XII. How I Met Your Godfather, Starscream
"Stop sneezing! It's disgusting!"
"Sorry, it was an allergic reaction from seeing you."
"Oh, frag you."
Persephone was laying down on the mattress, bundled up in sheets while the Second-in-Command sat down beside her where the ice was gone. That day, she had no desire to eat so it made her happy since she didn't have to worry about getting up at all.
"I don't understand why Lord Megatron had tasked me to take care of you. A mission that consists of flying is heaven compared to this," Starscream grumbled.
"Is it better than being hidden here where it's safe from the humans?"
"You know what? I'd trade safety from the humans for an hour of soaring through the clouds once more."
"Damn, you are desperate."
Megatron had left before she had woken up, leaving her in the care of Shockwave and Starscream. The scientist was invested in the little sparklings—sometimes she forgot they were there due to how much they sleep—and had dropped her in the palms of the Second-in-Command.
Starscream grimaced at her. "I assume you would be running away or bargaining away your life to set you free," He said as he crossed his arms.
Persephone sighed before turning her head and covering her nose as she sneezed. "I'm sick. I can't bargain shit and I can't run away even if I wanted to."
"I'll swat you if you ever get one of those disgusting fluids on me." The Second-in-Command threatened, glaring at her.
She smirks as a very stupid idea forms in her head. She takes her pointer finger and sticks it up in her nose, much to the seeker's horror.
"Really? What if I wipe it on you?"
"You wouldn't."
Persephone gives him a shit-eating grin and forces herself to sit up. She reaches out to him, making the Decepticon Second-in-Command scream in horror as he backs away.
She laughed at his reactions, going so far as to forcing herself to stand and take a step forward.
"Oooh, I've got snot on my finger. Oooh!" Persephone taunted playfully as she approached him.
"STAY BACK! YOU'RE DISGUSTING!" The seeker screeched as he continued to move out of her reach.
Shockwave glanced at them, watching the situation when Persephone noticed him. She waves at him and the scientist merely looks at her before focusing his attention back to the sparklings.
Persephone shrugs, turning her head back to Second-in-Command with the same shit-eating grin as she approached him. However, on her next step, she suddenly finds herself on the ground as she steadies herself.
Her legs had given up on her, unable to stand. A cough tore its way out of her throat. Persephone tried to stand up, however, she couldn't find the strength to do so. "Ah fuck," She groaned. "Could you please help me get back to bed? My legs are a little wonky right now—I can't walk."
The Decepticon looks at her in disdain and says, "Shockwave! The human needs assistance to get back to its berth!"
"As you can see I am currently busy taking note of the health from the sparklings that Lord Megatron had entrusted me to do so." Was Shockwave's response to the Second-in-Command. "Do not fret. Human diseases cannot be transferred to us due to the fact that our CNA is highly different than theirs.
"As your Second-in-Command, it is an order from me that you must pick the insect and put it back to its birth!" He screeched.
"Lord Megatron's orders weigh heavier than yours. I am tasked to look after the sparklings and check in on the human every now and then, however; their well-being is highly placed on your servos, Starscream."
Grumbling beneath his breath, the Decepticon Second-in-Command begrudgingly plucked the human and drops her on her little berth.
"Thank you," Persephone said.
"You should be honored that I had given you the opportunity to be held, insect," The seeker sneered. "Had you not been Lord Megatron's pet, I would have turned you into red paste."
"Don't worry, I'll be sure to put a good word to Megatron for you as thanks." She smiles at him. "I'll even go far as to say that you were kinder than I expected."
The seeker eyes her warily. "I'm sure that isn't just for the sake of 'thanking' me," Starscream huffs. "It can't be that simple."
Persephone smiles at him. How could she forget? They were soldiers, the world had been unkind to them... obviously they wouldn't think that anything would come for free.
She thinks of something. "Well, if you insist that it isn't for free then I'll agree."
"Ha! I knew it. You humans think you're clever into thinking that I wouldn't know your real intentions. So, what is it then? Spit it out."
"In exchange for putting in a good word to Megatron, I want you to be my friend."
"What?" The seeker stares at her. "What else beside from being your... so called 'friend'?"
She shakes her head, making Starscream even more confused. "Nothing. That's it. I just want you to be my friend."
He looks at her as if she had just spat out the most unbelievable gossip that was circling around the school.
"Surely that can't be it."
"That's literally the whole reason, I swear."
The Second-in-Command raises an optic ridge at her and Persephone could literally see the light bulb turn on, on top of his head.
"Wait, no, I now realize why you want to befriend me." Starscream laughs, his shoulders shaking in mirth. "I forgot that you are from a universe that knows about most of us, so surely you must have heard of my greatness!" He smirks at her. "That would be the only reason why you'd be interested in me—because you recognized a very powerful ally, no?"
Persephone stares at him for a moment with her mouth gaping slightly open. "Yah... sure, sure. Anyways!" She then smiles at him. "So does that mean we're friends?"
"Of course!" He smiles sinisterly at her.
It didn't matter if he thinks she was using him as a 'friend' because really who wouldn't be ecstatic to have Starscream as a friend? Sure he was a backstabbing, ambitious and cowardly kind of person.
No buts.
Persephone found his character to be complex and interesting so she thought that maybe if she had a friend, Starscream could be that friend.
"You know, in every adaptation, you're portrayed as this cowardly person and an absolute buffoon in front of Megatron," She watches his shoulders tense, "but when he isn't around, you become this smart and interesting individual. Could you tell me why you chose to put up that kind of façade?"
Starscream glares at her. "What? So you could report back to your master?"
Persephone shakes her head. "No. I'm genuinely curious. Almost everyone who's a fan of Transformers usually wonder that, usually asking the same questions as I do."
Starscream was silent for a moment, glancing at Shockwave. When he saw that the scientist was far enough, he plucked the human and her covers and placed them on his servo. Persephone looks at him confused, wondering silently why the Second-in-Command had walked away from the fire. She wraps the covers around her tightly, shivering when a cold breeze blew past.
"You seem intelligent enough to understand," Starscream grumbles. "Who wouldn't tremble in front of Megatron? The fragger is unhinged! Less sane than he was back on Cybertron," He ranted. "He does not take kindly on to others who could potentially best him."
"In other adaptations, you're usually beaten up whenever you try to overthrow him," She chirped.
"Well, my other counterparts are lucky that their Megatron would show them mercy." He replied. "But the Megatron in this world—the one I know—wouldn't hesitate to take me offline if I ever made a move to overthrow him. Although, I must admit that I do entertain the idea of taking over the Decepticon army."
Persephone nods her head with a hum.
"You'll have to find some loyalty and garner respect within the ranks if you want to succeed. Otherwise you'll just... fail, which is something your counterparts didn't think of or brushed it off."
"Who needs that when I can rule over the army with fear?"
"You have to understand that they don't respect you. They just... tolerate you," Persephone explained. "And what happens if they just tolerate you? You'd be overthrown, sooner or later."
He is silent for a moment as if thinking over her words.
"The reason Megatron is still in power is because he is a respectable and remarkable person," She smiles softly, her cheeks growing warm. "Sure, people fear him but he also has their loyalty. You may have killed him and have the Decepticon army in your hands, but someone will find a way to resurrect him or put him back to power... do you see where I'm going with this?"
Starscream eyes her as if she had just popped a second head out of her ass. He was silent for a moment before he said, "I can see why Megatron had kept you alive for so long. Although, I do not understand why you requested to be his pet when you could have earned a place among the ranks?"
Persephone froze before she buried her face in the covers and screamed in embarrassment; her screams muffled by the blanket. She pops out of the covers, her face flustered. "Don't bring that up!"
"Why not?" He asked.
"Because it's embarrassing!" She exclaimed.
"How is it embarrassing when according to Megatron it was you who volunteered to be his pet." Persephone wanted nothing more than to hide. "I mean who in their right mind would want ti be his pet?"
"It was a spur of the moment," She answered through gritted teeth, trying her best to not let shame be the death of her. "I thought he was just trying to comfort me by agreeing with me."
"Who the frag comforts someone by agreeing that they would be their pet?"
"I don't fucking know!" Persephone screeched. "At the time I thought that 'life is wack, maybe being someone's pet is nice!' and now I can't take it back because I don't know how!"
"Brace yourself, fleshy. Megatron has taken a liking to you and you might be subjected to... some violence. Especially now that you're his 'pet'. If you're lucky enough, you might get out of the situation alive."
"Don't worry, I've survived a shitty household. What could a very moody warlord do, right?" She snickered.
Starscream wants to tell her something, but just as he was about to say his words something catches his eye in the sky. Persephone turns to see a familiar cybertronian jet and she could see two cars approaching.
Persephone wouldn't admit it... but he scared her. When he yelled at her, it reminded her of loud thunder. Thunder reminds her of her aunts screaming at her.
She gulped as she watched him transform. Seeing him carrying some weird items that she can't properly identify.
Persephone braced herself, heart hammering in her chest.
Was he still angry at her?
Had he frightened her?
Persephone lays asleep in the berth they had stolen. It wasn't easy, but they managed to steal a handful of useful items from a human's hospital. Soundwave was their guide as they infiltrated the organics' place to take what they needed.
When they arrived, Persephone greets them with a smile. The smile she gives him wasn't as bright as he was used to. They seemed forced before she drops her gaze after.
She didn't speak, didn't utter a word unless she was spoken to. He didn't miss the way her mood seemed to... deflate when they arrived.
Shockwave had been tasked to make whatever it is he needed to do to run tests on the femme, currently the scientist was working on a generator so that they could power the devices they had stolen. The sun had long since disappeared and the moon that smiled had replaced its place.
It could take some time, but at least she had a much more comfortable berth to sleep in. He watched as she turned in her sleep, the covers sliding down to her elbows as she shivered. Megatron chuckled as he gently tucks her in.
Persephone had been sleeping once the berth had been set up, perhaps she had been tired. Starscream was nice company, according to her when he had asked her if she was treated fairly.
"How much longer is it going to take before that generator works?" Megatron asked, glancing at where Shockwave was fixing, cutting and putting wires all together near the fire.
"It should be done any moment, Lord Megatron." Was Shockwave's response to the warlord. "I must make sure that it doesn't destroy the tools I require to handle the specimen."
He grumbles, crossing his arms impatiently. Megatron knew he couldn't rush projects, Primus knows that it was hard enough as it is to infiltrate the hospital without raising too much suspicions but what about her?
Persephone was growing worse and worse by the day and despite how many times he had fed her, she was growing thin.
He wasn't worried.
No.
No, he wasn't.
He was just... Megatron just wanted to make sure the key to his victory is in proper shape. It was easier to deal with a healthy human rather than a sick one.
Not only that, she was his pet.
Megatron had greater plans for her, he didn't want to let her go just yet. After all, they have yet to arrive at the exciting part of their adventure together.
"Lord Megatron, Shockwave requires your presence." Soundwave's voice catches his attention.
He looks at the scientist who approached him, setting down the hundreds of wires at the machine beside the femme's small birth. "Everything is ready, Lord Megatron," Shockwave says before he activated his nanoform.
"Proceed." Megatron nods his head at Shockwave's silent question.
The warlord watched as the scientist's holoform prepares to set up when she stirs from her sleep.
Persephone rubbed her eyes and she lets out an ear-splitting scream for a brief moment when she spots Shockwave by her bedside. "Jesus Christ! You scared the shit out of me," She gasped, holding a servo over her chassis.
"Apologies, that wasn't my intention." Shockwave's monotonous voice says, although the warlord could sense amusement from his words.
"I see you have risen from stasis," Megatron hums, brushing his digit alongside her cheek. Although, much to his disappointment, she shies away from him instead of leaning in.
A reaction he wasn't expecting.
"Unfortunately," She gave him a tight-lipped smile. Her eyes looks at Shockwave and Persephone pales when she sees the needle in the scientist's hand; laughing nervously. "Uh... whatcha got there?"
"I will have to attach you to these primitive machines. Fret not, I have made some adjustments for them so that I can analyse you properly," Shockwave says before he looks at Megatron. "You may want to distract her, seeing as humans are usually... not fond of needles despite their violent nature."
Persephone glances at Megatron briefly, before turning her gaze somewhere. He noticed her cute attempt of trying to avoid his gaze.
He definitely did frighten her.
Megatron frowned. He put a digit underneath her chin and gently guides her helm to look at him. Her purple optics trained on anywhere but him
"Look at me," He tells her softly.
Persephone takes a deep breath, gulping before her eyes—finally—settles on him. There's a timid smile on her face, and when he looks into her optics he sees fear in them.
No trace of endearment or awe, just pure fear.
He thrived in fear, knowing that those around him wouldn't dare to lay a digit on him simply because the fear him and what he was capable of, however; fear does not suite the human femme. And silence from her—no chirps or witty remarks from her—unless he was addressing the femme made him uncomfortable.
Her lips part slightly as she says, "Hi." In the softest and nervous tone that Megatron had heard.
"Hello," He smiles softly at her. "You know, you are quite endearing when you recharge."
Persephone raises an optic ridge at him. "You watch me sleep?"
Megatron gulps, optics widening at the very slightest. It provided him with amusement whenever he watches her while she was in stasis, a habit he developed after the incident where he tore down the small wooden structure to retrieve her. Although he didn't want to admit it, but he needed something to break the ice between them.
He shrugs, brushing off the feeling of being embarrassed. "With nothing else to do, surely you cannot blame me for trying to see the joy in something that seems... simple."
She snickered.
"I didn't think you're quite the optimist–" The femme yelped, jolting very slightly as her optics grew wide. She turns to the scientist beside her with a horrified look. "Hey! That really hurts, you know!"
Shockwave merely gives her a glance before he continues to secure the buried needle at the back of her servo. "It's a good thing you felt it, which means your sensors haven't been damaged by energon."
"You should be careful with the fleshy!" Starscream exclaimed, glaring at the scientist as he stood near Persephone. "Primus knows how fragile she is!"
"What? You got soft after handling the fleshy for one day?" Barricade flashes the Second-in-Command a grin.
The Decepticon seeker rolls his eyes. "Would you like to dispose of Lord Megatron's pet if Shockwave accidentally kills her?"
Barricade cringes. "Frag no!"
Starscream huffs. "Thought so."
Megatron sighs as he watches the two bicker.
He turns to see Shockwave squeezes and flicks her arm. "Why are you doing that?"
"I've heard of humans doing such a thing to see where the vein is – Ah, speaking of!" Shockwave mused as he pierced the needle in her arm, making her gasp loudly. "There, it's perfectly in place." The scientist says as he secures the needle with various tapes and hooking the tubes to her.
When Megatron looked at her, she was wincing. An uncomfortable grimace sets on Persephone's face. "God, I do not like that one bit."
"It should be over soon." He tries to soothe her.
"I hope so." She grumbled.
Shockwave attaches some sort of wire on to her left chassis beneath her clothing before a steady beep echoes from the machine.
Beep!
Beep!
Beep!
"That's annoying," Persephone whined in disdain. "The heartbeat is too loud."
"Not for me." He finds himself blurting. "I do not mind... it signifies that you are alive, after all."
It wasn't loud enough to annoy him, if anything it had somewhat comforted his audios at the steady beeping he realised that must've been her heartbeat.
She pursed her lips, glaring at the monitor beside her. "How long is this going to have to stay inside my arm?" Persephone asked.
Shockwave answered. "It should be a while until I can find a way to stabilize your body's reaction to energon." The scientist deactivates his holomatter avatar as he stands beside the warlord. "Lord Megatron, how long has energon been in the human's form?"
He thinks for a moment and says, "Nine. Ten if we are counting today."
The scientist mutters something underneath his breath as she nods, holding his chin as he examines the human. "How strange," Shockwave says. "Usually, humans don't last that long when they come into contact with energon."
"How would you know that?" Barricade asked
If the scientist could smile, then he would have as he turned to look at him. "I'm a bot of science, Barricade. You should know that by now." His laugh was sinister.
Megatron didn't care what the one-eyed cybertronian did in his spare time. As long as it didn't go against his orders or cause any hindrances. He wouldn't be surprised if he was capable of anything else besides toying with humans.
"Will she survive?" Megatron quarries as he pets her helm, finding pleasure in the softness of her hair against his finger.
He looks at her, watching her as she looks at Shockwave with an unreadable expression, her servos clenching the blankets.
Megatron turned to the scientist to see him looking back at her and then turned to him to say, "She is still alive. This is uncharted territory, Lord Megatron. Further research is required."
The warlord looks back at her, noticing the way she trembled slightly. Whether it was from the cold or from Shockwave's words. He has the urge to soothe her, to take her in his servos and hide her from the world. From those who would hurt her.
Instead, he softly pressed his digit against her cheek, burning the sight of her finally—finally—sinking into his touch as her eyes softly drooped upon his processors. His free servo clenched at the possibility of Persephone slipping through his digits.
"See to it that she lives," Megatron ordered.
She will live.
She has to.
End of Chapter XII