Ch. 177

"What duties must we tend to, Lord Meg-"

"I have already exempted you from the formalities, my dear Starscream," the warlord chuckled.

Starscream glared from beside Megatron, the pair walking towards the communications deck and scoffed, "Then I'm exempting you from the whole 'my dear' title you've given me. It's not entirely fair to call me as such if none of the other troops are addressed the same way."

"They are not you."

The seeker held in a hiss and instead sneered, "Paint me as a favorite? How unlike you to get so choosy over everyone else and set me on the pedestal."

Megatron smirked down at the smaller mech, "Can you think of anyone else so deserving?"

"I suppose not..."

It took a lot of energy for Starscream to keep this going. The charade of a fantastical normalcy that he'd never had to perform before for the mech that wanted nothing but this facade. It took a lot to smile and goad playfully and deliver the comments he knew would keep the warlord placated. The seeker had to swallow down the energon he had ingested earlier that day on more than one occurrence.

"Um... if I may pry again?"

"Always, my dear Sta-"

"What exactly are we doing?"

Megatron smiled, "I am reacclimating you to the ship myself."

Starscream felt a burn of disappointment begin to lick at his tank; he had to swallow hard again, "That's all? No report collections? Drone helm-count? Task reassignments? Communication replies to the mining sites?"

"Are you truly so eager to pull yourself away from me and dig your servos back into the muck of this work?"

'Oh yes,' the seeker thought, shuddering, 'very much yes. Anything to get away from this sick mech.'

"I'm... just trying to make myself useful."

Megatron smirked, pulling Starscream closer, "You will return to your duties soon but they will not be entirely the same as they were before. I will expect you to be within my sights at all times, to follow me on all rounds and complete whatever tasks you need to under my supervision."

The seeker hid a grimace, "... So... you'll be there with me at every waking moment?"

"Should I find no better accommodations, then you will also share quarters with me."

Starscream nearly tripped and wheezed, clutching his side as he bent over in surprise, "Oh, Primus... y-you're really not making this easy..."

"It is never easy to guard something precious and I trust no one to accomplish the task better than myself. Now that you have seen reason, it is best that I keep you safe."

"What about Predaking?"

Megatron sighed and shook his helm, "That problem has yet to be resolved. As it stands, he is only alive now because you asked for it. As I have said before, he is useless without the Autobots attempting to assail us."

Starscream groaned quietly, the sound clearly detected by the larger mech, and the warlord frowned, "You are upset."

The seeker blinked and slowly stood up straighter, "W... well how am I supposed to get anything done if I have to be with you constantly? I... I think I understand what you're telling me, but if you have Shockwave and Predaking and C.Y.L.A.S.-"

Megatron growled, "None of them are reliable. Shockwave intends to test upon you in ways that could damage you, Predaking is unruly. And C.Y.L.A.S.? His value is beginning to dwindle..."

"Numbers, Megatron," Starscream glared, "You can't just start killing off your soldiers because they upset you... And if you don't trust them, you must certainly trust me."

The larger mech stared his treasure down as a small smile graced the seeker's faceplates, "Should I need to evaluate anyone to remind them of the conduct specificities you require, you know I can handle it."

Megatron purred and gently petted Starscream's helm, "It is good to see you with clear optics once more, my dear Starscre-"

"Lord Megatron!"

The warlord tensed and growled deeply as he glared, looking down the hallway as C.Y.L.A.S. approached.

"I was very specific earlier, C.Y.L.A.S.," he seethed, "that I was not to be disturbed in any fashion."

The black mech nodded, "My apologies, but..." he glanced at Starscream and blinked, "ah, some of our... larger mining operations are ready for energon pick up and need your approval to schedule the retrieval."

Megatron sighed deeply, "And Shockwave couldn't handle this?"

"He sent me to confirm with you."

The warlord tapped his claws in agitation against Starscream's arm as he grasped it carefully. The seeker could feel the clench around his arm increase, knowing that the larger mech didn't want to leave him but that whatever was happening, he wasn't supposed to be with him.

"Why don't I go with C.Y.L.A.S. and you can collect me when you're finished?"

Megatron quickly looked down at Starscream and the smaller mech nodded as though making the decision for him, "Yes, this will give me some time to get better acquainted with his new form and observe any faults he has that need adjusting. Splitting tasks, isn't that what a second is for?"

The warlord blinked and smirked, leaning over him, "I don't think leaving you in his care would be safe for his health."

Starscream trembled as he tried to smile, "A-ah, well, I-I wouldn't be that rough on him-"

"I meant if something happened to you and I needed to kill him for his insolence."

C.Y.L.A.S.'s wings and spider legs flinched and settled tight against his back, the mech trying to quietly back away, "I'll just let Shockwave know you'll find him when you're ready."

"N-nonsense, C.Y.L.A.S.," Starscream struggled to say in a friendly tone, "Megatron has just as many duties to tend to as I do and this is clearly important. You and I will take very good care of one another, won't we?"

The disfigured mech stared in disbelief and shook his helm slowly as he grumbled, "Please don't rope me into this."

"C.Y.L.A.S.," Megatron hissed, carefully pulling Starscream's arms together to activate the cuffs, "make no mistake in what I am tasking you with. If there is one mark on my dear Starscream, I will ensure you are torn to pieces over the course of the next few months. Shockwave is very good at prolonging a life in order to make it suffer..."

C.Y.L.A.S. took a large intake and nodded, bowing, "He will be watched and tended to carefully, my liege. Where shall I escort him?"

The warlord hesitated in letting the seeker go and stepping away, "Away from the drones and off the flight deck. Keep him inside the ship. C.Y.L.A.S., I meant what I said," he warned as he made his way further down the hall, "Even one chip of paint and you will die..."

When Megatron finally made his way into the lifts, his red optics burning with an agony from being pulled away from his powerful treasure. As the doors closed, Starscream let out a heave and leaned against a wall, shuddering.

"Primus... fragging Primus..."

C.Y.L.A.S. tsked, "Don't be so dramatic."

"Shut up, C.Y.L.A.S. And don't you even try to touch me or I'll chip my own paint..."