Wow! I seriously never thought there would be this much feedback. Since many of you have encouraged the continuing of this story, than I shall.
Anyway, not much to say this time, although I'm sure you readers should have noticed the new sort-of-crappy cover art by now. I sketched it via mouse and Paint Tool Sai, so yeah.
Thanks to LadyBonBon, moonlightnight1, 6MissSparklez9, Deezaster82, heretherebemonsters, Guest and Rosey-Raven for reviewing!
Starscream made it his priority to avoid Megatron from now on. For several solar cycles he managed to weasel his way out of being alone in a room with Megatron. When that happened, he simply declared that he had other work and left. He now delivered his reports through the messaging system instead of face-to-face, as well as staying in the mess hall long enough to retrieve a cube before holing himself up in his lab again. Starscream hoped to keep this all discreet though, for he did not want his leader to become even more diligent to find him.
Unfortunately Megatron had noticed after the Seeker started avoiding him. He wasn't worried though. He had definitely caught Starscream's interest, hence the avoiding.
The warlord set his sights upon Starscream since he was recruited. He wasn't just appealing to the optics, but was also a surprisingly fierce fighter in both his personality and combat skills. Just the someone Megatron would like to have as one of his higher officers. He had considered promoting the other after seeing how well he managed the science division. The Seeker was capable and hard-working despite his attitude problem, not to mention his gorgeous appearance.
But as much as Megatron was able to tolerate Starscream's snarky comments, he longed to hear the Seeker moan in pleasure under his touches… and beg him to continue on… Starscream would probably provide a most satisfying evening in his berth, and Megatron became determined to have him there one of those days.
He had once being free with his interfacing life when he first become leader of the Decepticons, but soon discovered that this proved less-than productive to his duties. His unexpected popularity also did not help at all, and it had been a long time since Megatron had desired anyone. So when Starscream had come along with that appealing frame and fiery personality of his, the warlord suddenly just wanted to have the Seeker for himself, so much that he no longer wanted to concern himself over the many hopeful suitors that would no doubt be disappointed.
But the courting process had to come first, and then the more inappropriate activities. Megatron actually liked a willing partner, which he believed would make the experience much more enjoyable. Starscream would prove to be a difficult mech to win over, although Megatron was looking forward to it now that he had made his interest known. He was confident that he would soon have the other submitting under him. The Seeker had been the only mech the warlord had met that absolutely refused to do so, but for some reason, his resistance was part of what made him so appealing in the first place.
After combat training, Starscream was ready to hit the washracks. He had managed to best most of his opponents by using his advantage of speed and a mixture of sheer luck, although a strangely persistent Blitzwing (who, strangely, cackled nonstop throughout the entire session) flung him around in the dirt before Starscream managed to disarm him. Now his frame was scratched rather badly and caked in dirt, not to mention the condition of his prized wings. A long washing was what he needed most.
Starscream didn't like the washracks much. It was public, where all Decepticons cleaned themselves. They also often did it for each other, and the Seeker had barely managed to escape few such encounters. He hated to have anyone else touching his frame, especially those low-class ruffians that leered at him suggestively and made crude comments whenever he entered, although he always took care of the problem by firing straight towards their direction.
Starscream sighed in relief when he found the large steamy area mostly empty. He headed for his favorite stall and rounded a corner, only to smack head-on into a large sturdy frame. The Seeker tumbled to the ground with an oath and glared at the other, whose spiky armor was faintly recognizable in the steam.
Not him! And to think that this was the second time they collided. That fragging scrapheap should have learned to be more careful by now on those two left pedes of his!
"Well, Starscream," Megatron's baritone voice met him, "What a surprise to finally see you around."
Starscream scowled darkly. So he spent weeks avoiding his leader only to run into him the worst place possible. He tried to scramble away quickly, but the other's arm shot out and pulled him to stand up.
"I don't need your help!" Starscream scoffed.
"Many apologies. I wasn't looking at where I was going… my my… you've gone ahead and got yourself filthy."
"If you would excuse me," The Seeker said loftily, "I need to wash."
"By all means," Megatron stood aside, "Enjoy yourself, unless you wish for me to join you."
That last sentence was followed by one of his trademark smirks.
Starscream froze in horror. He would rather listen to Lugnut's five-hour long speech on the greatness of their leader than to have Megatron in the same stall as he. How dare he even suggest such a twisted idea?! Hot anger blazed in Starscream at his leader's perverted behavior, and he would have given him a good punch in the faceplates. However the assault probably will serve to amuse Megatron even further, so he settled for a more verbal approach.
"You!" He pointed furiously at the other, "Shut up!"
Starscream then turned promptly into his stall and turned on the taps as cold as they could go. As he stepped under the freezing water, he could hear Megatron also entering the one next to him. Of course he would want to wash next to his favorite Seeker.
Starscream took the longest shower he'd ever had, scrubbing aimlessly at his chestplates and hoping that Megatron would be long gone after he was done. After spending approximately one megacycle in the washrack, Starscream finally sauntered out confidently. And just his luck, Megatron was still there, sitting on a ledge and drying himself leisurely with a large towel.
That fragger! He must have been waiting especially for Starscream.
"Why do I always have to see your ugly mug wherever I turn?" Starscream vented his frustration aloud.
"You missed a spot." Megatron ignored him, instead reaching out to rub at an area on Starscream's neck cables. He cringed from the contact.
"More than one, actually." The warlord added as he seized the smaller mech and promptly dumped him on his lap.
The results were interesting to watch. Starscream immediately shrieked, bit at Megatron's hand and scratched at his gray armor. But he was trapped by an arm around his waist, unable to escape no matter how he struggled.
Megatron chuckled heartily. The Seeker was truly fun to mess with. He must be cursing himself to be stuck in such an awkward position. After weeks of avoiding Megatron, he was in a situation he most dreaded.
"Did you take a thorough shower?" He asked suspiciously when he discovered more dirt behind the other's back. Starscream must have neglected it, something surprising because he spent so much time in there.
"Why do you care? Just let me go, you fragger!"
Megatron inwardly smiled when a devious idea came to him. His Seeker was going to hate it though.
"Stop squirming." Megatron stood up, flinging Starscream over his shoulder as he went back into his stall. Of course he didn't listen and scratched at the warlord's back, hard. Megatron winced. That would surely leave marks, but totally worth it if he succeeded in what he planned to do.
He sat down again and placed (with great difficulty) Starscream back into his lap. He turned the water back on, retrieved a sponge and bottle of solvent and set to work scrubbing between the Seeker's wings.
The effects were immediate. Starscream relaxed against his leader with a breathy sigh, his optics dimming in content. Megatron smirked in amusement. It was rumored that a flier's wings were one of the most private and sensitive part of him. He had garnered a heated response concerning their privacy when he had touched Starscream's wing earlier, and now he wanted to experiment with their sensitivity.
He ran the sponge gently up a wing, and Starscream actually moaned at the contact. It was as if he had completely forgotten who was cleaning him. Megatron was determined to enjoy this while it lasted.
It really was sublime. Every movement of the sponge brought whimpers and gasps out of the lithe Seeker on his lap. Megatron tried running a hand along the wing edge, tweaking at the thin sheet of metal. In response Starscream shuddered violently and arched his back in a silent cry of pleasure. Emboldened, the warlord dared to move the other hand down to the other's pert aft, squeezing it roughly. That was when the peaceful moment broke.
Starscream's optics snapped online in alarm and as if he just realized what had happened, he let out a screech of horror, leaping out of Megatron's lap.
Megatron was only faintly aware of the furious Seeker shouting at him about taking advantage, being a total pervert, seducing him unfairly and then groping at an inappropriate part of his frame before storming off.
The warlord rumbled in silent laughter. It was definitely worth it.
Starscream panted hard as he ran as fast as he could back to his quarters. He hadn't bothered to dry himself from his unfinished wash, and there were even traces of solvent staining his armor. Luckily he only ran into few Decepticons, who gave him odd looks when he tore by like a hurricane.
The Seeker finally reached his room, keyed in the codes and slammed the door tightly shut when he was in. Starscream was safe, for now, as he threw himself into a chair. He finally allowed himself to muse over the previous events that happened in the washracks with Megatron. It was bad enough that he ran into the warlord in the first place. And then he was forcibly picked up and washed unwillingly!
Although unwillingly might be inaccurate. Starscream could still feel Megatron's heavy hands teasing the sensitive metal of his wings, the soft material of the sponge rubbing just in the right places. He hadn't felt pleasure like that before, and just recalling the heavenly experience made his frame heat up again.
What was Starscream thinking?! Anyone who touched his wings would also make him feel the same way. And who was Megatron to touch him as he pleased? He wasn't a lover, and Starscream didn't plan to become close to him at all. He had no right to invade his privacy like this!
However, Megatron believed he had the right. He was interested in the Seeker. He wanted him. And usually he always got what he wanted. Starscream was no exception.
He was in a very good mood after that encounter in the washracks, and almost blessed the fact how his personal washrack had mysteriously malfunctioned, forcing him to use the public one. Touching the Seeker this intimately had awoken a burning desire in him to get the other to submit. Megatron would continue to play this game with his second. He would win him over. And soon Starscream would be begging for more of his caresses.
No mech had caught his attention this much since the Great War started. Something about Starscream appealed to him out of all his suitors. It was definitely his defiance. Megatron liked a fighter after all.
His luck was running out as of late.
Starscream seemed to run into Megatron everywhere he went. When he started his work in his lab, Megatron was there smirking at him before he left shortly. In the mess hall he was offering him an energon cube. In the combat training room he was watching Starscream spar. The Seeker was now only safely alone in his room, but at least he didn't meet his leader in the washracks again.
It was useless to run now. Starscream could only endure this whole situation. However that didn't mean he should take it obediently.
He snapped at Megatron whenever they spoke and commented rudely during reports. He even stuck out his glossa at his leader sometimes. Starscream knew he was behaving like a spoilt sparkling, but he didn't care. He also knew Megatron won't harm him for his incivility. The warlord liked him too much for that. But Starscream didn't want that oversized fragger pursuing and trying to court him. It wasn't even called courting! Megatron was literally a stalker who made his life difficult, no matter how good his touch felt.
His frame betrayed him though. Every time the Seeker looked at Megatron, he felt his large hands roaming the delicate metal of his wings again and caused his core temperature to rise along with that accursed excitement coursing through him. Curse his wings for being so sensitive and the fact that they were never touched before like that! It was like if now Starscream had felt what it was like, he wouldn't have minded if he felt more of the tingling sensation of having his wings stimulated.
The other Decepticons had started to show their knowledge of this interaction between their leader and this once-unknown scientist since the day Megatron spoke to Starscream in the command center. Mechs like Oil Slick jeered at it and placed bets on how long it would be when Megatron dragged Starscream to his berth for a round of good fragging. But other mechs who had previously participated in Megatron's courting fling were less than pleased. Starscream received heated glares whenever he entered a room, and he was constantly given the most mundane of tasks for strange reasons. Even the mechs at the lab, including his assistant Steelstreak, were somewhat disapproving. Starscream didn't worry about them though, for he soon gave them enough work to keep them distracted.
Shockwave and Lugnut were probably the most affected though. They had worked too long to receive their lord's attention, and now it was taken away by this Seeker who merely flaunted his wings and swayed his aft! They also showed their displeasure towards Starscream whenever they could. The Seeker now often found himself dodging surprise lunge attacks from the gargantuan Lugnut, which he avoided with ease. Other than keeping a cautious optic on his surroundings, Starscream didn't consider him too much of a threat and continued to live as if nothing had happened.
But Shockwave was a whole different matter. Starscream suddenly found life a lot more difficult when he constantly struggled with the budget he needed to run his projects and several times went hungry when the public energon dispenser seemed to always run out by the time he arrived. There was even once when Skystalker summoned Starscream angrily to the command center to demand why the entire Decepticon computer database had been encrypted, which must had been done by the Seeker because he was its last recorded user.
The second-in-command certainly played it dirty by using underhanded tactics. The whole thing was incivility in its greatest form. But instead of faltering in the face of difficulty, Starscream somehow became determined to rebel against his enemies, for he would never go before his sorry excuse of a leader and tell him of what he was suffering. As a result he often made sure that he was by Megatron's side in the presence of those two. Seeing Lugnut shake with jealousy and rage though helpless to do anything about it was totally worth it.
But it was only after a direct confrontation did the Seeker realize he was in greater danger than he thought.
One day when Starscream was exiting his lab to deliver a report, Shockwave cornered him in the hallways with a hostile look in his optic. Before the Seeker could realize something was wrong, he was promptly seized by Shockwave's long pincers and slammed up against the wall. He let out an indignant shriek, trying to claw his way free. Again he was trapped completely, and at that moment Starscream cursed his small frame size and strength compared to most Decepticons.
"Listen now, Starscream, head scientist." Shockwave said in a dangerously soft tone, "I have been watching you lately, and your behavior disgusts me. You have no right to flaunt around Lord Megatron like some cheap pleasure-drone."
"I do not!" Starscream snapped back hotly, "No one is flaunting around anyone. Even if I did, it is none of your business! Now release me at once before I decide to use you as the test subject for my next weapons project!"
"It is of my business. As second-in-command I have the authority to make sure that those I find as a threat would meet… a rather nasty end. You are not worthy of Lord Megatron, nor will you ever be."
"Oh, shut up, you! You know nothing about this at all!" Starscream was by now very irritated even in his disadvantageous position. He knew there was a reason why he never liked the shape-shifter since the first solar cycle they met as he continued to pry at the pincers keeping him trapped. In response Shockwave tightened his grip so that the Seeker's lighter armor buckled ever so slightly under the pressure. Starscream grimaced at the stinging pain but remained silent, determined not to show weakness.
"I give you one last warning, Starscream. Stay away from him if you wish to remain unharmed."
With that Shockwave allowed him to drop to the ground in an undignified heap and left. It took several cycles before Starscream was able to gather himself and resume his errand.
He was shaken greatly, to be truthful with himself. Shockwave had literally threatened him for something he wasn't even in control of and lost his cool after orbital cycles of unhanded tactics. It was Megatron who made the first approach, for goodness' sake! Starscream never wanted to get dragged into this mess the first place. And now he was on the bad side of the Decepticon second-in-command, who probably yearned for Megatron's attention for some time.
Starscream snickered despite his worries when he imagined his leader flirting with the faceless mech. That would be quite a disturbing sight.
Still... was Megatron worth the trouble to face oppositions like this? The Seeker decided he should lie low for awhile, since his leader didn't deserve risking his life. Argh! Why had Starscream gotten himself into this mess in the first place? If Skyfire were here he would have been rebuking the Seeker for allowing his sometimes reckless and impulsive nature to get ahead of him again. An army was a totally different environment from the Academy, a fact Starscream seemed to have disregarded at the cost of his current predicament. Hopefully another battle against the Autobots would come along, and then he could put this all behind him for the time being before he decided to do something potentially nasty to Shockwave or Lugnut and get himself in deeper trouble.
When Megatron noticed dents around the Seeker's frame as he delivered his report and flecks of fuchsia paint on Shockwave's pincers, he had his suspicions. Since he didn't have actual proof that Shockwave was responsible for them, he couldn't do a thing. Somehow Megatron knew that he better not ask Starscream about it, but soon he knew of this conflict among his highest-ranking subordinates. He knew something had to be done, or the Decepticons would be torn from inside out by infighting. Megatron thought he had already done enough by declaring himself single and gradually distancing himself from the mechs who pursued him. He was kind of growing irritated as of late towards this attention now that the war was starting to rage on again.
If Shockwave could turn from a polite and respectful mech into a dangerously jealous one, what would happen to the rest?
It is uncivil, he decided, to fall by the hands of ourselves than at those of the Autobots.
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