X

"I used to want to be a Royal Guard." Starscream continued to ramble at Megatron as they stood under the spray of solvent. The gladiator knelt before him, scrubbing at the energon stains dried on his cockpit, and merely nodded as he spoke. "I wanted to see the palace in Vos!" he said excitedly, "I've never been there, but it's really nice, and really big. And there's a library! A big one, with lots of data-pads about astronomy."

Megatron continued to scrub at his plating, reaching out with a servo to help balance Starscream as he lifted one of the seeker's thrusters to get at a particularly stubborn stain on his knee joint. "How would you know?" he said absently as the scrubbed a little harder at the stain that just would not come off! "You said you've never been."

Starscream didn't appear to have heard him and was now too busy tracing the painted marking on Megatron's helm that was within his reach with the gladiator kneeling down, "Get off that," he growled at the seeker as soon as he became aware of the light touches to his helmet.

"Are you going to the med bay?" Starscream asked, wincing as his servo was slapped away by Megatron, his optics lingered on the long cut across the gladiator's handsome faceplates. Megatron swayed as he stood back up, and Starscream eyed him warily, "Or are you too overcharged?"

The tall mech scowled at him, "I had two cubes." he informed the seeker, "and I can hold my energon thank you."

Starscream didn't look as if he believed him and took a cautious step back. Megatron frowned at the seeker's sudden change in attitude, "What?"

Starscream shrank back and shook his helm, "Nothing..." he whispered, fidgeting awkwardly.

Megatron rolled his optics and snorted, gesturing for Starscream to leave the wash racks before him, "Come, it's time for recharge."

Starscream pouted, "I don't have a recharge time!" he whined, shoulders slumping and helm tilting back as he made a exasperated scoffing noise, "I'm not a-"

"I don't care." Megatron cut him off, giving him a nudge when he didn't move forward fast enough, "It may not be your recharge time but it is mine."

It seemed to satisfy Starscream, and they walked on in silence -for at half the journey at least, "My sire liked high grade to."

Megatron blinked slowly before fully registering what the seeker had said, "Everyone likes high grade," he grumbled tiredly as he limped behind the excitable youngling, "It's something many mechs have in common."

"I don't think high grades very good for you." Starscream told Megatron snottily.

"Which would explain why you tried to steal some of mine back at the bar wouldn't it?" Megatron mumbled sarcastically. "And high grade for Sparklings- sorry younglings." he corrected himself as he saw the little hellion's mouth open, "Is particularly unhealthy."

Starscream seemed to give this some thought. "So it is bad for you?"

"All things in moderation," Megatron told him, and was rather impressed with his own answer whilst so overcharged at such a late hour.

That Starscream seemed to understand, "...I don't think my sire knew that." he said quietly.

Megatron stopped, frowning, and was about to finally take the risk of trying to delve into Starscream's past, when a loud booming voice called up the corridor. He instinctively stepped in front of Starscream as a large, bulky figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Well well well, long time no see," the mech said pleasantly.

Megatron slumped as he took in Impactor's good natured smirk, but for once, he didn't need to act exasperated. "You look like slag." his friend from the mines told him, striding forward, a servo extended.

Megatron forced a slight smile, "I've been through it." he murmured.

Impactor smiled like he took pleasure in his suffering, but knowing him he probably did. He opened his mouth again, but instantly closed it, mouth dropping open and frown forming as he saw wide curious red optics staring up at him from behind Megatron's left leg.

He leant close, "Megatron," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth, "I don't mean to cause any alarm, but there seems to be seeker attached to your leg."

Megatron looked confused for a moment, as if he'd completely forgotten his newest... Roommate.

He glanced back at Starscream, who seemed more than a little intrigued with this new mech he hadn't seen before, "Can I-?" he began.

"No," Megatron interrupted him sternly, and pointed to the door to his quarters which was just up ahead, "Go to recharge."

Starscream scowled, and Impactor barked out a laugh, "Oh Primus, I think you've just made my day!"

Megatron glared at the old miner and ushered Starscream along, "Recharge," he growled again, "and I just might take you to the library-" it turned out that he didn't need to finish his sentence. The very word 'library' had the seeker already sprinting as fast as his short legs could carry him to their quarters.

Once Starscream was safely inside, and out of audial range, Megatron turned back to the very intrigued mech before him. "He's not mine," he said quickly, "I...found him."

Impactor's optics widened, "I was going to say, didn't think you the sort of mech stupid enough to get involved with a seeker." he paused and looked back at the door Starscream had just entered, "But I don't think I've heard anything stranger than a mech raising a sparkling that isn't even his... It's rare enough to hear of a mech to raising his own."

Megatron's expression did not give anything away.

"So what's the deal?" he asked curiously, "You fragging his mommy and are looking to score points?"

This time Megatron scowled, "From what I can gather, his carrier is offline."

Impactor held his servos out in defence, "Well that am I supposed to assume?! C'mon Megs, give me a hint here? What's a mech like you doing with a baby seeker?"

Megatron sighed heavily and turned away, "I don't know." he said, rubbing a servo over his helm. "I was overcharged, he was being attacked, I wasn't thinking and I can't get rid of him."

Impactor stared at him, "None of that really made any sense. Are you overcharged?"

Megatron made a noncommittal gesture. So that was a yes then.

Impactor slapped a servo to his shoulder and steered him up the corridor, "C'mon, we've got a lot of catching up to do anyway. You can explain your frag-ups to me over a few more cubes. I've a feeling I'm going to need it to believe this story."

X

Three joors and several more high grades Megatron really should have said no to later, and the gladiator was trudging back towards his quarters with Impactor. The problem was he didn't feel half as overcharged as he should have, would have hoped to.

And his old friend he had just realised he didn't miss half as much as he'd thought he had was still pestering him with questions, "You know, if you keep him much longer you're gonna have to tell Clench."

Megatron stiffened, though his response was delayed somewhat by all the high grade rushing through his systems, "I'm not 'keeping' him," he growled defensively, "He is not a pet."

Impactor shrugged, "Still an extra mouth to fuel."

"I fuel him," Megatron grumbled, "And I pay for that fuel. Starscream is costing no one other than myself anything. His remaining with me had nothing to do with Clench," he spat the mech's name with thinly veiled contempt.

"Does if he takes up your training time, or distracts you... Or-"

Impactor stopped himself off as Megatron growled menacingly and held up his servo, stepping sideways to walk on the other side of the corridor so he wasn't standing quite so close to the larger mech, "Hey hey! I don't mean it like- listen," his tone changed to a more serious one, "How do you think Clench is going to take you hiding sparkling away in your room huh? It's not going to go down well."

Megatron shook his helm in denial, "He doesn't have to find out."

Impactor pulled a face and rolled his optics, "Come on Megs!" he cried, tactfully ignoring the mech's snarl of warning at the mutilation of his name, "He's a seeker, he's a sparkling. The two don't combine well together to make a very well behaved guest. He's been here less than a week and from what you bellowed at me after your third high grade I can tell he's already gotten into more trouble than you seemed to be able to handle."

Megatron stared ahead of himself, scowling, "I'd rather not expose Starscream to Clench," he rumbled, as if he hadn't heard a word Impactor had just said.

Impactor gestured wildly with his arms, "Its Clench!" he exclaimed, "That poor youngling's already been exposed to creepy Axel and aft-headed Sidepunch."

"All the more reason to keep him hidden," Megatron growled stubbornly, he slowed down, seeing the door to his quarters ahead of them. He absently reflected that there would be a fifty-fifty chance the seeker was actually still in there and hadn't gone wandering off.

He really should have considered that earlier.

"Clench owns this place, he can keep him hidden, he can hel-"

"I am perfectly capable of protecting a sparkling!" Megatron hissed harshly, keeping his voice down in case -in the rare event that Starscream had stayed in their room- the youngling was in recharge.

"From other Gladiators, yeah, but what about the authorities?" Impactor reminded him, "You know it's law that all flight capables are tagged in Kaon so the council can track their movements, make sure they aren't wasting fuel." his optics narrowed and he gestured with his helm backwards to his quarters, "Is he tagged?"

Megatron exhaled heavily, "No... he's free of devises," his jaw stiffened as he raised his helm stubbornly, "And I'm keeping him that way. I won't have him tagged like some drone with an owner."

Impactor sighed in defeat, "I still think you should tell Clench. You never know, he might like him."

Megatron gave him a look, "I doubt that." he groaned. There was a very small chance that Clench would like anyone incapable of making him any credits, and even less of a chance Starscream would have any tolerance for an idiot like the mech currently running this arena. Even if said mech did have the power to remove them from their home with the snap of his slimy, credit nabbing fingers.

"But I will think about it," he said eventually, with great reluctance. Impactor smiled in approval, "But he's staying regardless of what Clench says." Megatron added forcefully.

Impactor, though a little taken back with the enthusiasm the mech he had known for quite some time now seemed to protect this little drain on resources, shook his helm in amusement. "It is his arena, you kind of have to-"

"Starscream is my responsibility!" Megatron exclaimed, his sudden lack of control over the volume of his voice accurately proving just how much high grade the large mech had consumed this evening, "Clench will have to accept him, or I will leave this arena and fight elsewhere."

Impactor just nodded his helm and slapped a servo to his friends shoulder, "Yes," he said reassuringly to the over-charged gladiator, "But we can make arrangements for that happy day another time, for now however-" He stopped as he turned himself and Megatron around only to see a very curious little seeker peaking at them from behind the door frame to Megatron's quarters. "Oh... Hello."

Starscream stepped around the door frame and stared at the two of them suspiciously. He pointed at Megatron, who was only very slightly swaying, "What's wrong with him."

Megatron shoved Impactor's servo off his shoulder and stalked forward, either uncaring or unaware of how Starscream stumbled back in fright. Impactor frowned curiously. "Nothing," Megatron growled, "I told you to go to recharge."

Starscream optics widened as he heard the slur in Megatron's voice. A very familiar sounding slur... He scurried back, and Megatron quickly became annoyed, "Starscream," he hissed, "It's been a long cycle, just get in there!" he snapped, pointing through the door and into the room.

Starscream couldn't help but remember all the occasions his sire had shouted at him, locked him in his room, so he'd have nowhere to run-

Starscream jumped back and gasped as the large gladiator reached for him, the overwhelming stench of high grade filled his olfactory sensors, and his spark started beating a mile a minute. Megatron was overcharged, and overcharged mech's did terrible, terrible things for no reason. No matter if he did exactly as he was told, or how quiet he was, his sire always shouted at him, always swore at him, all threw things and-

Megatron growled and stamped forward a huge pede landed right before Starscream, blocking his escape route. His towering frame bent down and a large black servo lifted-

"Megatron!" Impactor's voice suddenly called. Megatron stopped and looked up, confused, and completely oblivious to how the tiny seeker was cowering at his pedes. "You're scaring him," Impactor said simply.

Megatron, completely taken back, looked down at the shivering sparkling before him. "...Oh." he said after a while, only just realising his own menacing stance over the seeker.

Starscream released a long, high pitched whine and Megatron literally jumped away. Luckily, Impactor, far more aware of what was wrong marched forward and bent down to Starscream's level. He reached out slowly and placed a servo on his wing. The youngling flinched and Impactor scowled to himself. "I think you should go to recharge now, don't you?" was all he said.

Starscream looked up at this stranger, and an oddly trustworthy one at that before nodding quickly and rushing back into the room, avoiding Megatron completely.

Impactor sighed as he pushed his heavy frame back up and met his friend's befuddled expression with a far more sombre one, before confirming what Megatron had been fearing for a while now, "That sparkling was been abused." he said, pointing into the room behind them, "It's a fragging miracle he trusts anyone at all."

With that he turned around and strode back up the corridor, leaving a far more sober and clear minded Megatron in his wake.

X

Starscream was pretending to be in recharge when Megatron finally remembered how to use his legs and walked back into his quarters. The seeker curled into a smaller ball on his berth, his out-of-proportion wings folded forward almost as if they were shielding his frame.

Megatron just stood and watched him for a moment.

It had been a difficult night to begin with, he wasn't surprised that Starscream was wary of him now, he expected it. He had seen him ruthlessly offline another mech, a mech whose life energon was splattered had over his frame, flesh from his lines. No sparkling should ever have to experience something like that. Except, he had been fine. A little shaken at first, but he was back to his usual bratty self not a joor later.

Or was that just him being oblivious?

He moved forward carefully, but made sure to make enough noise so Starscream could hear him as he approached the seeker's berth. He reached down and ran a single finger between his wings. Starscream flinched then shuddered. Megatron waited a moment before doing it again, and again, until the seeker stopped flinching and started to relax on the berth. He brushed his servo over the youngling's helm briefly just before he started to get up.

"I thought you were going to hit me." Starscream's quiet voice whispered.

Megatron paused before placing his servo between Starscream's wings again, rubbing the young, softer metal, "Why?" he asked gruffly, resisting the urge to clear his throat and rumble something about it being late and well past sparkling's recharge times so he could avoid this conversation no one wanted to have.

"You were drinking," Starscream said sadly, still not moving on the berth or making any effort to look at Megatron as he stared at the wall in front of him, "And... everyone hits when they get overcharged." he pushed himself up from the berth then and stared at Megatron with wide accusing optics, "You're not going to... are you?"

Megatron withdrew his servo, "You're too small for me to hit," he said seriously. Then it took a lot of effort for him to cast aside the awkward tugging sensation in his tank for him to ask, "Who's been hitting you?"

Starscream looked to the side, optics watering slightly before he closed them and lifted his helm high. The next moment any sign of tears had completely vanished, "Sire ...But only sometimes!" he added quickly, "So... It was okay."

Megatron scowled, something dark twisting in his spark, "It's not okay." he growled menacingly. Starscream shrank back slightly, "No one should ever hit you."

Starscream's optics widened, "He was my sire-"

"That doesn't mean he's allowed to do it." Megatron rumbled. He looked away to the side, indignant fury surging through his spark as he played out what this sire of Starscream's might have been like. Images of someone a lot taller and stronger, kicking a seekerlet Starscream to the floor, shouting at it, ignoring him as he cried-

Megatron had to stand up and pace the room several times before could even speak again. Starscream watched him, some parts wary, other parts intrigued.

Megatron rubbed a servo over his helm, the high grade still messing up his systems. He moved forward and nudged Starscream on the berth, encouraging him to lie back down, "Go to recharge," he said gruffly. "And just because I've had a few high grades does not mean I'm overcharged." he lied.

Starscream looked at him, "...Yes, it does." he pointed out in his usual condescending manner.

Megatron's jaw twitched as he stared at the youngling, "...No it doesn't." he lied again, "And, even if I was overcharged... I won't ever hit you, I promise." added the last part, recalling how much 'promises' meant to younglings of a certain age.

Starscream didn't look impressed though, his expression was sceptical. He wordlessly rolled over on his berth, curling into himself as he settled down for recharge, "Sire promised too," he muttered sadly to himself.

Megatron heard, and rubbed his servo across his helm again, feeling a headache that had nothing to do with his high grade consumption coming on. He settled into his own berth, soothing his agitation with the wishful thinking that one cycle he might run into Starscream's sire, coincidence or not. He had a feeling the elder seeker might make far better scrap metal than he did sire material anyway.

X

It became only too apparent the next morning that seeker sparklings and hangovers did not mix well.

Something was on his back, fidgeting around impatiently. Megatron didn't dare open his optics, or move, knowing the throbbing in his helm would only escalate into something unbearable.

"Megatron?" a small voice whispered in his audial, and whatever was on his back wriggled again, "Megatron, are you awake?"

Megatron's processor seemed to bash against the inside of his helm and he grit his denta in irritation. He grunted noncommittally and pushed his face into the berth top.

Starscream, who must have been sitting between his shoulders, scooted forward and pushed at the back of his helm, "Megatron, you said you'd take me to the library today."

Megatron refused to move. Starscream would get bored and leave him to recharge the worst of it off eventually.

"Megatrooooon!"

Or not.

Megatron groaned and rolled, taking some sadistic delight in Starscream's gasp of surprise and his scurry of movement to avoid falling. He failed, and landed with a heavy crash on the side of the berth next to him. "...Ow."

Megatron laid an arm across his optics and exhaled heavily, mentally rolling his optics as he felt the small but ambitious seeker start to clamber up onto his chest, undeterred by the knowledge that he could just be tossed off at any moment.

"Starscream," Megatron rasped finally, "Get off me before I do something we'll both regret."

He lifted his arm and cracked an optic open to see the seeker sat cross legged on his chest plates, staring at him with wide red optics, "Ygh," he groaned, closing his optic again as his processor sparked and protested against the light in the room.

"What's wrong?" he heard Starscream ask with a hint of concern.

Megatron reached for him blindly until he felt his digits meet warm metal. Starscream leant into his touch as he carefully caressed a wing, before giving him a forceful shove backwards off his frame. There was another loud clatter, and no further sensations of a sparkling trying to climb him, he braced himself, waiting until-

"Does this mean we're not going to the library?"

Megatron forced himself to sit up, his mind swam and he immediately regretted it, "I swear to Primus Starscream," he growled, his optics opening to glare at the seeker, "if you don't let me recharge-"

"You've been recharging all morning!" Starscream burst out in his highly infuriating squeaky little sparkling voice. Megatron wanted to strangle him.

He pointed a menacing finger at the seeker's annoyed pout. What right did that little menace have to be irritated? His processor wasn't trying to escape through his optics. "If you don't let me recharge!" he repeated, a lot louder this time, before pausing as he thought up an appropriate threat, "... I will spank you." he said seriously.

Starscream's mouth dropped open, "You can't do that!" he yelped, but slapped his servos to his aft and took several steps back, just in case. "You're not my sire!"

Megatron pulled a face at him, "I don't have to be your sire to teach you manners," he snarled.

Starscream glared at him.

Satisfied that he had effectively threatened the sparkling, Megatron fell back down to his berth, and closed his optics, "If you can sit quietly for just a joor or two, I will take you this afternoon."

He didn't see Starscream's reaction to his words but there was a rapid succession of clicking noises that sounded much like thrusters bouncing on the floor. The corner of his mouth quirked slightly in amusement, before his processor throbbed again and he groaned, turning over.

"... I'm really thirsty." Starscream's voice piped up again.

Megatron's optics snapped back open as he realised he had to give up on this delusion that he was going to get any more recharge now that Starscream's mind was on being fuelled.

Nothing could silence a hungry seeker.

X

Megatron nearly fell back into recharge leaning against the wall besides the energon dispenser as he waited for Starscream to finish his cube. He closed his optics for just a moment, and a cube hit him square in the chest plates.

"We've talked about throwing things," Megatron murmured before pushing himself back up and giving the youngling a stern look.

"You were in recharge again," Starscream explained, as if that was an excuse.

Megatron shook his helm, "No I wasn't." he grumbled and rubbed his optics, "I need to go to the med bay, there is outstanding damage from last night's fight that still hasn't been dealt with."

Starscream pouted and folded his short arms across his cockpit, "I'm not going anywhere near Axel," he refused, "And you said you'd take me to the-"

"If you mention the library one more time I'll sell you!" Megatron snapped nastily, "And you're coming to the medbay with me because you can't trusted."

"But Axel!" Starscream whined, throwing down his arms. His voice had always been annoying, but had never before grated on him like this.

"Starscream,' he growled, looming over him.

"Megatron!" a strikingly familiar voice exclaimed from the corridor next to them.

Starscream's bratty behaviour vanished in an instant as he flung himself behind Megatron's leg to hide from the newcomer. "I'm surprised to see you still functioning."

Starscream peaked around the gladiator's leg to see the mech from last night smirking at Megatron. Megatron just scowled back, "No thanks to you," he grunted.

"I didn't make you drink that high grade," Impactor reminded him, moving closer towards him. He glanced downwards and caught a glimpse of one shining white wing nub from around his friend. He smiled but didn't bother trying to draw the seeker out.

"So you're fighting here tonight," Impactor started his usual, highly agitating small talk, ignoring Megatron's cold emotionless stare, "A hyperactive, orange mechling told me, I can't remember his na-."

"Steelstrut," Starscream spoke up, leaning out from behind his makeshift shield, unable to resist the opportunity to correct someone.

Impactor lifted his optical ridge and inclined his helm down, "I don't believe we've been properly introduced," he announced with an air of decorum he didn't actually possess. Megatron made an irritated noise, "Impactor," he said, bending down, way down, to extend a massive servo to the seeker, "And you must be Starscream. I've heard to mu- oomph!"

Before the seeker could take the offered servo, Megatron kicked his friend in the abdominal plating. Starscream looked quite alarmed. "He doesn't need to make friends with the likes if you," Megatron growled, which led Starscream to believe this mech wasn't a friend after all.

Impactor only looked mildly annoyed at being kicked, in fact, he chuckled breathlessly before straightening up again. "What's the matter Megs? Worried I'm going tell him all your dirty secrets?"

Megatron's expression was murderous, but Starscream jumped out from behind him, very interested. "Like what?" he asked excitedly, a devious grin on his faceplates. It was unnerving to see such an expression on one so young.

Impactor merely reached out and patted him atop the helm, causing the youngling's expression to rapidly change from mischievous, to furious. In fact, he looked strikingly similar to the fifty foot Gladiator behind him. "You sure he's not yours?" he asked again.

Megatron was not impressed. He steered Starscream to the side and away from the immature mech before them, "You're a bad influence." he growled, "And I have things that require my attention."

"So you're going to drag the poor little guy along with you?" Impactor cried, aghast. He looked down at Starscream, "Don't tell me you just let him boss you around?"

"Impactor!" Megatron barked. Really, he had a hard enough time controlling the seeker without his so called 'friends' influence.

But it was too late, "Of course not!" Starscream shouted, leaping out of Megatron's reach and bouncing closer to the irresponsible mech, "I do what I want! I'm nearly a mech now." he added.

Impactor treated him to a disbelieving stare, "Yeah... Sure you are." he said, pulling an unconvincing face as he did so.

"Starscream." Megatron called again, this time more sternly, there was a cold, hard edge to his voice that promised much suffering later, for both of them, if he was not obeyed that instant.

Impactor ignored him, fairly used to such a tone. "What do you wanna do?" he asked Starscream specifically.

"Go to the library," Starscream said immediately, beaming up at him.

Impactor looked rather taken aback for a moment, clearly having expected the youngling to have said something more like... a theme park on one of the higher levels. Something fun at least. "Well okay but-"

"So you'll take me?!" Starscream screeched.

Impactor leant back, quiet stunned by the pitch the seeker's voice could go to when he was excited. "Er yeah, sure."

"You're not going anywhere!" Megatron quickly intervened, "Not with him and not to the library."

Starscream stared at him as he'd just announced a favourite hobby of his was sparkling stamping, "Whyyy!" he wailed.

Impactor was quick to come to his defence, never failing to be on the other side of the argument to Megatron, "Don't be such a hard aft." he reproached him, "Let him live a little."

Megatron wasn't budging on this issue though, "He doesn't deserve to go." Impactor frowned, that was a little harsh, wasn't it? "And" Megatron added, "He is most certainly not going with you. Now get out of my way." he snapped at the other mech, "I have a med bay appointment." he gestured for Starscream to return to his side.

Only the seeker didn't move, "What if I go on my own?" he asked.

Megatron turned back to give him an impatient look. Starscream knew he couldn't wander around down here on his own, "It's not safe for you out there."

"I'll fly," Starscream said confidently, fanning out what little wing he had developed in his short life, "I'll be quick. I haven't practised in ages anyway."

Megatron blinked, and did a full body turn towards the seeker, "You can't fly," he began.

But Starscream laughed over him, he flashed him a wide smile, "Of course I can!" he said happily, "I'll show you, I'm really good!"

And he was already half way up the corridor. Megatron stared after him for a moment. Was he- Did he not-

Megatron lunged into a sprint after him. Of course he wouldn't! He was a sparkling; he wouldn't know anything about laws and politics and fuel shortages. He wouldn't care-

"Starscream!" he bellowed, quickly catching up to the seeker and grabbing him by the wings just before he made it into the corridor leading up to one of the exits.

"Hey!" Starscream cried out as he was sharply tugged back.

Megatron grabbed his shoulder vents and span him around. He knelt down to his height and stared deep into his wide optics.

"Listen to me." he said, holding Starscream firmly, "This isn't Vos. You cannot fly here."

Starscream's expression was both horrified and outraged, "Why not!" he cried, one part of him secretly thinking Megatron was making that up. It couldn't be true.

"It's against the law." Megatron began to explain, "It's the authority's way of-"

"No!" Starscream burst out, trying to pull out of his grasp, "You're lying! I have to be able to fly, they can't stop me-"

"There is zero tolerance to flying here." Megatron said more forcefully, "If you don't have a license, you can't fly. They won't care if you're a sparkling-"

"I'm not a spark-"

"No, listen to me!" Megatron snapped, "You need to promise me you won't fly."

Starscream snorted at him, as if he didn't take it seriously, "You can't tell me what to do, you're not my-"

"They will shoot you right out of the sky!" Megatron suddenly shouted, trying to get the message through the youngling's thick helm.

Starscream finally stopped pulling stupid expressions and watched him silently.

Megatron sighed, his grip on Starscream loosened and became more comforting. He wanted to say more, he wanted to tell him that just because he wasn't his sire didn't mean I wanted to find him a scorned pile of scrap in a crater somewhere in the upper levels, but he choked on the words.

Starscream just continued staring at him, his optics glazing over, "Bu-but that's..." It seemed that his shockingly extensive vocabulary had failed him for once. "How will I ever learn to fly?" he muttered sadly.

Megatron couldn't say anything. He'd only either upset Starscream more by putting his pede in it, or make a complete fool of himself in an attempt to comfort the sparkling. Comforting little ones was not a skill he had been blessed with. Terrifying them witless, yes, but comforting... Not so much.

Starscream looked like he was about to burst into tears. Megatron glanced behind him, and was actually disappointed that Impactor hadn't followed after them. He could have found good use for the other mech's more open and carefree personally to cheer Starscream up, tell him something that would make it all better. Impactor was far better than he at understanding others.

He needed something quick to distract Starscream.

"I will... take you to the library now." he said, awkwardly.

Starscream didn't look up at him, and there was a suspicious sounding sniffing noise.

Alarmed, Megatron quickly blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "And you can watch me fight tonight."

Starscream looked up immediately, "Really?" he asked, watching him hopefully with brimming optics.

Against his better judgement, Megatron nodded. "And I'll get you some Rust Sticks..."

Starscream's expression brightened considerably. A smile burst free from him as he wiped away tears before they had even fallen.

Either Starscream had a remarkably quick recovery time, or Megatron had just been played.

X

The ex-captain of the Royal Guard - a mech he'd grown up knowing as his uncle, who was almost a sire to him- sat across from him.

And it disgusted him.

To think he had once been his superior, his family. To think, this rusting, fragmented, glitching piece of scrap had once been a mech he'd trusted above all overs... trusted enough to be left alone with his son...

After all these vorns, looking, praying, almost giving up, and here he was, alive and well, smirking smugly from across a table at him, mere inches separating them. Oh how he wished to have just five klicks alone with him, no guards, no cameras, no one else to see...

The violent thoughts rushing through his processor went against every moral he had, but he still wanted carry them all out on this mech.

"Why?" was all he could rasp, his vocaliser tight with emotion.

Spitfire smirked at him again, "You'll have to be more specific," he slurred, an expression of boredom on his face, as if this was just a waste of his time.

Captain Starscream slammed his servos on the table in front of him; his mechs behind him shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not playing these games anymore," he hissed, "You will talk, or you will be forced to talk."

Spitfire had the nerve to chuckle darkly, "What would your dear Sovereign think of that?" he mocked, "I'm familiar enough with our laws to know torture is forbidden here, against Primus will-"

"Arrangements can be made, it's not forbidden everywhere. If I have to send you off to Kaon to get the job done, I'll do it." Starscream snarled at his uncle, "I am not leaving without answers."

The dirty mech across from him leant back, considering his nephew with narrowed optics, "He looked like you..."

Fury engulfed every inch of his frame and he stood up, seekers by the door rushed forward and restrained him before he could even raise his servos above his helm to strike the shackled prisoner. He calmed on his own, knowing he needed to get answers, no matter how much Spitfire tried to make him loose his cool.

"Sir?" one of the seekers to his side asked, concerned.

He shrugged him off. "I'm fine." he growled and sat back down, contempt for the mech opposite possessing every inch of him. He exhaled heavily, "Why did you take my son?" he growled.

Spitfire placed his servos together in the table in front of him, a pensive expression on his face, and had it not been for his unkempt, warped armour or the shackles around his wrist, he looked almost like the Captain of the Guard he'd once been, right before he disappeared, his heir in tow. "Now that you have asked a more specific question, I will answer you."

Starscream's topics twitched at the patronising tone but he remained silent, listening intently.

"He was an abomination." Spitfire said calmly.

Starscream was standing before he'd even realised how incensed he was.

"Captain! Sir no!" one of the other guards rushed forwards and caught his wrist, tugging him back before he could lunge across the table. "Sir, maybe you should-"

"I'm fine!" he snapped. There was no way in The Pit he was handing Spitfire off to someone else to interrogate. He was his uncle and it had been his sparkling. This was personal fraggit.

Spitfire raised an optical ridge, not showing any fear at his outburst, he waited a moment until Starscream stiffly sat down again and gestured for him to continue, gritting his dermas together in fury.

"As I was saying, your spawn was an abomination."

"He was also your grand-nephew," Starscream hissed, "A defenceless sparkling, MY SPARKLING!"

"Captain Starscream," one of the guards called to him and moved closer, he leant in and murmured in his audial. "Sir I understand you want to do this, but there is a conflict of interest-"

"Frag off!" he snapped at the younger mech, too angry to care about the hurt look that flashed across his face. He turned back to Spitfire, "I want a reason, I want an explanation! What did I ever do to you-?"

"You!" Spitfire suddenly shouted, his composure suddenly and violently breaking, "You know what you did."

Starscream shook his helm, nothing could ever warrant this, whatever Spitfire was going to claim, it would never amount to his missing sparkling.

"It was a disgrace!" Spitfire started to ramble, gesturing wildly with his chained servos, "You weren't even bonded. Destroyed millennia of tradition, religion, upheld by the sovereign before her, and the one before him..." he narrowed his optics as he looked at his nephew, "And you destroyed it all!"

Starscream shook his helm, "You're insane," he hissed.

Spitfire shook his helm, laughing, "No! You! You were the selfish one! You touched what wasn't yours to touch! You know that the sovereigns are sacred! And because of you the heir wasn't pure, not fit to hold claim on the throne. She was to bond to a noble mech-!"

Starscream's optics flared in horror as he realised what this was all about. "I love her more than any noble mech could!" he snarled, leaning across the table again, "and I love my son!" he ignored the servos grasping his arms, trying to pull him back, "and I swear to Primus, if you don't tell me what you've done with him, I WILL shoot you right here!"

Spitfire remained silent.

"ANSWER ME!"

His uncle smirked, "He's dead."

And Starscream's world shattered around him.

X