Author's note. This chapter was written by me and the-writing-mew, suggestions are very welcome.
I've got a new story up called Armada Adventures, if you enjoy stories about the Armada kids.
Enjoy and please review.
"Everything will be okay," Starscream told the children soothingly, still using his energy field to lull them into recharge, gently holding them in his arms. They yawned, his efforts were working and he smiled.
If he ever had Sparklings of his own, he imagine they would be a bit like them.
Next morning
Starscream came awake slowly, he'd fallen asleep watching over the kids but they'd slept through the night. With a happy sigh, he smiled down at them again. With any luck, they could just sleep through the morning, dreaming peaceful dreams. With this thought in mind, he allowed his energy field to once again caress them, to ensure they'd remain recharging.
Unfortunately, his efforts were all for naught as a voice boomed.
"STARSCREAM!"
"Oh no," the Seeker groaned as the kids jerked away, shaking and looking around fearfully as Megatron stormed into the brig, looking utterly furious.
"Just what do you think you are doing soldier?" Megatron demanded, as he glared hatefully at his Seeker. "You are meant to be 'grounded' with no contact, least of all my Sparklings."
"Megatron, sir...," Starscream began, really hoping he wasn't about to be punished again. "I was just watching over them..."
"I don't want to hear your miserable excuses," barked Megatron. "Give them to me now!"
"NO!" Alexis yelled, "stay away!"
"We don't wanna go anywhere near you!"
"Stay away from us!"
And they cuddled closer to Starscream with their minicons not really wanting to be near their 'sire'
"You will do as I say!" Megatron barked and stormed closer watching his creations trying to get even closer to the seeker as if they could disappear in his armor; that only fueled his anger and didn't helped the fact that Starscream was covering them with his hands. "Give them back! That's an order!"
Starscream flinched but refused to obey feeling the kids trembling against his frame in fear or anger, whatever was the case, Megatron will have to rip off his arms... or head if he wanted to take the terrified kids from him.
"GIVE THEM BACK!" he yelled finally reaching the seeker who shielded them with arms and hands and the warlord pulled at them trying to release them from his hold.
"NO!" The stubborn seeker said.
"Give. Them. Back!" Megatron still pulled at Starscream's arms ignoring how his creations cried or behaved.
"LEAVE US ALONE! WE HATE YOU!" the three kids yelled at unison, at the same time, as if they were the same voice.
For a few seconds Megatron froze, then frowned as his anger was fueled by those words and with a mighty roar took Starscream by the neck and was about to beat him to death before someone pulled him away from the seeker and the kids.
"What the frag?!" He turned to face a disappointed Scavenger.
"You're scaring them Megatron," Scavenger stated quietly. "If you continue, they'll never forgive you."
"He's not taking them away from me," Megatron growled, yanking himself from Scavenger's grip. "You better not interfere with this Scavenger..."
"Don't force me to drag you away," Scavenger warned.
As Megatron offered him a sneer, Scavenger suddenly yanked him forward and twisted Megatron's arm, pressing it against the large Mech's back. As the kids and Starscream stared, Scavenger successfully got himself behind the Decepticon leader and started pushing him out of the cell and brig. Megatron seemed just as shocked before he started struggling and snarling.
But Scavenger was an old and experienced warrior and he could easily handle himself. Keeping a firm grip and resisting all of Megatron's attempts to escape, said calmly.
"This can't continue Megatron, you're going to destroy them if you carry on."
"What are you talking about?" Megatron demanded as Scavenger managed to force him into another room before letting him go and shoving him away.
"The children Megatron," Scavenger began, folding his arms and blocking any escape. "They came to you as prisoners, mere pets and that was fine. They knew more or less what to expect and in fact, you did manage to build some sort of relationship with them."
Megatron glared at him as Scavenger continued.
"But now things are different, their your Sparklings but they're scared, they can barely accept this fact and miss their original human creators."
Megatron snarled before roaring to the old mech. "What do you know? They are MY creations, MY sparklings! MINE! You have no right to tell me what to do with them or my soldier... and said soldier is trying to take them away from me! I will not allow it!"
Watching that he was without an easy escape, the warlord paced the room they found themselves in and could see that he couldn't escape Scavenger's watchful optic either.
"Why is everybody trying to take them away from me?! Why?! I just recovered them, no one has the right to take what is mine!" He roared the elder as he paced the room as a caged beast.
"And now they said they hate me! This is all Starscream's fault! I'll kill that fragging bastard of seeker for installing their hatred towards me! I'll kill Prime for doing the same!" Finally he punched the wall hurting his hand but not minding he did it again and again.
Scavenger just watched unamused as the Decepticon leader performed quite an act of rage so uncommon of him and waited patiently for him to stop abusing his bleeding hand.
"You think she will be happy with what you're doing to her sparklings?"
Megatron's face changed from enraged/desperate to a surprised in realization one.
A few seconds of silence passed before the answer came. "They are the last piece of her spark that remains..." The warlord whispered with a thread of sadness in his voice.
"Yes, they are," Scavenger said quietly, his voice softening a little. "And she would want you to love and care for them like you did here. But that also means not caging them, they need freedom. Did she ever allow you to lock her away."
"No," Megatron muttered before bursting out. "And it got her killed!"
"She would never have been content to stay safe," Scavenger countered. "But that incident was due to Nova's cruelty and any normal bot would never have been harming those younglings. It was a tragic situation and no one could have predicted it. I know you grieve deeply for her lose and are naturally delighted with your children but you can't lock them away from the world."
"I don't want them to hate me... everybody hates me..." The sadness in Megatron's voice was even more evident now as he gave the elder his back and faced the wall. "I can't bare them hating me too..."
"That is what you're gaining by doing all this things to them." The elder explained softly.
"I just want them to stay with me... I don't want to lose them like I've lost her..." more sadness in his tone before abruptly changed. "And I will NOT allow anyone to take them away from me and making them hate me!"
"You're wrong, Megatron, no one is making them hate you, quite the opposite..."
"What you know?! Everything they want is to stay away from me and to be with... with... Starscream... or Prime! What you know if they are not taking poorly of me and making them hate me?!"
For the first time, even when he turned in rage, Scavenger saw the Decepticon leader's optics in tears. That was something he certainly hadn't expected to see and it meant that he believed every word that he said... or roared.
"They don't hate you Megatron, not truly," Scavenger said firmly. "Yes, they hate what you've done to them and how you've acted but they don't hate you. But they will if you carry on, you must do what is best for them."
"And how do I do that?" Megatron spat miserably.
"Don't ban them from seeing Starscream," Scavenger said promptly. "And don't keep punishing Starscream for getting on with them... I know you don't like it but they need Starscream. They feel lost and terrified of what's happening, they need a big brother figure to help them through this."
"I want to be with them too... and I AM their sire and I have my rights and they have their obligations to be with me!"
Scavenger used all his willpower to not roll his optics almost not believing how childish the Decepticon leader could be... well, possessive, yes, but childish... that was another case.
"Megatron," The old bot offlined his optics and used his best comprehensive tone. "They deserve to choose who they want to be with, and after everything you did to them you cannot expect them to come running to your hands declaring their unconditional love to you; just think, use your processors, what will you do in their place?"
Megatron grunted but gave no answer.
"Answer me, Megatron, what would you do?"
The Decepticon leader growled but didn't answered either.
"Megatron!" Scavenger was losing his patience, but will not let go the other if this one could not see what he was doing to his sparklings or the ones they loved.
"I don't know!" Finally roared. "I would hate my captor to death...!" Saying that his optics brightened as realization crossed over his features.
"You see now?" The elder said regaining his calm again. "You see what you did?"
Megatron walked to the nearest wall and used it as a support and put the front of his head against it feeling like a monster...
"They called me monster... that was the right word..." He trailed off feeling even worst by the second.
'yeah... he knows now... but that doesn't means he will change from a day to the other... or from one hour to the other, the changing process takes time' Scavenger thought as he watched the other.
"They are more like you than you realise," Scavenger said softly. "Just like you'd fight, they have been fighting against your control."
"Then what do I do?" Megatron asked dully. "Let them go? They'd never return to me."
"I'm not saying you have to let them go," Scavenger said while mentally thinking "yet."
"But you must stop treating them like they're possessions and start treating them like the children they are. Set rules yes but don't control everything in their lives. Let them play, allow them to go places and see their friends."
"Like Prime?" Megatron growled.
"Perhaps," Scavenger said with a small smile.
Meanwhile...
Decepticon brig...
Starscream tried his best to calm the kids as this ones, all of them, were shaking like leaves and crying their optics out; after the scare Megatron gave them all even he could be like them.
...crying and covering as if trying to disappear.
"Is ok, kids, don't cry, he's gone, I'll protect you." he tried and cuddled thm closer. After Megatron's attitude today... and yesterday... he was sure the kids will not want to share the same space than Megatron for a while. They were terrified of him.
His neck was sore and his arms sustained some dents his leader made him when tried to take the kids from him, but he resisted the urges he had for touching the abused parts, after all, the kids were in his hands... literaly talking.
But still, the ache became more and more annoying and couldn't help but grimace about it; unfortunately the gesture was noticed by the kids.
"Starscream?" Alexis' hoarse voice sounded. "Oh no, he hurt you!"
"It's alright," he quickly said. "It's nothing more than an annoyance, I'm fine."
"He hurt you because of us," Alexis said tearfully. "Oh Starscream, I'm so sorry, you shouldn't have to suffer like this."
"Yeah man," Carlos agreed. "You keep putting yourself on the line for us."
"That is something I willingly do," Starscream interrupted firmly. "I am an adult and I make my own choices kids, in full knowledge of the consequences. I know this distresses you but I'm not going to abandon you over a few dents."
"I wish I can help" Alexis said miserably.
'We can...' Highwire proposed the seeker and the kids faces lifted up just as their spirits.
"I said is ok... I will be ok... I heal fast." Starscream tried hard to not touch his sore neck.
'We insist,' Highwire replied and the three minicons combined into Perceptor before taking care of the seeker's injuries. 'it won't take us long...' Perceptor said as he fixed a nasty dent on his right arm.
The three kids smiled up at him and that sight warmed his spark.
...
Unknown to them, just outside the cell, Megatron and Scavenger watched the scene.
Megatron watched in awe not understanding or believing what his optics showed him; they were looking after Starscream... But... Why?
"You see now?" Scavenger mussed. "He worries about them, so, they worry about him, he protected them, they protect him. Megatron, he earned their love, not by taking things from them, but giving what they needed and desired most... His protection, his love... his respect."
Megatron was still confused and a piece of him felt rejected. Luckily for him, the elder mech saw that expression.
"Don't feel rejected by them... And I know you never apologize, but, just give them time, time for them to feel safe around you, I know you want to be with them desperately, but is not the time yet; they are still afraid of you after that act, remember... Or you will tell me you didn't saw them cry in terror because of you?
The Decepticon leader turned to face the other and felt even worse. "I... I hurt them?"
"Yes."
If it wasn't for Scavenger, Primus knows how damaged mentally his creations would be. So, he turned and walked away leaving behind his beloved sparklings with his soldier. He cannot be near them when feeling this bad, nor that they would want to be with him either.
Perceptor finished his repairs on Starscream, but there was still a sore spot.
"You are still hurting..." Alexis said in worry.
"Is nothing, really, is just my... Now I know how you felt after being spanked." He smiled.
The kids gave him sad smiles too.
He smiled sheepishly before saying.
"When Megatron... punished me, I swore I would never hurt any of you like that again. I had no idea what it was like to be humiliated like or feel such pain."
He tried not to think about the pain he still felt in his aft after Megatron's punishment.
"Neither did we," Rad said ruefully. "Not until Megatron got hold of us."
Starscream gave his own wry smile before saying.
"I won't let him do that to you again, no matter what."
"Thank you," Alexis said gratefully, not realising that a certain someone was watching.
Megatron sighed as he watched the children chat and snuggle up to Starscream. How he wished they would do the same thing with him, would they ever? Or had he managed to utterly destroy all their trust in him. As he pondered this, the Minicon alarm suddenly rang out, distracting him slightly.
"Everyone to the warp gate," he commanded over the comm. "Except you, Starscream, you will remain here with the children."
He hurried to the warp gate, eager to put some distance between himself and his sparklings, he could barely think in their presence. He found Demolisher, Cyclonus and Scavenger waiting for him. Megatron didn't bother saying anything, just took his place before them and waited for the warp to activate.
A few moments later they were in a quiet woodland, surrounded by smallish trees still filled with green leaves. Megatron scanned the area, he knew the Autobots would be here and that they would be out for revenge.
"Spread out," he ordered quietly. "The Autobots are here, find the Minicon and get back to base."
"Yes sir," they all replied and did as ordered, Scavenger giving Megatron a long, considering look before doing so.
Megatron moved off, feeling the strange mossy floor of the forest underfoot. This planet was so strange, so alien to him and yet it was his sparkling's home. How would they react to Cybertron, the planet that should have been their home. It was not like it had been in his youth, many parts were warzones. However, some of it was still beautiful with many businesses managing to keep going even through the war. Could he take them to a sweet shop, would they enjoy that? He wasn't sure what else to do with sparklings, how he wished Sliverblaze was still with him.
"Megatron!"
His musings were interrupted by an angry shout and he turned to find Optimus glaring at him. Sighing, he said.
"What do you want, Prime?"
Optimus swore before saying. "You really need to ask that? You kidnapped the children and tortured them, I have no idea what kind of state they're in right now but if you continue hurting them, you're going to destroy them!"
Megatron frowned, that was what Scavenger had said.
"Are you even listening?" Optimus demanded when Megatron didn't answer. "They may be your children Megatron but you are no Sire to them."
"You think I don't know that?" Megatron suddenly snapped at Optimus. "Then what you suggest I do Prime?"
Thanks Primus Optimus mouth was covered by a facemask, because the expression he gave the leader of the opposite faction was one of awe and lack of understanding of why Megatron of all mechs was asking him what to do with his creations.
"Come again?" The truck former asked to check if indeed the other said what he said.
Megatron just snarled at him and replied in fury. "What?! Just because I am Lord Megatron I can't ask you something?!"
Optimus' expression remained the same, looking at his rival as if he himself was a dumb... And he remained like that for long enough to call the other's attention.
"Well?!"
"I... I... Megatron..." His amber optics blinked in confusion as he tried to realize or process what to say.
"...and?!" Megatron tried again this time taking his hands on his hips and learning towards the other as if helping him to think.
"Megatron..." Optimus tried.
"I see! You don't want to tell me what should I do, but you're always telling me what to do! You know what? I don't need your advice at all, I'm good and fine the way I am! So, frag you and your methods!"
Saying that, Megatron activated his warp gate and disappeared through it.
"Hey! Lord Megatron is gone!" Cyclonus cried.
"It must be a retreat, come on, lets go!" Demolisher ordered before they too left. Scavenger following suit.
Optimus Prime just remained in his same spot looking at the place the once leader of the opposite faction once was... He was still petrified as he couldn't decipher if what just happened really happened.
"Hey! Where did they go? They forgot the minicon!" Hotshot cried in confusion.
"Let it go, Hotshot, is a victory." Red Alert pointed out before noticing his petrified leader.
"What happened sir?" Red Alert now asked Optimus who was still staring at the spot Megatron had disappeared from.
"Megatron..." Optimus began, he was still having trouble processing it. "Just asked me for some advice...on the children."
They stared at him for a long moment before Hotshot burst out. "He WHAT!?"
"It's true," Optimus said, starting to recover himself slightly. "But I was... unable to answer him."
"Unable to answer? I bet that pissed off old Megatron." Hotshot gleefully replied.
"That is not a joke, Hotshot!" The medic growled at him, "Who knows what happened to Prime so he was unable to answer."
"Please, it would have surprised Primus himself! Maybe that's why Optimus' processor didn't worked, because it happened the same to Primus, remember, the Matrix, he can hear it all." Hotshot stated moving his hands in a big gesture.
The other two mechs just frowned at him.
"Hotshot, grow up!" Red Alert snapped the younger. "At least tell me you have the minicon."
"Yeah... Is here... But is still asleep."
"Let's wake him up," Optimus said with a sigh, at least they'd gotten the Minicon although he was worried about the kids. What if Megatron took out his bad temper on them? "I'm going to try and contact Megatron, if he really wants advice, I'd better give it to them."
"But..." as Hotshot started to protest, Optimus added. "For the children's sakes."
"Hey! I got the minicon!" Smokescreen suddenly came running from the forest with the dormant being."
"No you don't, I have it." Hotshot showed the other.
"Two minicons? Is a good day." The CMO said looking at his thoughtful leader.
"We should go back." Optimus said before preparing a warp gate.
"What happened? Where are the 'cons?" A surprised Smokescreen looked around. "Don't tell me we scared them away."
"No... Is better than that!" Hotshot said excited. "Megatron asked Optimus for advice on how to be a dad and Optimus glitched, so, Megatron left pissed off."
Optimus rolled his optics and Red Alert groaned as they crossed the gate and returned the base.
"He asked what?" Smokescreen exclaimed in astonishment. "Was he being serious?"
"I'm afraid he was," Optimus said ruefully. "And I should have answered him but needless to say, his request was an...unexpected one."
"You're telling me," Hotshot said as he held the dormant Minicon. "And I still can't believe we got two, what are the chances?"
Optimus walked away from his men leaving them to their questions, he needed to do something as he finally reached the console and patiently waited for the one in the other end to answer.
...
Megatron watched his creations and how this ones happily talked to Starscream or played games with him as he was there spying on them and getting drunk on high grade again.
He just needed to know how to do 'that' and by 'that' he meant to make his sparklings that happy... naturally happy. Frag! They even asked Starscream to scratch them their backs or throw them up in the air to catch them again.
Their joyful laughs only fueled Megatron's... something... He didn't know what kind of feeling was... It was a different way of sadness, inked with jealousy.
Just as he was to finish his fourth cube an incoming call arrived. He just pushed the button to answer it and the face of Optimus Prime greeted him.
"Megatron." The Prime saluted.
The Decepticon leader finished his cube and put it on the console, and just when he was about to answer the one in the screen, his body did it for him.
In place of replying with 'Prime' or 'what you want' a loud, long and deep burp left his mouth.
Optimus Prime frowned "Megatron!" and his optics brightened in realization. "You're drunk! Again!"
Megatron snarled at him. "None of your businesss!" then straightened. "but I can guess you didn't call to check on my personal status."
"No... But getting drunk was the reason you almost hurt the kids permanently!"
"I wasn't going to hurt them!"
"Then what was that? That you tried to do against their will!"
"Rrrrrrr...I don't KNOW!" Megatron roared at him before subsiding into brooding silence. "I just wanted them to stay with me."
"Megatron, I'm sure in time they will want to stay with you," Optimus said gently. "But that isn't going to stop them wanting to be with their human creators and that is something you must understand."
"But if they go back to them I'll never get them back," Megatron argued.
"You're wrong Megatron," Optimus said firmly. "If you do the right things, then they will want to be with both of you."
"Both of us?" Megatron repeated softly.
"Yes, both. Just imagine and remember when they were with me, they always returned no matter what."
Megatron frowned deep in thought. "I thought they were only loyal pets... I don't know... I've never knew what you did for them to return."
Optimus smiled under his facemask. "They are our friends, we never treated them as something under us, always with respect and caring and never forced them to do something they didn't wished to do."
"If I do that... They might create havoc! I would need to discipline them again!"
"Megatron... They would never do that, they are educated and respectful kids; and if they tried to escape you all this time is because as their captor you are their natural enemy... Sire or not."
Megatron frowned. "I am not their enemy..."
"Then, make them see that, don't force them! It will only make it worse... And give them time, they must be deadly terrified of you."
Megatron stared down at the floor, he knew they were terrified of him because he usually tried to instill fear in his subordinates. Then quietly, he said:
"I'm not an easy mech Optimus, I believe in discipline and respect. I cannot have them running riot all over the place. I understand that some of the punishments I gave them involved me as their enemy who they wished to get away from. But sometimes, I have punished them for insolence, disrespect and naughtiness."
"I understand that you believe in discipline but you need to choose carefully when and where you discipline them," Optimus said gently. "Don't spank them for every mistake they make and definitely never starve them. Deny them treats if you must but never starve them."
Megatron listened carefully the Prime's advice and wishing to tell him 'what you know?!' many times but even he had to admit that he was right; after all... why they were with Starscream like that? Now he realized that the seeker was always on their side, so subtle that he hadn't noticed... But the flier was always there for them.
When the connection finished, the warlord watched his sparklings and soldier together again... Cuddling and nuzzling preparing to recharge.
"Silverblaze... I wish you were here, you would know what to do." Megatron miserably whispered watching something he desperately wished to have... But couldn't... At least not now.
"My sparklings..." He trailed off once again, his spark clenching in pain when he saw the scene again.
Author's note. Can Megatron make it up to his children? Will they ever forgive him? Find out next time, until then.
