Ugh... I just got a wisdom molar yanked out yesterday and I am now perpetually hungry since I can't eat solid food just yet. As a result, here's the longest chapter so far to distract me from hunger, and from the slight pain, of course.
Thanks to fan girl 666 and Ditgital Drama for reviewing!
Heading the defenses of Kalis was much more taxing than Starscream thought. For one he had to deal with the same group of Decepticons who had first questioned his authority when he sent them there. Then he had to set an all-solar-cycle guard around the city state. When the Autobots started attacking, everything went downhill from there.
They were able to hold their ground against the numerous assaults. Several times the Autobots tried to scale the walls or break through the main gates, but the Decepticons took them down easily from the air. There was even once when an invasion happened from the underground pipes. Starscream simply gave orders to release toxic waste from the still-working reactor down the pipe the strike team was in, and they were never heard from ever since.
The Autobots never seemed to give up though. Their assaults began to grow in number and happen at the most unexpected times. Starscream often had to pull himself out of recharge to commandeer a defense to a sneak attack. As a result he became progressively weary (and cranky). Combine that with his daily dealings with the Decepticons under his command, the Seeker was almost ready to snap at any time.
Starscream had placed all thoughts of Megatron aside for now. He couldn't afford to be sidetracked by any musings and thoughts about his leader, no matter how much of an afthead he was. But the Seeker couldn't help thinking about the terms in which they departed for Kalis and Altihex.
For once in his life, Starscream had taken another's advice and actually apologized to Megatron. He wasn't really sorry for his rant, but he had been pleasantly surprised when his leader accepted it with a light attitude. He even made a small jest at him. Perhaps Megatron wasn't that much of a jerk.
Starscream could probably live with that. Having their relationship as strictly work-related and nothing more suited him just fine, if it lasted, that is.
However, Megatron was determined to message him each solar cycle, true to his word. He requested frequent status reports from his second. Then gradually it turned into something else instead.
-How are you this solar cycle?
-Fine. Starscream would answer briefly.
-Having any troubles with your subordinates?
-What do you think?! Today Lugnut tried to cause a scene again. It took the combined efforts of Skystalker, Oil Slick, and a few others to restrain him from jumping on me.
It was true. Lugnut had been the main source of trouble for him since Starscream first arrived at Kalis. The bomber plane nearly started many a fight between him and the Seeker, ranted at Starscream sometimes about "not being worthy enough to serve as the glorious Lord Megatron's advisor" and other things and generally caused excitement among the Decepticons. Other than feeling extremely annoyed that this was proving to be less than productive to the defense effort, Starscream wasn't particularly concerned over this. Lugnut had more bark than bite in his protests, after all.
-I could transfer him to Altihex if you want. Lugnut is a very capable mech, but he can overreact sometimes.
Starscream hated it when Megatron said things like that. It wasn't because he was upset over his leader thinking him incapable of dealing with such things. It was because it showed that perhaps Megatron actually cared, and it always made him falter on the inside. This feeling was made worse when he heard how his leader had lately made a public threat that anyone who dared to act against the second-in-command would suffer the full wrath of the warlord.
He hoped to keep his relationship with the other neutral, at a safe distance from Megatron so that he could avoid the others' jealousy but also on good terms so he could have an easier time working as a second-in-command. But it was cycles like this that made Starscream wonder if the warlord was actually serious about the whole courting business, that he held some sort of affection for the Seeker instead of lust for his frame. It can't be; Megatron was probably trying another strategy to win him over. Starscream wouldn't fall for it easily this time.
He wished he had brought Blitzwing with him, but the mentally-unstable mech was still recovering from his injuries and unable to transform. To have him on the front lines was cruel, not to mention dangerous. But Starscream still spoke to him a few times concerning Megatron, and was surprised that Blitzwing told him that he was doing extremely well with his leader.
He and Megatron spoke of many things. Mostly they chatted without a real topic in mind, but sometimes they spoke of more serious matters. A particularly memorable one was when Starscream asked him about the ongoing war.
-How did you start the war?
There was a cycle of hesitation from his leader, but eventually he replied.
-As much as I desire to credit myself to the start of the Great War, I did not do it. The Autobots had driven us into the corner when they issued the Decepticon Registration Act, which required us to relinquish all property over to the Autobots and live under their jurisdiction. I knew this would not end well, even though we desperately wanted to be sprung out of our place on the edge of society. Plus the Decepticons were a group of born fighters wishing to live under the authority of none but their leader. It was only natural that I lead them to war.
Starscream was a little taken aback by Megatron's sudden outpouring of information, taking extra time to read the block of text that had scrolled across his vision. He knew how the war started, and just wanted Megatron's point of view on it. Now that his leader was evidently in a discussing mood, he might as well take advantage of it.
-Was war really necessary? You know the massive toll of lives and resources it will take.
Starscream had to refresh his vision a few times before he realized what he had written in the spur of the moment. Slag it! Why was he treading in dangerous grounds by asking such a sensitive question?! But he had wondered about it a few times before, especially after particularly taxing battles that forced him to offline many Autobots himself.
-It was. The Decepticon Registration Act wasn't the only cause of the Great War. Surely you have seen the many injustices in society brought about by the corrupt Autobot government. I had suffered under it too many times to count, and I am sure you had too. Evidently protests and other non-violent methods of reform would no longer work. This government has to be done away with in order for a new and better one to take its place. Is there another way of achieving this? No. Going to war was the only option.
The Seeker was fortunate that Megatron hadn't chosen to fly into a rage over his inquiry questioning the entire goal of the Decepticons. Megatron's reasoning was valid though. Starscream had wanted to see a change in government right after he was denied of his degree in the Cybertronian Science Academy, which had completely destroyed his dreams…
He shook his helm. No, now was not the time to go over the past. One of the requirements of joining the Decepticons was to discard all burdens of the past in order to strive for a better future.
-But the war has been going on for so long. Do you think we can triumph over the Autobots?
Starscream slapped himself in the helm again. Why do these totally uncertain questions keep popping up? It was as if when speaking to Megatron his guard had loosened enough to allow his secret fears to surface.
-I see you are beginning to doubt, Starscream.
The Seeker remained fearfully silent for a few cycles, almost dreading Megatron's rebuke at him for doubting so much. But Starscream couldn't help it. On top of his stressful work, sleepless nights, emotional upheavals and handling the jealous Decepticons, he had begun to question the ongoing war. He knew that the government had to be changed in some way. But as the Great War raged on, taking more lives and sapping more energy out of everyone, Starscream had to wonder if there was a better option.
-It's quite alright. You are not the only one to doubt. Sometimes I even do it myself. But know this: No matter how long the war lasts, I will try my best to ensure that most of the Decepticons will survive it. I will make my decisions based on how many lives that could be spared in battle, and I will not force an assault when my soldiers clearly can't handle it. But I am sure that we will win this stellar-cycles long conflict and I will live to see a new reformed Cybertron arise to power. The Autobots fight for a corrupt and dying government. We fight to create a better future for the generations of Cybertronians to come. It's a noble cause, Starscream. We have no reason to lose to the Autobots.
Megatron was really a gifted speaker. Any doubts Starscream had were beginning to vanish. Why did he even doubt in the first place? They were fighting for a noble cause as opposed to the Autobots. They would win the war, for they had no reason to lose it.
And Megatron's words had Starscream recalling the time when he was immediately won over after hearing one of his public broadcasts. The warlord had spoken at length about the need for reformation, yet this was the first time the Seeker heard him mention the treatment of his followers in any way.
He had lived long enough to realize that most mechs don't intend to fulfill the promises they utter. Megatron didn't seem like a special exception from this truth… well, maybe until now. Even without hearing the other's voice or seeing his expression, Starscream could feel his earnestness as he spoke about his intentions for the faction, an enthusiasm that had been so prominently absent among the Autobot leaders.
The Autobot higher castes had not hesitated to put a mech into good use if he had potential, but neither did they wait to shove him aside should the mech outlive his usefulness. Megatron, on the other hand, had promised a place for every mech among the Decepticons and so much more. Starscream only had to recall the many instances when the warlord took extra effort to minimize losses of the troops and to keep up the Decepticons' morale to confirm that what Megatron said was true. In one notable instance during the Cycle of Infamy right after Megatron declared war to the public, he and his followers had been surrounded by the Autobot troops determined to rid the uprising once and for all. Then the warlord proceeded to shoot down a large support beam to cover their retreat, for they were vastly outnumbered, and fought the Autobots singled-handedly until the Decepticons present were able to flee.
Starscream had regarded this event dismissively as a fortunate escape upon first hearing it. Only now did he discover its significance, its insight into Megatron's way of leadership. He was utterly dedicated to his cause despite his inappropriate actions towards Starscream, and the Seeker wasn't the only mech who recognized this dedication. This was why Megatron was so charismatic, and combined with his promise to preserve the Decepticons through war with his best effort there were few who would refuse his call to arms.
Starscream hadn't really seen much of it all until now, and for some reason his spark softened upon hearing Megatron's reply. The reason why the whole planet of Cybertron was restless and discontented was because the government lacked a leader like the warlord, unafraid to stand up for his cause and determined to protect the mechs he led. If this was the kind of leader Starscream was to serve under, he wouldn't have minded at all. In fact, he would have offered his support.
-Well, does this clear things up for you? The other's question interrupted him from his thoughts.
-Yes. Thanks.
-Anytime. If Starscream had been able to see Megatron face-to-face, he was sure that the warlord was now wearing a pleased smirk.
Really, he wasn't as bad as he first thought when he was being serious. Perhaps Starscream would even allow such conversations to continue on.
But still… how could he trust Megatron's words when he had apparently gone against his beliefs by that courting offer he had issued, an action that had tarnished his first impression of the other?
Now that Starscream had begun to understand his leader more, he would give almost anything to hear why Megatron had done such an outrageous thing. Maybe another time though. This was yet another sensitive topic.
These silent conversations went on for a long time. Each time Megatron contacted him, Starscream could not refuse, and soon he found himself even looking forward to those chats as he begin to know his leader more and more. He gradually placed his suspicions of Megatron's motive of doing this behind as he grew comfortable in speaking with him. These exchanges also admittedly kept Starscream losing it under the stress he was enduring right now.
Megatron also eagerly took any chance to speak with his second. Five times out of ten he was secretly messaging him in meetings or while speaking to others. Many Decepticons were beginning to wonder what was up with their leader when he often asked them to repeat themselves.
Ever since the rant, he had been pondering on how should he treat his second-in-command. Obviously it wouldn't work if he approached with courting intents. So Megatron had settled for being cordial and friendly. So far it had worked well through those messages. Starscream was being more approachable than he was stellar cycles ago ever since their last discussion about Megatron's reasons for initiating the war, and he found he liked to speak with the surprisingly easy-to-talk-to Seeker.
However, Megatron realized he was revealing more of himself than he usually did to his second. Starscream had challenged him in many occasions on topics about the ongoing war and such. Megatron wasn't obligated to give a detailed explanation, but he did anyway. He was glad to discuss such matters with his intent listener. Starscream was a surprisingly attentive audience to his discourses.
And the conversations definitely kept them both from going insane, Megatron decided one day after returning from a victorious battle against the Autobots. They had almost breached the north gates, and the warlord had to fight on pede in order to stop them. Although he was successful, Megatron sustained a deep slash wound in his left leg where a particularly brave Autobot had caused with an energy sword. He managed to decapitate the mech later, but the damage was already done. Due to the lack of a medic, Megatron had to rely on his meager medical skills and his self-repair system to treat it. As a result he was now forced to limp until his leg healed completely.
-I heard that you and your team just repelled a larger assault today and that you were seriously hurt. Are you all right? For once it was Starscream who initiated the messaging.
The corner of Megatron's mouth quirked in amusement. So his little Seeker did care more than he let on.
-Nothing life threatening, just a sword wound I should have been able to prevent.
-Then who said your life was in danger? You should have that mech punished for spreading misinformation.
Megatron wasn't really surprised about this. After all, rumors tend to travel among Decepticons fast and become more than distorted along the way. Just like his courting incident. He told Starscream about that fact gladly.
-In fact, I believe that was how my so called "courting offer" became open. I never issued one. It was only a rather uncomfortable conversation with Shockwave about my great popularity among the Decepticons.
There was an uncharacteristically long silence on Starscream's side, so long that Megatron considered messaging him again, when his second finally replied.
-I thought you did it on purpose.
-On purpose? No, Starscream. I would never think of anything so preposterous in the middle of war. Only when I discovered that this ensured the Decepticons' loyalty did I allow it to continue for a brief while, but I soon had to stop this "courting offer" when I caught mechs fighting among themselves because of it. I thought you knew about this.
Megatron truly did, but now that he thought of Starscream's angry rant the other day, he realized the Seeker didn't know at all. He should have clarified things sooner and saved himself a whole lot of trouble.
There was another long silence from Starscream, and this time he did not reply even after Megatron prodded him. He sighed and cut off the connection reluctantly. His second probably needed some time to himself to think things over. Megatron needed his own too.
"Lord Megatron, the Autobots had set up a siege against us around the entire city-state!" Straxus suddenly ran into the command center with his urgent report, "We would have caught them earlier, but they used a cloaking technology to hide their energy signatures. What are your orders?"
Megatron inwardly groaned as he pulled himself from his thoughts back to the reality of war. His duty as Decepticon leader still came first before anything.
"What?! Megatron's forces are outnumbered at Altihex, which is currently surrounded in a siege?!" Starscream exclaimed, horrified.
"Yes, Commander Starscream. It is unlikely for them to keep the city-state and get out unscathed at the same time." Skystalker, who had given the bad news, replied honestly.
The Seeker was strangely distressed over this. He knew Megatron could probably fight his way out with little to no difficulty. But the odds of being outnumbered and surrounded were not good. What if Megatron offlined in the process of escorting the others out? After all that mech always placed the others' safety before his. And what if his wound hindered him? He would be slower than usual in battle.
And that conversation they were having a megacycle ago… Starscream's mind was still reeling from the many revelations Megatron had given him. One of the main reasons he had distanced himself from his leader, apart from the desire to keep himself safe, was utter disgust at the warlord's inappropriate courting offer in the middle of war. Even though Starscream had been assured of his leader's devotion to his cause and his diligence to see it fulfilled, he still wasn't completely convinced yet.
Now that Starscream realized Megatron had done it unintentionally, he fully regretted his earlier misgivings, which was exactly why he can't stand by and watch Megatron become trapped in a nearly-unbreakable siege. He still had his duty of second-in-command to fulfill by aiding his leader whenever he needed it.
"Skystalker, prepare a regiment to depart for Altihex immediately. You and I will lead them to provide backup for Megatron." Starscream ordered before leaving the room in a hurry, followed by Skystalker. However as a result he failed to see the shuttle pulled back by a nearby Oil Slick with a knowing wink.
"He sent the backup immediately. You owe me fifty credits."
The shuttle groaned as he handed over the cash reluctantly, "How would I know that our second-in-command would still come to Lord Megatron's aid? Everyone knows how many times Starscream argued with our leader recently."
"Oh, but I think they're patching up things rather nicely. Before you know it, these two may be declaring themselves a couple and act all lovey-dovey around each other. You sure you don't want to shorten your bet of three thousand stellar cycles?"
"Ha! You obviously spend too much time gossiping on that thrice-slagged forum. Chances of that happening so soon are as low as Lugnut planning a coup d'état against Megatron, and I'll be the one laughing at you when you cough up your two thousand credits. Now let me go. I have a regiment to lead and a siege to break." Skystalker returned good-naturedly before turning away to sprint after Starscream.
Oil Slick chuckled deviously to himself, "Well, we shall see, my good friend Skystalker."
A few cycles later Starscream and his regiment were slicing through the air in their flight-capable alt-modes as fast as they can towards Altihex. He could already see the airborne shadows of some Decepticons above the city-states and the faint flashes of laser fire. Was Megatron among the group who suddenly plummeted as if injured fatally? Or was he one of the fliers who transformed to do battle on the ground?
Starscream found himself worrying more than he liked as he got closer. Why was he suddenly concerned about Megatron this much? He led this backup in the hope that they will keep Altihex, not to make sure that his leader stayed safe.
Alright, maybe a little bit of the latter. Starscream found it surprisingly difficult to accept if Megatron had offlined after spending so much time speaking to him over the messaging network.
And then they were flying right over Altihex. The Seeker could see that the Decepticons were clearly outnumbered. Most of them had come out of the city-state to fight the advancing Autobots, but were slowly being driven back. There were many offlined Autobot frames littering the battleground already, but there were also a surprising number of Decepticon ones too.
Where was Megatron? He sincerely hoped he wasn't among the gray corpses. Starscream deployed his long range scanners tuned to his leader's energy signature and looked around almost frantically.
There. The warlord was on the ground fighting off a mass of Autobots trying to break through the gates. He was using both his swords and fusion cannon, a deadly storm of whirling blades and blazing fusion energy. His opponents fell away before him steadily, but more arose to take the fallen's place. In other words, Megatron was fighting a losing battle.
Still Starscream couldn't help but admire the style his leader used. He hadn't had the chance to see Megatron in action yet, and now he was glad that he did. The large mech fought in a rather unorthodox fashion, surprisingly agile as he leapt around with his swords spinning and slashing. No strike was in vain, for one opponent fell with each blow. Combine that with concentrated blasts from his cannon in many occasions, Megatron was truly an unstoppable force to reckon with.
But the warlord was tiring. Starscream could now see a previously overlooked limp in Megatron's movements, and his swings grew slower as time went on. He had to do something.
"Commander Starscream, we await your orders." Skystalker interrupted his thoughts.
"Spread out into twelve teams to drive back the Autobots in any area needing aid. I will support Lord Megatron himself." The Seeker's mind immediately went into battle mode, placing most thoughts and emotions aside in favor for making quicker decisions in conflicts.
With that the team split up and flew in different directions, while Starscream transformed and landed right beside Megatron.
"I don't remember calling for backup!" Was the warlord's abrupt greeting as he beheaded two Autobots with one blow.
"And you are a glitchhead for not having done so," Starscream shot back, nailing another fatally with a blast from his null-rays, "Clearly you are outnumbered."
"Don't tell me you left Kalis undefended." That ungrateful slagger! First thing he thinks of is the defense of a non-sentient city-state.
"Of course not. I left more than half of my forces there. Aren't you supposed to be thankful that I even bothered to come to save your sorry aft?"
"Ah, I shouldn't have worried," Megatron gave him a wide grin, "Kalis is safe under your command while I struggle to keep Altihex from being taken. Glad you're here, Starscream."
The Seeker wasn't given any time to go over the meaning of Megatron's words as another wave of Autobots assaulted them. The two took them down with their combined firepower this time, making short work of them. Starscream realized that he worked well with Megatron as a team. Whenever his leader neglected to deal with a group who had sneaked up, the Seeker finished them off with well-aimed shots. Whenever the Autobots got too close for him to use his null-rays, Megatron took care of the problem with his blades. There was even once when a few missiles were fired in their direction, the warlord fired his cannon hit at least three of them, causing them to detonate harmlessly a distance away from them. But one of them just barely missed the two and impacted against the supporting beam, and Megatron maneuvered himself so that he stood in the path of the explosion, where his tougher armor repelled the waves of rolling fire. Soon they were lowering their weapons amid a pile of still-sparkling deactivated frames.
"Well, that was thrilling." Megatron said almost cheerfully, "I haven't fought like that in ages. You make an excellent backup, Starscream."
The Seeker would retorted back something sharply to hide that unexpected embarrassment that arose in him if he were in any situation except in the middle of battle. There was still a siege going on and that other Decepticons were being outnumbered as they speak.
-Commander, the west gate of Altihex is currently faltering under another assault via pulse canon. We need you here ASAP to put it out of commission with your null-rays. It is too large for us to destroy completely.
"Come on, the battle's not over yet." Starscream sprinted towards the provided coordinates and was about to transform until he heard a loud clang behind him. He whipped around only to see Megatron collapsed on one knee with a strained expression on his faceplates.
"Megatron!" The Seeker immediately ran to his leader's side.
"I'm fine," The warlord spoke through gritted dentas, "I've overexerted my injured leg and reopened the wound. It might prevent me from fighting properly, but I'll live. Go on ahead to where you're needed. I will catch up later."
Starscream ignored him. Instead he examined the other's left leg. The slash wound looked nasty, with energon leaking from the jagged opening and wires sparking deeper within. Megatron wasn't going to walk around with a wound like that; he would get offlined in a nanoklik before he knew it. Starscream unsubspaced a small medical kit to tend to the gash, much to Megatron's protest. But while he was in the middle of patching up the opening, he heard the groan of straining metal above.
"What is that sound?" He wondered aloud.
Megatron twisted around to look, and suddenly he lurched to his pedes and seized Starscream off the ground. Through his disoriented vision from being so abruptly moved, the Seeker saw the supporting beam that a missile had damaged was starting to fall down right where they were standing, gaining speed as it gathered momentum. Megatron had started to stagger away as fast as he could, but he wasn't going to make it. The pace they were going at was too slow…
Then Starscream was flying through the air, thrown bodily by his leader. He hit an opposite wall and saw stars at the same time the supporting beam finally landed on the ground with a deafening clang. At first he lay stunned by the impact, wondering what the heck just happened. Then Starscream remembered how the warlord had been left behind when the beam fell, and managed to look back despite his still-spinning vision.
Megatron was pinned down completely by the beam, which had fallen across his back leaving him trapped and unable to move. Not that he was moving. The warlord was lying strangely still with his limbs twisted in askew angles.
Starscream's spark twisted violently at the hapless sight. He can't believe what he feared had come true in the worst possible way. For a moment he completely forgot about the battle raging in other parts of Altihex. Few mechs could survive having a support beam that thick crushed on them. As for Megatron, he was still an ordinary mech despite all his skills in battle. There was a possibility that he may be already offline. No…! He can't be, not after Starscream had just seen him after orbital cycles. Not after his leader had saved him from a painful deactivation. Not after most misunderstandings were resolved between them and…
Starscream's throat suddenly constricted, threatening to cut his breath off as he stood staring at the prone form of his leader.
A pained groan caught his attention, and the Seeker was thankfully pulled out of his hyperventilating thoughts. Megatron was now shifting feebly underneath the fallen beam.
"I knew I awoke on the wrong side of the berth this morning," He complained, "First the leg wound disables me, and now this!"
A strong sense of relief that seemly didn't belong to Starscream swept through him, causing his knees to weaken and almost collapse. But he quickly rushed over and deployed a quick scan. His leader was miraculously unharmed apart from his leg wound and a few large dents in his upper torso. After the beam is removed, he should be fine to continue on in battle.
-Commander Starscream, we need you here now! Any moment and the Autobots would be breaking through our faltering defenses and wreak havoc with their still-very-much-intact cannon!
Slag it all! Starscream cursed. He couldn't exactly leave Megatron lying here completely defenseless or allow the enemy to gain entry. To make things worse, he spotted a group of Autobots heading towards them. They had seen the downed figure of Megatron and were now rushing forward.
"Go!" Megatron insisted, "I can still defend myself with my cannon. You are needed more for the defense of Altihex."
The Autobots drew closer. The Decepticons called for backup again. Starscream had to make a split-second decision.
"What are you waiting for, Starscream? Go! I will be fine!" Megatron urged him again.
"Oh, shut up, you fragger!" The Seeker snarled. He had now made his choice. The backup can hold up for a few cycles longer, but getting Megatron out would have to come first.
Starscream seized one of the warlord's swords which had been dropped on the ground and hacked at the supporting beam fiercely, hoping if he cut it down to size Megatron would be able to maneuver himself free. The sword was indeed sharp, and there was soon a sizable nick in the solid beam. But he wasn't going at it fast enough, for the Autobots were beginning to shoot at them.
"Use my cannon. It can also serve as a cutting torch." Thankfully Megatron did not argue here. Starscream immediately hauled the detached cannon up with considerable effort and by Megatron's brief instruction, activated it so a steady beam of fusion energy shot from the barrel. Half of the supporting beam fell away beneath the torch easily, but by then the Autobots were upon them.
"Go away, you lot of mis-bred scum!" Starscream howled as he dropped the cannon to swat them aside. But more of the smaller mechs surrounded him, while a few stalked towards where Megatron lay straining to roll off the considerably shortened beam.
The Autobots around the Seeker opened fire, and while he grimaced from the stinging pain on his armor, he returned the favor mercilessly. They faltered once or twice, but resumed as if nothing happened. By then Starscream was getting cornered into a wall. He was getting desperate as his aim began to grow wider and wider. He had to get back to Megatron! Had to… the Autobots were probably…
No… he couldn't. Why couldn't he fight past the circle? The group had now gotten too close for the Seeker to continue to use his null-rays, and yet he could no longer delay leaving his leader alone with the enemy.
Starscream again had no choice. He curled his claws tightly and slashed into the nearest Autobot without mercy. The resultant agonized howl of pain and the spray of energon on his armor almost made his tanks roil in disgust. But he did not falter as he tore into his adversaries in a whirlwind of razor-sharp claws and severed limbs. Soon Starscream had dispatched most of the Autobots in this manner, and those who weren't offline were helpless to stop him as they lay dying from their fatal wounds.
Soon there were only four of those diminutive mechs, so Starscream was able to put enough distance between them to use his null-rays again. Only then did he remember what exactly the sticky warm substance coating his hands was as he raised his arms to fire.
He froze, staring his dripping fingers. The brilliant pink of energon against the dark color of his arms suddenly made him feel nauseous, so much that he had forgotten he was in the middle of battle. The metallic scent of the life fluid threatened to overwhelm his senses completely, and when he remembered how the Autobots' soft pliable armor had parted under his slashes, Starscream almost purged his tanks right there and then.
The few Autobots that remained had recovered and now raised their weapons to fire at him again. But suddenly there was a flurry of movement and the flash of steel, and the four mechs toppled over, offline.
Megatron was back on his pedes with his swords retrieved. He had bisected each of the Autobots neatly in half with one powerful strike.
"That, Starscream, was one of the most brutal and effective displays of battle I had ever seen," The warlord gave the Seeker a scrutinizing look as he lowered his blades, "I would ask why you refrained from hand-to-hand combat, but you look severely shaken. Are you all right?"
"Of… of course! This is nothing!" Starscream said flusteredly. He caught sight of his energon-stained claws again and shuddered again. He wanted nothing more right now than to scrub the pink fluids off his hands as fast as possible.
Then Starscream unexpectedly realized Megatron was looking at him with a concerned light in his optics and how he looked so incredibly masculine with his battle injuries. His disgust was soon forgotten as he met his leader's glance. Starscream suddenly just wanted Megatron to kiss him again, to hold him close to his sturdy frame, calm his shaken nerves by stroking his helm gently and forget all about the battle around them…
-Commander Starscream, the Autobots had broken through the west gates! Are you on your way yet?
-Coming right away, Starscream was forced out of his untimely daydreams, I'm bringing Megatron with me.
-Thank Primus. We need all the help we could get to drive the Autobots back.
"Can you continue on, or should I call in Hook to attend to you?" The warlord prodded.
Starscream had to stop another series of thoughts concerning Megatron's outright concern and how sweet it was of him. Instead he responded with a short "no" and took to the air in his jet mode with his leader following shortly.
He couldn't afford to dedicate his thoughts to Megatron again, not after arriving at the provided coordinates and seeing most of the Decepticons locked in fierce combat with the Autobots. Although the former had the advantage of flight and superior firepower, the latter were more nimble, and most of the shots missed them as they advanced further into the city-state.
-I need half of you lot to fight on pede. Starscream ordered.
And then everything was pandemonium after that. The Seeker attacked from the air with his null-rays and Megatron with his fusion cannon, perhaps to favor his injured leg. The ground Decepticons fought with maces, energy swords, staves and the like, effectively halting the Autobots' advance.
Eventually it turned out the enemy once again had them outnumbered. Calling aid from either Kalis or Kaon would take too much time. In fact, Altihex would have been lost if not for the unexpected arrival of another backup straight from Kaon, led by Hook himself. When the battle was finally won and the Decepticons celebrated gladly, Starscream still wondered of its source.
-I thought you and Megatron needed backup, for I saw Autobot forces marching by a few solar cycles ago, in addition to a late intel report from the scouts. The mystery was solved when Blitzwing contacted the Seeker shortly afterwards.
-Thanks. You really saved us from a sound defeat. By the way, how did you muster the Decepticons? You're not one of the higher officials.
-Told them the orders came straight from you. I had no trouble replicating your energy signature. Blitzwing was particularly puffing up with pride.
-Normally that action is punishable by deactivation, but I'll let you go since you saved our afts. Starscream became somewhat amazed when he learned what his friend had risked.
-Well, I expected nothing less. You can return the favor by reconciling with our beloved leader whose life you just saved today. AnD mAyBe MaKe OuT wItH hIm AfTeRwArDs! AhAhAhAhAhA XD
Megatron winced as Hook twisted one of the more sensitive wires in his leg with a small plier. His wound had gotten worse after straining it in battle immediately afterwards, and the result was a much longer treatment than the shoddy patch-up work he had performed earlier. To make things even more uncomfortable, the medic retained his cool attitude he took on since the argument. Although Hook still treated Megatron respectfully, his coldness was apparent.
As for Megatron, he was still trying to recover from the exhilaration of battle and the seemly unreal events that had happened in the middle of it. Megatron had been relieved that Starscream sent backup before he even asked for it. And then he had found out his second served as an invaluable comrade in battle, that he actually cared for Megatron's well-being enough to fuss over his reopened wound.
And Starscream had saved him from under that supporting beam, Megatron was still reeling from the fact that the Seeker had delayed the backup just to make sure his leader got out first. His desperation was evident as he cut away at the beam with one of the warlord's swords, his faceplates twisted almost in an expression of fear. All in all, Starscream had used up valuable time in exchange for Megatron's safety.
He realized there was more to Starscream than meets the eye beneath his stubbornness to remain distant. The Seeker still cared to a degree despite every rant and tantrum he threw.
Starscream may be worth more than a good frag, now that he was Megatron's second-in-command, but that didn't stop the warlord from wanting to do it all the same. One thing was clear though: Starscream had proved himself today as an indispensable comrade in battle.
Though Megatron wondered a little about the Seeker's freeze up after he had dispatched the Autobots with his bare hands. True to his words to the other earlier, he had never seen any mech who fought so… brutally and messily. Starscream must have been reluctant to do so, but being cornered had forced him to use his claws. Why did he seem to hate hand-to-hand combat if he was so efficient with it?
"I heard the report about today's battle," Hook suddenly broke the terse silence, pulling him from his thoughts, "About Starscream fighting at your side since he came with the backup."
"Yes, he did." Megatron answered cautiously, unsure what the medic intended to do by bringing this up.
"One must wonder why he bothered to leave his post at Kalis and come to your aid. He could have just sent the regiment only." Hook mused.
"Starscream is the type to oversee his work in person."
"And that incident… in which he freed you from under the supporting beam. Do you know he could have caused Altihex to be lost? It was only our timely arrival that saved it." Hook's tone turned frustrated.
"Look, Hook. If you're going to pick an argument about my second-in-command, I'm leaving right now." Megatron's mood also turned sour. He was already tired from the battle, and Hook's sharp words weren't helping at all.
"Don't you dare!" The medic's visor flared bright orange as he gave a vicious jab into his leader's leg, causing him to almost howl at the sudden pain, "I need to finish treating your leg before the wound could get any worse."
"Then stop criticizing Starscream's exemplary behavior in the battle! Has he not suffered enough from the others' criticisms that everything good he does must be picked apart and analyzed?"
At this Hook suddenly seemed to deflate as he sighed forlornly, "Sometimes… you are more like… him than you realize."
That brought up memories Megatron absolutely refused to recall and had suppressed since his coming to power. He had forbidden all troops to mention the events preceding it, so now that Hook had done so, he knew he had probably overstepped his boundaries. Megatron was nothing like him, never in a quadrillion stellar cycles.
But it was too late. He tried to force down the immediate flashbacks whenever that mech was concerned. The warlord was successful, though a grimace twisted his faceplates as he harshly ground out,
"Do not bring him up in this conversation. He meant nothing to the Decepticons since the day I exiled him. Let his legacy fade along with his accursed designation."
"That wasn't my point," Hook shook his helm, "I meant to say that your new second has potential."
Megatron was the littlest bit grateful that the medic had recognized his struggle and switched the topic to a more important one. He remained silent though. Anything Hook had to say about his second was crucial to gaining his support.
"I saw the way you two worked together in the midst of battle, and to be frank, I'd never seen such partnership before. Even I must admit that together you two make a formable threat for any Autobot who dares to cross you."
"I am glad to see that you are beginning to accept Starscream as a suitable second-in-command." Megatron replied plainly enough, but his relief was instantaneous.
"Not accept. Acknowledge." Hook corrected, "That Seeker still has a rebellious streak I would rather see gone, but that will eventually fade with time. My main point is: Today I saw how well you worked with Starscream and how you two seemed to watch out for each other in battle. He will definitely prove to be a vital figure among the Decepticons. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions so fast without observing him further."
Megatron remained silent for awhile as he mused over Hook's words and the fact that he had apologized. The heavy feeling that had been sinking deep into his spark day by day lessened quite significantly. Although Megatron outwardly showed indifference over the argument, he was distressed on the inside. Hook was his staunchest supporter during his rise to power; to have him as an enemy was one of the things Megatron swore to never let happen. He was extremely glad that it seemed like the medic was once more on his side.
As for Starscream, Megatron knew that he was capable from the very start, though he was unable to prove it. He also knew that although the Seeker may be an influential figure in the future, he would also be one of his least obedient subordinates. Megatron still wasn't worried. Starscream was rebellious in a way often beneficial to the cause. The others might oppose him, including Hook, but he will always prove himself in the end.
"There is nothing to forgive," Megatron finally returned, "You only realized Starscream's capability today. He will make a good second-in-command."
"To be honest, I'd never seen Shockwave do such a thing before, putting a battle in jeopardy just to save your life alone. That mech would have accessed the situation and concluded it was more logical to help in backup."
Speaking of Shockwave, Megatron suddenly realized he had a former second still lying unconscious, recovering from his wounds. What should he do with him now that Starscream had taken his place, if he should happen to awake? Megatron asked the medic of the progress of Shockwave's repairs, and Hook told him he would probably online in a solar cycle or two, although it would be quite a while before he could enter actual combat.
Megatron groaned audibly, drawing a sympathetic look from the medic. Things were going to turn messy soon.
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