Ch. 167

Starscream leapt away from the lifts and out onto the deck before Predaking could box him in against the hangar doors. The Predacon gurgled in curiosity as the screaming seeker scrambled to get away from him and followed behind slowly. Starscream frantically looked around the deck, hoping he could take a quick dive off the side of the ship. He ran as fast as he could and looked back in the dark at the fiery yellow optics that followed him, that tormented and frightened him. And then the seeker ran into something that threw him down to the ground with an electrical force, making him writhe and cough loudly in pain as he curled up tightly.

It took a chilled strength within the silver mech to focus his optics up and see a ripple of energy traveling along large columns. A barrier. Megatron had a barrier placed around the flight deck. The pain gripping within Starscream was crippling as he now had to come to terms with this horrible, yet foreseeable, piece of knowledge. But it quickly multiplied ten fold when his view of the fading glow from the barrier became obscured by a large form with yellow optics.

Starscream hardly had a moment to let out a shriek before Predaking was invading his space, sniffing and nudging against him as the seeker finally settled for curling up tightly in a ball. The Predacon expelled hot air across Starscream's back and bubbled out an annoyed growl. There was confusion and disappointment on the beast's faceplates when he was rewarded with little more than a sob-choked whine. This act and treatment was becoming a nuisance.

Predaking pawed gently at the tight, silver ball that was the charge he had been ordered to protect. Clearly, this form gave the seeker quite a bit of protection. The Predacon had been trained quickly by Shockwave not to do lasting or damaging harm against Starscream, this shrieking, squealing, odd thing. Predaking's desire to investigate this strange mech was getting to the best of him however and he dared paw harder at the silver ball, eliciting a loud shriek that made him jump back.

With a twitching tail that read both 'excitement' and 'agitation', Predaking slunk himself low and crawled back towards Starscream. He didn't know what he was going to do once he had made it back to the seeker's side, but experiences had already shown that not much interaction was needed for a big reaction. So the Predacon lightly licked his maw with a large glossa, preparing for another scream or shriek to pierce his audials, and slowly reached out with a tentative claw. He was surprised yet again when Starscream finally emerged from his tight ball and slapped his claw away with a loud demand.

"NO!"

Predaking flinched back and stared. Even in the dark of the night, he could tell optical fluids were dripping down the seeker's faceplates; he could smell it. But the Predacon didn't understand why Starscream was acting so... upset? Afraid? The fear had always been easy to smell. There was always so much anger, too. A gentle voice and tone were not readily present when it came to the seeker's mood. Perhaps he was always this way?

Predaking snapped his maw lightly, trying to think of a new tactic to investigate Starscream further. And when he tried to slink closer, his claws tapping gently against the metal of the deck, he saw the seeker's wings arch and raise, his optics widening.

"I said 'NO'! Stay away from me! I mean it! Don't pretend you can't understand me because I know you do! So STOP and LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The Predacon did stop. He was still within reach of the now panting silver mech but he didn't dare raise a limb to touch him. Instead, Predaking cocked his helm to the side and slowly blinked his optics, watching. Starscream's tired and shaking form collapsed to its knees and he cried quietly, curling in on himself.

"Leave me alone... just leave me alone..."

The command seemed justified, given the state Starscream was in, but that had not been Predaking's orders, nor his training. He wasn't allowed to leave him alone. He had to stay with him, protect him, keep him in check. That was what he had been ordered to do... but if the seeker was this upset near him, was that a kind of harm in of itself?

Predaking frowned hard. His processor had been absorbing so much so quickly. There was so much to life he didn't know, so much he hadn't seen. But there was one thing he knew and he knew it as clear and crisp as the night air around him: pain. Starscream was wracked with it. His chassis exuded the feeling, both physical and emotional, of an agony that he just couldn't free himself of. The Predacon had seen it happen a few times to the crying mech. Some times were with words exchanged between the seeker and their leader. Other times were with the unwanted touches and caresses of dominance exhibited by the warlord. Was Megatron hurting Starscream? But Predaking was supposed to make sure the smaller mech was being protected...

The Predacon snorted loudly and shook his helm as he backed away. He was confused. Now he had a processor ache. His wings flapped lightly then tucked away again and he shambled back to his resting spot against the far wall of the deck. At least it was warmer there as he had found an exchange duct that passed the hot air from the engine room under some of the paneling. A part of him wished Starscream would follow him to this warm spot and rest, perhaps even relax a little and stop being so... in pain. But Predaking couldn't force the mech to do what he wanted. Those were not the orders he was given. Despite this, the beast settled against his warm floor panel and let his optics settle on the tired, crying, curled up chassis just across the way from him. He could still protect. Even if he had to do so from a distance.