Thanks all for the reviews. Sorry for the long delay.
To be like them
Chapter 3
"So this is your home." Said Starscream as the yellow car pulled into the driveway.
Sam nodded and simply added. "This is home."
The teen exited the car as it came to a stop and Starscream did the same.
"And what of him?" he asked pointing to Bumblebee.
"What about me?" asked the yellow Autobot
"Where do you recharge at?" he looked around inspecting his surroundings. "Surely you don't recharge in the…"
"Yard?" asked Bumblebee cutting his sentence short. "For your information Starscream I do recharge in the yard. Unlike most people I do not think it is beneath me to recharge here."
Starscream choose to ignore Bumblebee and said to Sam. "Why are there so many useless plants surrounding your residence? Surely they are not for defense."
"Those Starscream are called flowers, and they are not defending the house." Said Sam as he lowered down to one of the many flowerbeds.
"Then what do they do?"
Sam paused he never really knew the reason as to why his mother planted so many of them either so he picked the best logical answer. "To make the yard look pretty." And stood back up after he removed a dead leaf from the flowerbed.
The blond man just stared at him for a few seconds looked around then finally asked. "What is the point then? Your residence is surrounded by defense barrier." He said nodding to the fence.
"That's called a fence Starscream."
"What's its function?" he asked tilting his head to the side a bit reminding Sam of Mojo.
"Mostly to keep Mojo in the yard. It's also for privacy." Sam was starting to hope that Starscream was catching on to this whole 'human thing' because he was really getting tired of explaining every little thing to him just in the back yard alone.
"What's a Mojo?"
"You'll see." He said nodding to the back door as he pulled the house key out of his pocket and stepped up to the porch. Sam started to wonder if maybe he should have told Starscream about Mojo before he did this to him but it was much to late now.
He opened the back door and the small brown dog charged out of the house barking happily at Sam then he noticed Starscream.
"By the pit!" screeched Starscream as the small dog charged at him barking rather loudly. "Get that thing away from me!"
"Mojo." Said Sam picking up the yapping dog. "He's name is Mojo he tends to listen to you when you call him by his name and not 'thing'."
"I don't care its loud, small, and it stinks!"
Sam rolled his eyes as he walked in his house Starscream followed him.
"Okay follow me upstairs I'll so you your room."
He nodded and followed the teen upstairs.
Sam pointed to a door to the right of them. "That is the guest room you can sleep there." He opened a nearby closet and pulled out a bag full of clothes. "Here." He said holding out the bag.
"What are those?"
"Clothes duh. They're old we were going to donate them but… we kind of didn't get around to it. I guess that's a good thing then."
He took the clothes and frowned when he looked down in the bag.
"Don't worry we did wash them." He pointed to a door to the left of them. "That is the bathroom. And don't worry about privacy issues I have my own in my room."
He remained silent which caused Sam to yell.
"Please tell you know about bathrooms!"
"Human I wasn't created yesterday, I have a general understanding of humans and their biological functions."
Sam paused then remarked. "I take it that's a yes."
"Yes I know about those facilities."
"If you don't mind me asking. How or why do you know about that?"
"Organic anatomy. I had to take it when I went to the Academy."
He nodded. "Well I'm going to find something for dinner." He said as he walked back down stairs.
Starscream took the bag of clothes and walked into his room. The room was pretty bland but he wasn't expecting much. He dumped the clothes onto the bed and began picking out the items that he liked and those that he didn't were placed back in the back.
He looked around then began to wonder what to do with the clothing now. He noticed a closet in the room with a few hangers in it. He walked over to it picked up a hanger than figured that the clothes were supposed to be hung up in the closet. He hung up the clothes to the best of his ability and decided to go back down stairs.
He walked down the stairs and noticed Sam in the kitchen. He walked over to the kitchen area.
"About time. Here." He said handing him a plate. "I figured you would have been down stairs all ready."
The simple replay he got back was. "Clothes."
"What about them?"
"I didn't know where they were stored at."
Sam laughed "I thought you knew about humans."
"I said I knew biological things not culture."
Sam didn't responded instead he placed a slice of pizza on Starscream's plate.
"What is this?"
"Food."
"I know that but what kind is it. What's its name?"
"Pizza."
He picked up the slice and stared at it as if it had insulted him. "It's disgusting."
"You haven't even tried it yet."
"I don't need to look at it. It's disgusting. No wonder you humans get so fat look at the things you eat."
"Just eat the damn thing!" he screamed. Sam was now worried that he could hit by said pizza or Starscream would get a knife and stab him.
He did neither and didn't even reasoned to him as he picked up the pizza and took a bite.
"There not that bad is it?"
"It's putrid."
"It can't be that bad."
He dropped the plate back onto the counter so hard the pizza nearly flew off of it.
"All right…" he trailed off as he walked over to the living room surprisingly enough Starscream followed him and sat down in on of the chairs near the TV.
Sam sat in the other one and pulled out a tray table so he could watch TV and eat. He turned on the TV and decided to ignore the fact that Starscream was there.
A few minutes later Sam finished his dinner in peace he glanced over at Starscream who had remained silent. Before Sam said anything the blond man said. "I don't feel well."
Before Sam could question him as to what was wrong he covered his mouth and made a gagging like noise.
"No not in the living room!" he yelled as he grabbed a small trashcan that was nearby and ran it over to him.
Thankfully he made it in time as Starscream threw up in the trashcan.
"How disgusting." He gagged as he handed the trashcan back to Sam.
He frowned at it as he began to feel sick himself just by holding that can. "Are you all right?"
"I think so other than this horrible taste in my mouth."
"Go upstairs and rinse your mouth out. I'll dispose of this." He said nodding to the trashcan.
Starscream did go upstairs to the bathroom. He splashed some water in his mouth then spit it back out and rinsed the sink out. He still really didn't feel well. He sat down on the floor and sat there hoping his stomach contents would choose to remain in his stomach.
There was a knock at the door. "Starscream?"
"Yes." He knew that he could have said something sarcastic to him but he choose not to.
"Are you sure your all right?"
He paused and decided to take down some of defenses and answer the boy truthfully. "No I'm not sure."
"I called Ratchet he thinks your body can't handle food and that's why you got sick. Though he said he can't be sure until the tests are finished and such."
"Great." He sighed he decided that his stomach was settled enough as he got up and opened the door. "Are you going to take me back to the base now?"
"No it's late. You should get some rest."
He nodded and simply walked to his room with out saying a word.
Starscream had figured going to sleep would allow him a brief moment away from this torment but he had a dream.
His dream wasn't very complete nor did it make much sense. He was standing in a lab like area of the Decepticon base and he was in his rightful form. He was staring at a computer screen when suddenly some one said something to him.
"Screamer are you sure about this?" asked Skywarp.
Starscream turned to the purple mech. "Of course I am."
"But Screamer." Started Thundercracker who was cut off by Starscream.
"No buts this is the only way I can regain my rightful place."
Starscream didn't get to finish the dream because he was rudely awaken by.
"Starscream!" yelled Sam shaking him.
He slapped his hand away. "What?" he asked hatefully as he sat up.
"Remember we have to go the Autobot base."
He sighed and laid back down. "Give me ten minutes."
"No I all ready let you sleep in an hour you have to get up."
He rolled over. "Another hour then."
"Starscream." he growled. Said man ignored him Sam came up with a solution to the problem he left the room.
Starscream figured that the human decided to let him sleep when the boy walked back into the room and yelled. "Get him Mojo!" as he tossed the dog in the bed.
Starscream screamed as the small dog nibbled at as clothes and hair. "Get that thing out of the bed!"
"Not until you call him by his name and agree to get out of the bed."
"Get the Mojo thing out of my bed and I'll go to the stupid meeting!" he screamed pushing the dog away from him.
"Mojo." Said Sam the dog left the bed and left the room. "Get ready and lets go. I'll be down stairs." He said leaving.
Defeated Starscream grabbed some clothes and walked to the bathroom.
After getting ready to start the day Starscream wondered down stairs. He could hear Sam talking to Bumblebee.
"You shouldn't get to close to him. He is not one to be trusted." Said Bumblebee
"I'm not saying that I see him as a friend I'm just saying I think you guys misjudged him a bit."
Bumblebee didn't answer and Sam looked back at Starscream. "Uh hi." He said weakly.
"Are we going or not?" he asked pretending like he didn't hear the conversation between the Autobot and the human.
"Yeah let's go."
For some reason the drive to the Autobot base seemed to get longer and longer each time he went to it.
Sam went trough the same routine of opening the gate to the base. They drove up to the base itself and the garage like door opened for them. They pulled right on in and the two passengers exited the car as Bumblebee transformed.
"Starscream." Said Optimus Prime his deep voice resonating throughout the room.
"Yes?" asked said human looking up at the mighty Autobot leader.
"Ratchet has finished the tests. Thanks to the information we received from Sam last night we were able to figure out what exactly you are now." As Optimus was finishing that sentence Ratchet walked out of the med bay carrying a few data pads.
"You were not turned into a human." He said holding out the data pad for him to read.
"Then what am I then?" he asked looking at the data pad.
"Your spark was placed in a android shell. Something that was only theorized long ago, your idea I believe."
He stared at the data pad sure enough written on it in Cybertronian was the whole idea of an alternative body for them to better suit them when they went to other planets.
"I had forgotten about this…" he paused reflectively. "To graduate from the academy people in my field of work had to come up with a scientific invention. It didn't have to work it just had to be explained what it would do and how it would work."
"Clearly it worked." Said Ratchet as he pulled the data pad away from him.
"It is also clear that you afflicted this on yourself." Said Optimus in a suspicious tone of voice.
"And what gives you that idea? For all you know I could have been betrayed."
"Starscream this body you live in now is your own invention what do you expect us to think."
He paused again as he looked down at the ground deep in thought. He slowly looked up at Ratchet and asked. "So how do I get back to my rightful form?" worry was clear in his voice as he shifted his weight uneasily.
"Without your real body you can't change back."
"Slag." He cursed as the expression on his face turned crest fallen.
"There's more." Said Ratchet who continued his sentence once he was sure he got Starscream's attention. "Your current body is either incomplete or only a prototype it originally was made to be able to digest food like energon to blend in with organic life forms. We were able to figure this out once we found out that food made you sick."
"So what am I supposed to eat?"
"The tests were inconclusive on that but for not just drink very low grade energon."
"Great." He mumbled.
"What's the difference between very low grade and regular energon?" asked Sam
"Very low grade is like baby food to you humans." Said Optimus
Sam started laughing.
"It's not funny!" yelled Starscream who turned to face the teenager.
"Sorry." He said still laughing.
"Starscream you shouldn't yell at the only person who is willing to give you a place to stay." Said Optimus
"You forced me!" Protested Sam as he lightly stomped his foot.
Decided to ignore the ranting of the boy he said to Ratchet. "So why did I loose pieces of my memory?"
"It's a side effect of using that body it shouldn't last long though."
He looked to Optimus. "How do you plan to get my body back? Or do you intend to leave me in this form for the rest of my life?"
"We are doing the best we can with the resources we have to find your body. No being should have to drink very low grade energon for the rest of their lives."
"And with the minimal resources we have it could take a long while." Said Ratchet.
Starscream frowned.
"Maybe…" started Sam who then stopped.
All of them turned and looked at him.
"What is it Sam?" asked Optimus.
"I had an idea but I don't know…"
"Any idea is a welcomed idea."
He bite his lip then finally said. "Maybe we should try to contacted a Decepticon… after all he is one so wouldn't they have his body."
"Sam has a valid point, sir." Said Bumblebee
Starscream merely laughed at the idea.
"Sam you know as well as the rest of us that their kind can not be trusted." Said Ratchet
"Well…" he pointed at Starscream. "You've trusted him for the most part."
"That's because if he acts up we can step on him."
"Ratchet!" scolded Optimus as he looked to the medical officer. "Trust is the first step to bring peace to our kind." He looked to Sam. "We will try your idea Sam."
"Ironhide is going to be ticked when he hears about this." Said Bumblebee.
"Good thing he's with Captain Lennox isn't it." Said Ratchet to the younger mech.
"Come Starscream we shall contact the Decepticons." Said Optimus as he walked to the communications room.
Starscream followed after him hopping Sam's idea worked. The android like being told Optimus the frequency of the Decpeticon base as adjusted the radios and computers.
He handed him a human sized microphone. "Here and good luck."
He took the microphone he was now very glad his voice didn't change along with his body. "This is your commander Starscream can any one read me?"
His message was met by static.
"Can any one read me?"
More static.
He covered the microphone and looked at Optimus. "Soundwave obviously isn't don't his job." He said frowning.
He flipped a switch. "This will broaden out the broadcast so more can hear it."
He cleared his throat and then delivered his message. "This is your commander Starscream. I am trapped here on Earth I repeat trapped on Earth. My spark is stuck in this…" he paused thinking of what to call himself. "Human like body. I want my body back now!" he screamed into the microphone knowing that his troops would know he means business. He handed the microphone back to Optimus.
"I will leave the communications line open so we can pick up their response." He said sitting the microphone down on the computer consol.
"If they respond."
"Think positively Starscream. We will call you when they answer."
"Is that an Optimus way of saying 'leave my base now'?"
"No it's the polite way of doing so." He said pointing to the door giving him a faint smile.
He exited the room and walked back to the lobby area were Sam and Bumblebee awaited.
"Did you get a hold of them?" asked Sam
"Not exactly. I sent out a broad signal so any Decepticon nearby would hear it."
"Do you think that was a wise idea?" asked Bumblebee.
He chuckled then shook his head as he crossed his arms across his chest. A conceded grin played across his face. "I am their leader. They can't do any thing without me being there. They are the most helpless mechs ever." He said running his hand through his hair. "Besides I have my own troops." He said
"Your own troops?" asked Sam
"The Seekers." Said Bumblebee.
"Let me guess you didn't bother to tell your human about them."
He shrugged. "Clearly they are not as loyal as you think they are. After all none of them are here right now nor did they come with you to Earth in the first place."
He glared at him. "They were else where."
Bumblebee opened his mouth to say something else when Optimus entered the room.
"Peace isn't paved with insults either." He said stopping the young mech he looked at Starscream. "I thought you had left all ready."
"I got side tracked telling the boy about the Seekers."
"You didn't really tell me much besides me name is Sam." Said Sam in a frustrated tone.
"What have you told him about the Decepticons?" asked Starscream
"Only the important things." Said Bumblebee.
He smirked. "Being the only Decepticon here I guess it is my duty to tell you about our kind and clear up any Autobot propaganda."
The statement was met with glares from the Autobots present.
"All right if your willing to talk then I'm willing to listen." He said walking over to a nearby human sized chair and sat down.
"Ask what ever questions you want Sam." He said as he too sat down in a chair he looked at the two Autobots.
Bumblebee frowned then said something about getting some recharge while they talked.
Optimus simply walked back to the communications room without saying a word.
"What do you want to know?" asked Starscream in a calm tone of voice as he rested his feet on the edge of a table.
He paused looking around the room collecting his thoughts then finally said. "Why did you join the Decepticons?"
A bit shocked by the question he moved back in his seat as if Sam had hit him. "I said I'd answer about the Decepticons not me."
"You are a Decepticon. So I can ask questions about you."
He frowned. "My life is my life it is not a topic of conversation." He said bolting up from his seat glaring daggers at the teen.
"Sorry man I didn't mean to…" he was interrupted immediately by him.
"We're done here." He said turning away from him.
"I'm sorry I…"
"I said I'm done talking. Collect your car and let's go."
He sighed. "All right." He said standing up as he began to leave the room he looked back to him. "Look Starscream I'm really sorry I didn't mean to offend you I just thought…"
"Thought what? Thought that after one day we were 'friends' that we could talk about any thing."
"No…" started Sam but Starscream went on talking.
"Listen human or Sam whatever. I am not and will not talk about my personal life okay."
"All right." Said Sam holding his arms out as if he was defending himself. "I am sorry I won't do it again okay." He began to walk away again but said. "I'll get Bumblebee then we can go home and you can have your personal or whatever." He walked into the hallway where the recharge rooms were.
Starscream then realized maybe he had over reacted a bit to Sam's question. He considered apologizing to him once he returned but he wasn't sure if his pride would let him.
Next chapter coming soon hopefully.