Episode: Darkness Rising, Part 3

Pairing: One-sided EradiconXStarscream

Author's Notes:

*I was re-watching this episode earlier and I noticed that the Eradicon that Bulkhead ripped the wires out of seemed to be a very good fighter (more so than the rest of the drones). The Starscream-like clawing and actually being able to contend with Bulkhead's strength really peaked my interest.

*The first part of this story is in Italics, indicating a flashback.

*This Eradicon I will call "Steve", to appease the fandom :) I also have a headcannon that the drones all pick human Earth names to be individualized from the the rest of the drones.

*I'm sorry if Steve seems a little...fangirley. I've just had this image of him and the rest of the drones in my head as being really...silly XD. Not too silly, though. Summary: Steve learns some fighting moves from his much-admired commander.

It was another dreary day on the Nemesis. Megatron was still off on his extensive expedition, Knock Out and Breakdown were out doing whatever it was that they did on Earth, and the miner drones were off...well...mining. The energon mine was still hidden from the Autobots, so the operation did not require an excessive amount of security detail. This left a good amount of drones on the warship, and aside from some basic maintenance duty they found that they had some free time on their hands.

Most of them went off to do miscellaneous activities, but a handful, Steve being amongst them, decided to get some sparring practice in.
When they got the the gym that was located on the south end of the ship, the other Eradicons were hesitant to take on Steve. While he would be the very last to admit it, he was one of the best fighters out of all the drones.

So it was no surprise that Steve won all the matches he was put in to. He had just finished pinning his friend, Will, to the floor when the automatic door to the gym woshed open and a particular seeker sauntered in.

The troopers who were observing the sparring match immediately straightened. Will threw Steve off of him and hastily scrambled to his feet. Steve found himself standing in front of the small group of drones, facing Starscream.

"Commander Starscream...we were just...uh..." The other Eradicons behind Steve tried to stifle their laughter. They knew that Steve was hopelessly enamored with the silver seeker and seized every opportunity they could to tease him about it.

"Sparring?" Starscream purred.

"Um...y-yes?" Steve looked over his shoulder at the other soldiers. Were they in trouble? They were always in trouble for something. It was rare that Starscream ever talked to them unless he was hissing criticism or barking an order. Maybe the Air Commander was bored as well?

"No need to be so apprehensive. I think it's an excellent use of your free time. Being as we haven't encountered the Autobots in a considerable amount of time, I wouldn't want my warriors getting rusty, now would I?" Starscream took a few steps closer, off the entry platform and towards the drones. Steve secretly took pleasure in the fact that Starscream had indirectly called him his warrior.

"I tire of Soundwave's constant drone of trivial information. Perhaps you could...entertain me." The group of Vehicons looked around at each other quizzically. Starscream was either overcharged or really bored. And Steve knew that he wasn't overcharged, because his wings weren't twitching like they often do when the seeker had had a few too many high-grade cubes.

After a couple of seconds of more side-ways glancing and no movement, Starscream ever-so-slightly narrowed his crimson optics before pointing a clawed-digit directly at Steve.

"You."

"And you." He whirled around and picked a random drone, in this case it happened to a mech that Steve didn't exactly care for, known as Jeff.
"Both of you. Show me your skills...impress me."

Steve's intakes cycled a little faster. Starscream was going to watch him fight...and actually pay attention! He had to impress him. He just had to.

...Steve was sometimes amazed about just how crazed he was over Starscream. But the spark wants what the spark wants, he thought blissfully as he stepped into the ring that was painted on the floor.

Steve and Jeff squared off in the center of the gym while Starscream and the rest of the troopers stood as a safe distance. Starscream with his hands folded neatly behind his back and the troopers giggling about Steve's hopeless infatuation. Jeff threw the first punch, which Steve promptly caught. He twisted Jeff's servo just enough for him to gasp in pain and fall to one knee, but without doing any real damage. The stronger drone then picked Jeff up and held him over his head for a nanosecond before throwing him into the adjacent wall. Jeff groaned and managed to sit up against the paneling, rubbing his servo. The fight was over in less than four seconds.

Ok...maybe Steve had been a little bit too rough. But when you combine a dislike for Jeff and an adoration for Starscream...well, Steve was easily carried away.

"Exquisite." Starscream was grinning. He approached Steve. On the outside, Steve was keeping his cool, but he was also internally screaming.

"Now if the rest of you could just perform as well as this fellow," The jet placed a hand on Steve's soldier, "we would win this war in a sparkbeat." Steve shifted his pedes nervously. This was the first time Starscream had touched him. Slaps to the face excluded, of course.

"But you know what could really accentuate your combat style?" Steve swallowed as Starscream came closer still.

"W-what m-might that be Commander?"

Starscream was only a foot away from the Vehicon. The commander hooked one of his long claws underneath Steve's palm and held it up between their frames. He used his other hand to gesture to Steve's claws.

"These."

"M-my claws, Sir?"

"Indeed. Such an under-utilized weapon. And you troops have been blessed with such a lovely set." He held Steve's hand in his own for a moment; taking the time to trace his own digits against his subordinate's. Steve prayed that Starscream didn't notice that this hand was on the edge of shaking.

"So next time you're on the battlefield, and you don't want to waste ammunition, just take a swipe at your enemy." Starscream dropped Steve's hand and used one his claws to graze the side of the now flushing Vehicon's face.

"Preferably the face." Starscream smirked.

Steve lay on his back on the battlefield. That ugly green Autobot had ripped out some of his internal wiring. Luckily, he was still online, but he was completely paralyzed. He sighed. Knock Out could fix this but the medic gets quite frustrated when dealing with wires. He commed for help.

Will and Jeff, after the fighting had calmed down, appeared from behind the rocks and lifted Steve up on to their shoulders.

"So...did ya try your boyfriend's little trick?" Jeff sneered.

"Actually yes, it worked for awhile but that brute Autobot was too freakishly strong."

"Aw...and Dreamy Screamy would have been soooo impressed." Will playfully taunted.

"Just shut your mouths and get me to the med bay so Knock Out can lecture me already.

Jeff and will laughed as they slowly dragged Steve back to the ship's bridge.

Dreamy Screamy. Review please! 3