cybertron, Autobot Forces Headquarters, Office of Rodimus Prime

"Yes?" The young Autobot leader glanced at the monitor, discovering the big white face of the large shuttle-former. "Skyfire? May I help you?"

"Rodimus Prime, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'd like to speak with you a few minutes. It's about…" Skyfire bit his lip as he obviously hesitated to say the name: "Starscream." He finally said.

Rodimus Prime frowned at the name. "Come in, please."

The shuttle entered the office hesitantly and stood in front of his leader's desk, looking uneasy. "I know what I'm going to say might make no sense to you, but—" The last part of his sentence trailed off.

"Hum? Continue."

"Actually, I remembered this time when Perceptor showed me a picture of the robot looking like Starscream… one of those who arrived by the space bridge." Skyfire crossed his arms on his chest to hide their shaking. "The robot looks exactly like Starscream when I met him for the first time. He had been found in a smelting pit, abandoned, wounded and amnesiac."

Rodimus Prime stared at him, astonished. "Are you trying to tell me that Starscream's origins are unknown?" he shrieked.

"Yes. Exactly. The only thing I can say is that his design was a mix of new and old technology. He was reformed as a tetra jet later, in order to hide his identity from whomever had tried to kill him in the first place."

"That's completely insane! Are you sure of what you're telling me? Isn't it a way to try and save your former bondmate?" Rodimus Prime asked, frankly suspicious.

The shuttle returned him a pained look.

"I'm not a liar. I'm reporting to you all that I saw in order to help you find the truth. If I were you, I'd try to check with Alpha Trion if he knows anything about Starscream and this so-called Megatron," Skyfire hissed. He then lowered his face, looking hurt. "Besides… for your record, Starscream and I have never been bondmates. Only friends." He whispered.

Rodimus Prime felt guilty as he saw the expression of the shuttle fall by the kliks. It had certainly cost a lot to Skyfire to come and talk about Starscream. It was obvious that he had deep feelings for the Seeker.

"Accept my apologies, Skyfire. This story is so complicated that I have to check the information I get carefully. I'll check with Alpha Trion, I promise." He assured.

The shuttle nodded, feeling some relief.

"Thank you, sir. Are you going to keep them in jail in the meantime? I heard Starscream was hurt," he asked.

"Yes, I'll keep them in jail. They are too dangerous to be left without supervision."

Cybertron, Autobot forces Headquarters, High-Security detention area

Megatron slowly regained consciousness when a feather-like touch gently stroked his cheeks. His whole body screamed in pain, as if Skullcrusher had pummeled him during cycles and cycles.

"How do you feel?" Starscream asked gently, lowering his face to delicately kiss his lips.

Powering his optics with effort, the gladiator stared at the swollen face of his lover, feeling his spark squashed with anguish as he noticed the cracks on his forehead, leaking energon. Despite his wounds, Starscream was sitting upright, cradling Megatron in his arms, caressing him so gently that the gladiator could almost forget he was also hurt.

"Starscream, come my dear. You have to rest," he murmured, forcing himself to a sitting position. He ignored the splitting pain that awoke in his back, his neck and his CPU when he moved, and picked up the Seeker, wrapping him in his arms. "You have to rest as well. Come here, Little Prince," he murmured as he guided them both to the floor.

Starscream didn't protest, certainly too weak and too dazed to say anything. He rested his head on Megatron's shoulder and wrapped his arms around his waist, sighing in comfort as Megatron's arms tightened his grip on his broken body.

"Don't worry, Little Prince. I swear that we will get out of this mess." Megatron whispered in the smaller mech's audios, kissing him lightly on the forehead. "I won't let anybody touch you or harm you again. I swear it on my spark, Starscream."

The gladiator felt his Seeker grinding against him, while a delicate kiss caressed his neck.

"I believe in you. As long as I'm with you, I'm ready to suffer whatever punishment the Autobots will decide to put me through," Starscream murmured. "I love you."

Megatron felt a black hole swallowing his spark as despair submerged him. He had to do something to escape this situation. And if the Autobots continued torturing them or doubting his words, he was ready to go against the Slag Maker's request; he would go back to the past with Starscream, and try his chance. Now that he knew he had to get rid off of Skullcrusher to spend happy days with Starscream, he felt more comfortable about going back to his era and dealing with the Master Gladiator, rather than putting up with the Autobots.

Cybertron, Autobot Forces Headquarters, Office of Rodimus Prime

"Rodimus? Lady Elita One and CMO Pulse wish to have a discussion with you."

The young Autobot leader froze in motion as he heard the voice of the medic. The name of Optimus Prime's consort echoed in his audios with all solemnity, making him feel like a sparkling about to meet his teacher for a reprimand. He stopped the record that he intended to play on his computer and pushed the button of his quarters' comlink.

"Yes, please, enter." He heard himself reply. He stood up from his chair and waited, feeling clumsy, for the two robots to approach his desk. "It's an honor to receive you, Elita. You don't visit Autobot Headquarters nearly often enough," he said, beckoning his guests to have a seat.

"I won't take long, Rodimus." The female leader replied, stretching her body as she flashed her optics angrily. "I have no intention to interfere with your way of leading the Autobots, but I'd like to give you some advice." She spoke sternly.

The young Autobot leader tensed up as the azure glare plunged into his optics, making him shiver. Elita One has always impressed him; this feeling had become stronger with the death of Optimus Prime, as Rodimus felt directly responsible for the deactivation of the Autobot hero.

"Your advice is always welcome," he replied.

"First of all, I've heard that Sunstreaker attacked a Decepticon prisoner who was in the high-security detention area. I know two other prisoners were also injured in the process. I suggest that you relieve Sunstreaker of his duties without delay," Elita One stated, pacing up and down. "I'm afraid that he's not the only one who harbors a feeling of great resentment towards Soundwave, Megatron and Starscream, and some others might try to attack the prisoners again. You have to make an example to dissuade them."

"So, you know about the identity of the prisoners?" Rodimus inquired.

"Magnus and Pulse gave me all the details. Nevertheless, let's get back to the point. You have to keep your troops under control."

Rodimus nodded, as the advice was pertinent. "I'll take the required disciplinary measures," he assured.

"Very good. Second point: Pulse told me that although Soundwave had been transferred to his repair bay for repairs and interrogation, the other two prisoners had been left in their cells, without medical care. He also told me that Starscream is blind and unable to fly. The one who looks like Megatron had been hit on the head several times, and according to the surveillance camera, he's barely conscious." Elita One stopped in front of Rodimus Prime and once again froze him with an icy stare. "I'd like to remind you that we are not Decepticons, and that we don't treat prisoners this way. I recommend that you allow Pulse to retrieve the two prisoners from the high-security detention area to relocate them to the high-security repair bay, so that he can proceed to repairs."

"But, they are dangerous, especially Megatron!" Rodimus complained.

"From what I saw on the screen, they have had quite enough already. They're not a threat," Elita retorted.

Rodimus felt she wouldn't back down and decided to concede the point. "I'll heed this advice as well."

"Great. And now, the last point: I read your report about "Megatron's" and Soundwave's questioning. Although their claims seem highly unbelievable, I suggest you check their validity by inquiring Alpha Trion. He lived at the time this Megatron is claiming to come from. If there's anyone who can tell you whether this story is true or a pack of lies, it's him."

Rodimus Prime lowered his face. "I know. Skyfire has already asked me the same thing."

"Then he also gave you a wise advice," Elita One said and then set a hand on the young leader's shoulder. "Never forget this very important point: you are the leader of the Autobots. It doesn't matter what Optimus Prime would have done in the same situation. What's important is what you believe in, and what you think must be done. You don't have to become a new Optimus Prime. You must be Rodimus Prime," she added softly, like a mother would have done to a son.

"Elita…"

"And don't forget. It's not your fault that Prime died at the Autobot City. He would have died that day anyway."

"No, you're wrong. If I hadn't been there, he—"

Elita One set her index finger on Rodimus Prime's lip components, forcing him to fall silent.

"Eons of war against Megatron had transformed him into a warrior obsessed by only one thing: killing his nemesis. At the end of his life, it's the only thing that counted for him. That obsession killed him. Do not make the same mistake: do not let your hatred for the enemy plague your judgement" the femme concluded.

Rodimus Prime stared at her, completely at a loss what to do or think. He hadn't expected such confidence from Optimus Prime's bondmate.

"Yes, I will… try," he finally stuttered.

"Very good. Pulse, we should go to the Detention area and collect the prisoners. Is everything ready at your repair bay?" she asked the CMO.

"Everything is prepared and the medical team has been briefed," Pulse confirmed.

"You're going to the prison?" Rodimus Prime exclaimed.

A ghost smile graced Elita One's lips.

"Yes, I'd like to see for myself if this so-called Megatron is really the Slag Maker."

"I see."

Rodimus Prime sighed in relief when the door closed behind his two unexpected guests. He let his mind wonder about the words of Elita One, before he reminded he was to watch an important video. Soundwave had literally begged him to have a look at it during his interrogation. He clicked on the video reader and was surprised to see the face of Megatron the Slag Maker on the screen.

"Greeting, my dear Megatron, or should I say, Silvergun…" Megatron's grating voice hurt Rodimus Prime's audios, reminding his last encounter with the terrible warlord on the battlefield. "If you're watching this video message, it means that I'm dead or not exactly myself, and that Soundwave followed my orders…"

Charr, Decepticon camp

Astrotrain sat up on his berth, his hand clutching the plating on his chest. Beneath the warm metal, his spark pulsed hard as a dull pain stabbed its core. He thanked the general lock-up of the base for allowing him to rest in his quarters, as it would be extremely harassing to work with this stabbing. He peered at planet Cybertron through the dirty window glasses, remembering the good old days when he could fly in its skies without a risk of being shot down by the Autobots' anti-aircraft artillery. That was before the Decepticons lost planet Cybertron. Before Galvatron's rule.

'Before Starscream's death, or should I say, before he went missing.'

The triple changer sighed as he recalled the last three months preceding the apparent assassination of the Seeker. It had been his moment of glory, the days he had been allowed to taste power on the dark lips of the gorgeous air commander. The beginning of the end for him, as the only reward he got was a dark hole in his spark as his mate was shot down, and a low rank in Galvatron's army. The crazy warlord hadn't forgotten his role in Starscream's coronation ceremony and had made sure that he would pay for it every single day of his existence.

'Slag the Decepticon army! And slag you, Galvatron, for separating us!'

The anger he thought he had managed to quell and even forget had revived in his spark. All because early in the morning, he had opened a file sent by the Constructicons about the escape of Soundwave and two renegades. The gestalt members often sent this kind of information to the former members of Megatron's army, given that there was a clear discriminatory information policy, detrimental to the Decepticons and in favor of the Unicronians. He had immediately identified the two main fugitives as Starscream and Silvergun.

"Primus, I should have never brought Starscream to my quarters that night." Astrotrain sighed and leaned on his berth, placing one of his arms under his head, the other still clutching the painful area on his chest. "If only I had never fallen for his charms, maybe it would have changed everything?"

He shut off his optics, his mind drifting away as he recollected how he had become too close to the Air Commander. It had started one night when Megatron and Starscream had quenched their mutual hatred just in front of his quarters…

Astrotrain sighed and turned over once again in his berth, trying to ignore the cries and groans that filtered through the door of his quarters.

'I hate you, old lunatic!'

'Don't worry, you traitor, I feel no better about you. You had been a disappointment for me from the very beginning. My only wish is that I had never crossed your path!'

'You'll pay for your words!'

Starscream's last cry was followed by dull sounds of punches, as the Seeker lost his temper. Astrotrain forced himself to ignore the drama playing out in front of his quarters. 'Sleep!' he ordered himself.

Baaam! A strong noise reduced his attempt to recharge to nothing as a body smashed against his door.

'I hope you die soon! It's all you deserve for being such a thorn in my side!' Megatron spat viciously as he kicked the Seeker again.

Then the heavy footsteps died away, allowing the silence to settle again. Astrotrain sighed in relief and relaxed a little, but not completely. Starscream was certainly still outside, in the hallway, knocked out and bleeding energon.

'Not your problem. Sleep!'

He almost managed to fall into recharge, but was woken up by heart-rending sobs and cries. He tried again to fall asleep, to no avail: not that he liked the egotistic Air Commander, but he owed Starscream his life. Always in the search of new allies against Megatron, the Seeker had promptly provided him with Corostop to fight against the cosmic rust infection (1). Of course, the Air Commander had planned his move carefully, but in any case, he had to do something for him in return.

What he discovered when he opened the doors of his quarters comforted him in the idea that he couldn't' leave Starscream outside: the Seeker was a wreck, more emotionally than physically. Astrotrain lifted him off the ground and carried him to his berth, carefully closing the door after him. He grabbed his first aid kit to treat the scratches on Starscream's face and torso, and then sat at the edge of the berth.

"So, what happened between you two again?" he asked, slightly annoyed. "You guys can't have a conversation without punching each other, can you?"

By way of answering, the Seeker clawed at his chest, sobbing his heart out. "I- I don't know why he hates me! All I wanted was his attention, but he hates me! He always reproaches me for something I don't even know about!" The Seeker cried out loud and smashed his fist into the strong chest of the triple changer. "I hate him! I did my best to get close to Megatron, and he just keeps denying my efforts!"

The Seeker kept crying and moaning about Megatron, leaving few hopes to the triple changer that he would stop crying soon. Astrotrain quickly reflected on his options to stop this fit of anguish and finish his recharge: knocking the Seeker out with a good punch or abandoning him in the hallway, far away from his quarters, were tempting ideas. A third option popped up in his CPU when Starscream's canopy pressed against his chest, making him shiver at the potential of lust it implied. What would be better to sooth the pain of the flier than giving him a good overload? And it would reward himself for his time…. After all, since his assignment to Earth, Astrotrain hadn't been granted the favor of a sweet company. And Starscream was quite attractive if not to say, gorgeous. He would play perfectly the role of a femme.

'Let's go for this option.'

Taking advantage of Starscream looking up with blurry optics, Astrotrain buried his face in his neck, and gathered the slender body in his arms, stroking gently the Seeker's back and wings. Too shocked to process what was really happening, Starscream wasn't resistant. Assuming total control, the triple changer concentrated his attentions on the pretty wings, his hands roaming with skill on the smooth metal, while his mouth worshipped the Seeker's neck and face. His ministrations had the expected soothing effect, as Starscream's sobs decreased, replaced by muffled moans of pleasure.

"Here… You feel better, hum?" Astrotrain murmured in the Seeker's audios before claiming his mouth for a passion-filled kiss. "In a few kliks, you're going to feel wonderful."

The Seeker set his hands on his chest as if to push him back, but never applied strength, completely surrendering to the triple changer's attraction. The caresses became rough and teasing, traveling from Starscream's chest to his mid-section, insistent on the most sensitive spots. Astrotrain finally knocked the Seeker over the berth and pinned him with his greater weight, his hand wandering down his interface chamber. Once again, Starscream didn't protest when his codpiece was removed and his intimacy violated by the hungry touch. He gave in the pleasure and moaned deeply when Astrotrain buried his masculinity within him.

Astrotrain didn't hold back his fire and Starscream took all he had to offer before a delirious overload crushed them both.

Astrotrain smiled bitterly as he remembered this intense moment, dominated by lust rather than any real feeling. For him, it was only a one-night stand, and he expected nothing but reproaches or at best, coldness from the Seeker. To his greatest surprise, he found Starscream waiting for him in front of his quarters the following night, a warm smile gracing his lips.

Starscream thanked him for the moment of comfort and wasted no time to propose an unusual deal. In exchange for sweet physical attentions and comfort, he was ready to work on Astrotrain's career and help him climb the steps quicker. Astrotrain hadn't even contemplated refusal, considering it was a win/win deal: not only Starscream was a real sex kitten, but also he was second in command. Often thwarted by his commander, but anyway, with power and influence. A good help that wouldn't go amiss, given that Megatron didn't hold him in his spark after his attempt to take over (2).

Every time Megatron humiliated Starscream, the Seeker ended up in Astrotrain's quarters, abandoning his perfect body to the lustful fantasies of the triple changer. The Seeker never tried to be in charge: all he wanted was a strong chassis giving him mind-blowing overloads to forget Megatron's humiliations. This relationship deprived of love and real feelings perfectly suited Astrotrain, who zealously accomplished his duty, even when it became daily.

One night, however, he lost the control over the situation. In the afternoon, Megatron had publicly humiliated Starscream in front of the flying unit during two long cycles, shattering the ego of the over-proud Air Commander. After drinking two energon cubes of his own confection, Starscream was high – very high – and difficult to satisfy. Despite two massive overloads, he literally asked to be raped. Astrotrain found himself burying his face in the Seeker's chest, caressing, sucking and licking the inner circuitry to the greatest pleasure of the Air Commander. His efforts proved to have potent effects as Starscream's spark finally appeared to Astrotrain's foggy optics. Spark merging was among the forbidden things of their deal, but the triple changer also being in a trance, he couldn't resist its call. The instant their sparks met, he received visual stimuli, all memories coming from Starscream's memory bank. Some of them were most intriguing; it showed the Seeker battling in an arena with a silver-grey Transformer, looking like Megatron. The following scene showed the Seeker and the gladiator merging their sparks in a symphony of ecstatic cries. As it persisted to show, Starscream started to call a name: "Silvergun". He cried his name fervently until their sparks separated, plunging them into unconsciousness.

Once the Seeker rebooted, Astrotrain couldn't help asking who this Silvergun was. He was actually very pissed that the name of another Transformer was called in such a crucial moment.

"I once found his name on an old computer of the Decepticon Academy," the Seeker replied, looking confused. "He lived millions years before the Golden Age, under the yoke of the Quintessons. He was a gladiator and became a hero of the Great War."

"Interesting… And you never told me you were bonded to Megatron," Astrotrain insisted in a tone of reproach. "I'm going to be in trouble… if being deactivated by Megatron can be considered a mere trouble." The triple changer sighed nervously. "Slag! I should have guessed you were his bondmate."

The Seeker stared at him in shock. "Are you mocking me? I've never slept with the old rust can, although I found the idea tempting when I entered the army! How would I sleep with him while he only feels hatred towards me?" he scoffed.

"Well…" Astrotrain wanted to describe to him the exact scenes he had witnessed during their merging but thought better of it and shut up. It had been hard enough to relax the Air Commander. "I guess I hadn't seen correctly, then." He conceded.

"I guess so!" Starscream's expression softened as he climbed on top of his berth mate. He tenderly kissed the triple changer on the lips and buried his face in his neck. "You did well to relax me today, God Gambit (3)," he murmured, sliding an arm around Astrotrain's waist, the other caressing his broad shoulder. "I'm exhausted. Can we just recharge?"

"As you wish." Astrotrain felt awkward: Starscream wasn't the cuddling type after an interface. Most of the time, he immediately drifted to sleep without showing further interest in him.

"Hold me tight, Astro."

The triple changer tensed up a little but did as requested, wrapping the Seeker within a crushing embrace. Through their plating, he could feel their sparks beating as one. He secretly prayed that the Seeker didn't start to have feelings for him. Starscream wasn't the sanest mech of the Decepticon army, and in a way, he was scary. Maybe he should stop this unhealthy relationship, before it got off hand?

"Yes, I should have stopped it after that night," Astrotrain murmured, staring dreamily at the ceiling. Unfortunately, he hadn't found the strength to break up with the Seeker; it was already too late. Starscream had him under his spell.

They spark-merged every night before the attack on Autobot City. Day after day, Astrotrain was less and less reluctant to unite himself with the Seeker, who seemed to have grown fond of him. Starscream's sweet caresses, his gentle words murmured during their intimate moments made a hope blossom in his spark; he had found somebody to love, and who loved him in return.

Then there was the fateful trip back to Cybertron, with all the injured Decepticons gathered in his cargo hold (4). The weight was huge, but since he hadn't spent all his energy reserves in battle, he could fly to Cybertron with everybody onboard. However, Starscream had other ideas, as he came to the command room and caressed lazily his command board, which was directly connected to his spark.

"What are you doing, Starscream? Now is not a good time for this!" he exclaimed.

"How do you feel, Astro. Not too overburdened?" the Seeker asked.

"The load is heavy, but I can make it. The travel will be longer than usual, though. What is the condition of the wounded?"

Starscream remained silent long kliks, before he spoke.

"Please, do me a favor. Tell everybody that you need to lighten the weight in your cargo hold, otherwise, you won't make it to Cybertron!" he spoke in a rasp.

"Are you crazy? You want to jettison some of our fellow Decepticons into space!" Astrotrain exclaimed absolutely horrified.

Starscream's blue hands clawed at the command board, making Astrotrain's spark pulse harder when pain hit it.

"Listen, Astro. We've been waiting for the opportunity to get rid off Megatron for so long, this is the moment to act. He's wounded; he won't have the strength to fight. It's time to go for the kill!"

"But—!"

"There is no "but", Astro. If you really have feelings for me, please, do it!" Starscream moaned. "Please, my love."

'My Love…' The Seeker had hit the nail on the head: his feelings. His own voice soon echoed in his cargo hold.

"Jettison some weight, or I'll never make it to Cybertron!"

"Thanks Astro." Starscream leaned over the command board and kissed it tenderly. "I knew you wouldn't fail me," he murmured before returning to the cargo hold.

"My fellow Decepticons, Astrotrain has requested that we lighten our burden," he heard Starscream declare.

Shortly thereafter, the most injured Decepticons – including Megatron – were jettisoned into space, and a battle for succession broke out in his cargo hold.

He regained consciousness in a repair bay, on Cybertron, unable to remember how and when he had come here. He didn't even remember the landing. His last memory was the pain caused by the pile drivers of Frenzy and Rumble, shattering his inner plating. He must have lost consciousness right after, and the automatic pilot had done the rest.

A cry escaped him as he tried to shift his position on the berth, pain radiating from his mid section. The cargo area. A light touch on the swollen plating made him wince at first, as static electricity sparkled. He relaxed when he felt skilled fingertips massaging the sore area. He powered on his optics and stared at the beautiful face of his lover.

"Does it still hurt? I asked the Constructicons to repair you first. They messed up the repairs, the morons! I'll make sure that they do it properly ASAP!" Starscream groaned and then leaned over the triple changer, kissing him sensually on the lips. "My hero deserves the best!" he purred.

"Don't call me that."

"Why? Do you realize you made my wildest dream come true? Megatron's dead and I'm the new Decepticon leader!" Starscream exclaimed cheerfully. He kissed Astrotrain again, "The coronation is organized for tomorrow morning. You, my second in command, will crown me as king of the Decepticons," he informed, resuming his soothing caress on the abused plating.

Astrotrain sunk into the bliss of the gentle stroke until guilt and doubts squashed his spark.

"The others… What if they are not dead?" he murmured. "What if they come back?"

A blue hand set on his lip component, silencing him. Starscream's expression darkened until he forced a fake smile to grace his face.

"They won't come back. Relax, you have been wounded too and almost dried your energy core to fly us back to Cybertron," Starscream quickly replied, replacing his hands by his soft lips. The gentle caress started again on his mid-section. "Today, I'm in charge. Just for your welfare and pleasure," he added, before assaulting Astrotrain's lips with a more passionate kiss.

Too tired to say anything, Astrotrain abandoned his body and soul to his new master.

He hadn't felt any pain in his spark when Starscream had been reduced to ash before his horrified optics. It was commonly known that a bondmate felt a deep pain in his spark when his consort died. Some became nuts, others followed their bond mate into oblivion. He had felt nothing that day, except the pain in his back when the shockwave of Galvatron's shot had sent him flying down the stairs. He had started having doubts about this bond; maybe it was fake. Perhaps he and the Seeker hadn't shared enough feeling to make a true bond?

His doubts ended two days ago, and were now replaced by the horrible truth: the bond existed, but Starscream had never loved him. His spark had started to hurt awfully the same day two intruders had been spotted in Galvatron's citadel. Astrotrain had quickly put together the various pieces of information, and concluded that Starscream had never died. He had been sent to the past, and was now back, with Silvergun, his new lover. This explanation – based on no scientific evidence – would make no sense to anybody, but he wasn't anybody. He was Starscream's bondmate, and could perceive feelings about the Seeker that others couldn't feel.

And he could feel it plainly: Starscream had replaced him.

In the silence of his depressing quarters, the triple changer that everybody believed was a brute and a mindless warrior, cried as his spark broke with despair. Yes, he was Astrotrain, the deceived bondmate of Starscream, whose only wish was to recover the Seeker who was rightfully his.

He had to go to Cybertron.

Cybertron, Autobot Forces Headquarters, High-Security detention area

Megatron realized he had fallen asleep when he heard footsteps dying behind him. He powered his optics in a start, remembering he lay on the floor, his back turned to the energon bar. He raised his right arm, but his fusion cannon refused to power up, as he was too depleted of energy.

"Go away! Don't approach us!" he groaned, crawling away with Starscream in his arms to retreat into a corner of the cell.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to harm you," replied a feminine voice frequency.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?! You expect me to believe you after what you've done!" the gladiator barked, forcing himself into a sitting position. He glared at the form that was standing on the threshold of the cell. "Go away! Leave us alone!"

"No! You need medication and repair," the newcomer replied.

The Transformer walked a few steps into the cell, allowing Megatron's crackled optics to scan him better. Or should he say: her. The femme was tall, with a pink paint job and her helmet was voluminous, with strange circumvolutions. One could say she was attractive, her perfectly symmetric faceplate lightened up by her azure optics. The gladiator felt his tension fall a little as she didn't seem hostile.

"Why should I believe you?" he inquired suspiciously.

"Look, I came with a medical team," the femme replied. She turned around to look at the hallway. "You can enter… He's calm," she informed somebody.

Four bots stepped inside, pulling behind them two large repair berths. Megatron recognized among them the one named Pulse, who had examined him in front of this idiot Rodimus Prime. The CMO walked past the femme and knelt in front of him with an engaging smile.

"Can I see Starscream's wounds?" he asked softly.

Megatron hesitated and finally accepted, remembering the medic had been on his side during his interrogation.

"Yes."

Megatron loosened his grasp on the limp body of his lover, allowing the medic to scan the many cracks and scratches, leaking greenish energon.

"We'd better move him with caution. The repairs on his right wing had been damaged, and he has compound fractures on his legs. I'll ask you to help us lift him onto the berth. But before," the medic said as he leaned further upon Megatron, trying to reach his neck. He smiled apologetically when Megatron flashed his optics in anger. "I need to inspect your neck. I'm afraid that some parts are broken as well," he explained.

Megatron gritted his teeth, as he had to admit that the pain that radiated in this area of his body was now close to unbearable. "Okay," he agreed.

"Thanks." The medic delicately set his hands on a pipe in his neck, and started palpating each component. Megatron hissed each time a careful touch brushed a broken pipe or a severed link, sending unpleasant waves of pain to his neural network. "We'll place a collar on your neck first, in order to prevent further damage. And then you'll help us with Starscream," Pulse concluded.

Megatron agreed in a whisper, his optics never leaving the femme who stared at him intensely.

It was Megatron, and at the same time, it was not him. Despite the youthful features of the mechs, the physical resemblance with the Slag Maker was striking. However, there was no possible comparison with regard to behavior. Elita One was amazed by the protective manner of the silver mech towards Starscream. Love radiated from his energy field, and concerned filled his expression when Pulse osculated the broken Seeker. Her expression went blank when she watched the young-looking mech, now equipped with a collar, ignoring his pain to put Starscream on a berth, kissing him gently on the lips.

'Primus, by what miracle is it possible?' she pondered. 'Megatron cares for Starscream. He loves him! This is crazy: since when has he been able of love?' she wondered as she briefly went through a few battle scenes she kept in her memory bank. She remembered the Slag Maker as a cruel warrior, the type of bloodthirsty beast that doesn't leave the battlefield until all his opponents are dead, their remains scattered in the dust.

"What's your name?" the young Megatron asked her once he pulled himself up onto the second berth.

"Her name is Elita-One," Starscream replied in a whisper, looking blindly in the direction of his lover. "Optimus Prime's mate."

"Optimus Prime? Who is he?"

Elita One couldn't help blinking. 'He doesn't know the name of Optimus Prime? Either he's lying, either he's… not Megatron?' she reflected.

"Why are you helping us? You should hate us and finish us off," the Seeker asked with effort. The low frequency of his voice indicated that he would fall back into unconsciousness very soon.

'Typical question from a Decepticon.' She thought with bitterness, and motioned to the berth where the Seeker lay. She set a hand on a blue arm and leaned over the former air commander. "I'm not here to seek revenge against you or Megatron. I'm an Autobot, and revenge is not in my core programming. I just want to understand what's going on here," she whispered.

"Then I will tell you again what I said to Rodimus Prime," the silver mech replied. She turned her face to him, her blue gaze caught by the intensity of the red glare of "Megatron".

"I hope you will believe my story," Megatron added.

Deep in his spark, he indeed hoped the femme would help them. She was the last chance he was ready to grant this era. He swore to himself that, in case of a new breakdown or new tortures from those slagging Autobots, he would escape with Starscream and return to the past.

To be continued

G1 References

(1): Cosmic rust, Season 2.

(2): Triple takeover, Season 2.

(3): The God Gambit, Season 2.

(4): Transformers – The movie 1986.

Note:

Yes, Starscream is already bonded, and no, it's not with Skyfire but with Astrotrain. I guess that many of the readers might find the reintroduction of Astrotrain in this fic completely crazy if not overkill, but I have my reasons that I want to explain.

First, I very much like Astrotrain, whom I put in the category of the handsome bastards of the Decepticon army. But the main reason I wanted to give my take on this CC, is that Astrotrain was the character that I least expected to be crowning Starscream in the movie of 1986, because of their not so good relationship during season 2. This story, taking place partly during the (revamped) season 3 was a good chance to give my (romanced) version of what happened.

And to conclude: the appearance of Astrotrain at this stage will have consequences to Starscream and Silvergun's fate. More in next chapter!