Ch. 173

Starscream whined and shivered when he felt a nudge against his shoulder plating. For one brief, hopeful moment, he thought it was Optimus shaking him awake from this nightmare. But a hot expel of air on his faceplates said otherwise and he reared up with a gasp, coughing as he trembled.

"W-what, what is it?!"

Predaking grumbled and looked to the lifts as the doors opened. The silver mech crouched down low behind the Predacon's hulking form and curled in tightly when he heard two sets of peds draw closer. Predaking growled.

"As you can see," came Megatron's voice, "his temperament is not at all up to standards, Shockwave. If this cannot be remedied, I will have to classify it as 'a problem'."

Shockwave hummed lowly and stepped forward, offering his servo to the beast, which Predaking accepted, "Perhaps the excitement drew upon his own primal instincts to act. It can be theorized that he would serve in the defense of one of his own, and considering you had given him orders to guard Starscream..."

"That is hardly beside the point..." the warlord walked around the Predacon, the beast's yellow optics never leaving his form, and smirked when he saw his silver treasure hiding against Predaking, "There you are my second. Enjoying the morning?"

He stepped forward to approach Starscream and Predaking slammed a set of claws down between them, roaring loudly. Megatron stood his ground, glaring at the beast.

"Do you understand my concerns now?"

Shockwave nodded softly, "Fully, my liege. I will reiterate the orders given to Predaking and retrain him immediately. It may be best that Starscream is separated from him during this time... so if you would like to collect him-"

"I would," the warlord sneered, stepping forward.

Predaking growled lowly as Megatron approached, his long tail curling around Starscream's form that still remained crouched at his back. A long hiss came from the Predacon's maw and the end of his tail smacked the floor of the deck loudly in warning; the beast was not making idle threats.

Before Megatron could get any closer, Shockwave intervened, "My liege, perhaps I should remove Starscream from his care for you. His temperament will be far more tame upon my approach."

The warlord glared at the purple mech, then looked to Starscream, his treasure still trying to hide quietly from him, "... Do it. Give me my dear second."

Shockwave nodded and made his way to the crouched seeker, pulling him up by the arm. Starscream growled, trying to wrench his arm away, and felt his spark sink when Predaking made no move to stop the mech that had created him. Maybe he had started to put too much faith into the Predacon?

The silver mech struggled as he was pulled from Predaking's side and towards Megatron's waiting arms, the larger mech's bright optics and sneer directed at him.

Starscream let out a small whimper and dug his peds in, shaking his helm, "No, no-"

A blur of black and orange bit down on Shockwave's arm and the purple mech released the seeker in surprise as Predaking tossed him aside, shrieking loudly. The beast stood this time and pulled Starscream's trembling chassis under him, putting his helm down low as he spread his wings wide in a display and his mouth crackled with fire.

Megatron scowled and watched Shockwave pull himself to his peds, the scientist looking at the small amount of damage to his arm. There was little more than a few scratches; the bite had been made to remove the purple mech, not harm him.

But the warlord huffed loudly anyway, "If you cannot retrieve my dear Starscream from the beast, Shockwave, then Predaking has indeed been made 'a problem'. This is not a choice I enjoy making," he powered up his fusion cannon, taking aim at the growling Predacon, "but it is one that will make things easier."

"NO!"

Megatron's cannon diffused as Starscream pulled himself out from under Predaking, the seeker lightly brushing passed the beast when he tried to stop him with his helm.

The silver mech went to the warlord's side, taking hold of his fusion cannon, "Stop, stop, look I'm right here! H-he's just doing what you asked him to do! Protect me, right? He's doing that! Don't hurt him for something you asked him to do! Please!"

Megatron stared at his treasure, surprise in his optics at the passion with which he defended the beast that he had been so afraid of before.

The warlord frowned gently, but didn't put his weapon down, "You're asking me for a favor, my dear Starscream... Are you certain you have the standing to do such a thing?"

Starscream felt his spark sink further still as he whispered gently, "Well... don't I?"

Megatron's frown disappeared and his weapon lowered slowly as the seeker asked again, "Please... leave him alone. Let Shockwave retrain him. He's just a little overprotective. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

The warlord blinked slowly and smirked, petting his silver treasure's helm, "You are making a very strong argument, aren't you? Fine. I will allow the beast to live, so long as he accepts his new direction. Am I clear?"

Starscream held in a grimace and a shudder at the touch on his helm and simply nodded, "Perfectly..."

"And you will accompany me today, my second?"

"... Of course."

Megatron smiled and wrapped an arm around the smaller mech's shoulders as he purred, "It is good to see you are finally seeing reason, my dear Starscream. It will be good to have you at my side again."

The seeker felt the grasp around him begin to tighten but he quickly slipped away from the warlord, attempting a smile, "Y-yes, quite... Just allow me to reassure Predaking that I am fine. That should help Shockwave's training techniques immensely."

The larger mech nodded and watched Starscream quickly scuttle back to the Predacon, his bound servos gently taking hold of the beast's snout.

"That was very brave of you," he murmured quietly, "but I don't think your death is going to solve anything. I'm selfish, Predaking, and you're really the only one protecting me. But it would be stupid of you to be killed because of me. Do yourself a favor and listen to Shockwave?"

Predaking grumbled lowly and huffed into the silver mech's servos, but Starscream shook his helm, still speaking quietly, "I'm not crazy, I'm being practical. You don't have to like it, but you do have to do it. Listen to him. ... I can't read your mind, so I don't know how you really feel about all this, but whatever happens, don't take such risks. Alright?"

The Predacon whined and tapped his mandibles against the cuffs on the seeker's wrists, growling; Starscream smiled weakly, "... I think I understand. Then remain unbroken. Humor Shockwave as much as you can. I am sure I will see you soon."

The silver mech pulled away, causing a sad groan to bellow from Predaking's mouth. It was a sound the seeker had never heard before, not even in the previous timeline, and he stopped short of Megatron's reach to look back at the beast who called for him not to go. But he wasn't able to look for very long. A large, clawed servo took him by the arm and led him to the lifts where Starscream's gaze was finally broken by the closing doors that separated him from Predaking.