X
Clench had abandoned him, had run for the escape route at the back of the balcony seconds after giving the order to retreat. Starscream twisted and rolled onto his cockpit under the seat he'd taken cover beneath. His tank flip-flopped as a huge chunk of ceiling came down in front of the tunnel entrance he had been about to make a run for, to try and catch up with Clench. It was too late for that now.
The balcony shook violently and tilted several metres down with a loud groan of metal, unable to take the weight of the debris raining down upon it in its already damaged state. Starscream cried out and clutched at the very steel beneath his digits, offlining his optics and begging for it to hold, if just for a little while longer. Megatron would come. He always came.
He thought his wish had been granted for at that very moment something grabbed hold of his ankle and yanked him out from under the seat. He gasped in surprise and pain as his cockpit glass was scratched where he'd been dragged across the rubble covered flooring.
He was unceremoniously flipped upright and then tucked into the side of, not Megatron, but the blue seeker that apparently hadn't fled the balcony at the first sign of trouble. His optics widened and had it been any other -not life threatening situation- he would have pushed the seeker away, but as the ground shook yet again he could only scream and cling to the stranger's finely polished armour.
The seeker wasn't looking at him, too busy scowling down at the chaos escalating in the pit below as the Autobot security rushed in through the huge hole the explosion had made in the side of the arena. The only warning Starscream received before the seeker suddenly burst into the air was the slight tightening of his arm around his waist and the thunderous boom of thrusters igniting.
He would have informed the seeker that it was apparently against the law to fly in Kaon, but it light of the sudden rush of blaster fire aimed in their direction he kept quiet and hid his face against strong chest armour as the seeker twisted into a series of complicated and seemingly impossible aerial manoeuvres. Starscream would have been impressed, had he not been so terrified.
They landed, heavily, and Starscream wasn't given the chance to catch his bearings as he was forcefully removed from his saviour's arms and thrown to the floor. He caught himself on his servos before he face-planted the pit floor and stared over his shoulder vent at the strange seeker.
The blue seeker had activated two twin weapons attached to his arms and was firing then in quick succession as several Autobot's began to advance on them. One of the blaster shots hit him in the shoulder and he stumbled back, face contorting in pain, servo pressed to the smoking wound. He grit his dermas and lifted his uninjured arm to continue firing before catching sight of Starscream.
"Get out through the tunnels!" he shouted impatiently over the sounds of his own blaster fire, "Get up and get out! Now!"
Starscream pushed himself to his thrusters, shaking all over and finding it difficult to stay upright on legs that felt like rubber, "B-but what about-?"
"GO!"
Another blaster bolt hit the seeker in the second that he was distracted by Starscream, and the force of it span him backwards. Starscream didn't stay long enough to watch him hit the ground, already sprinting for the tunnels into the arena, but he still heard the sickening thud of a lifeless frame hitting the floor.
Instead of heading for the exits with the other mechs he ignited his thrusters and sped down the stairwell leading to the gladiator's quarters. He couldn't leave without Megatron. He landed and skidded to a halt outside their quarters and frantically entered the code with shaking servos. He squeezed himself through the door before he had fully opened and nearly cried when he realised it was empty.
Megatron must have still been in the pit somewhere, what if he'd been hurt? Or captured? He had to find him!
Shaking his helm he decided he needed to stop panicking. He dove under his berth and started scrambling for his belongings, quickly subspacing a few of his favourite data-pads and a handful of rust sticks before bounding out through the door again.
He made to run to the exit he usually used with Megatron only to stop as he heard the sound of marching. He turned and began to run the other way, glancing up at the ceiling of the corridors as he heard the metal above, supporting the roof of the underground tunnels, groan and shift.
It was coming down with the rest of the arena.
He skidded around another corner where he knew there was another exit, silently wishing he'd paid more attention to where the fifteen other secret entrances in and out of the arena where hidden - made specifically for situations like this- as he doubled back and tried to recall which corridor to use.
A second set of footsteps were approaching from another direction now, and whoever it was they were running. Starscream danced on the spot looking for a hiding place as the sounds of marching drew closer from the other direction and he realised he was boxed in from both directions.
He shouldn't have come down here, he thought to himself, feeling panic build once again and flinching when an iron beam supporting the corridor swayed and shook next to him, he should have listened to the seeker that had saved him and run for it.
"Starscream!" a relived, young voice shouted.
Starscream cried out in relief when he turned to see Steelstrut's shockingly coloured armour sprinting towards him. He rushed at the gladiator and met him halfway; allowing Steelstrut to lift him to his chest and hug him like it was the last hug he'd ever get. But it was short embrace, Steelstrut releasing him and lowering him back to the floor as he too heard the rapid approach of the Autobot enforcers.
"Frag," he muttered to himself, his usually happy and carefree face pulled down into an anxious frown.
Starscream swallowed thickly. He'd never heard him swear before. This was bad.
Steelstrut must have made a decision as he reached down and grabbed Starscream's servo, wordlessly dragging him along behind him as he jogged into another corridor. Starscream had trouble keeping up, but didn't say anything, gripping Steelstrut's servo with both of him own.
They came to a stop at another corner and the gladiator pushed him back against a wall, leaning out and looking at what lay ahead of him. He pulled back quickly, and from the way Steelstrut's optics seem to glaze over Starscream knew that way must have be blocked by Autobot's as well. And it must have been the only escape left.
"Steelstrut?" he whimpered quietly, squeezing the gladiator's servo, "What are we going to do?"
The orange mech stared at the wall opposite him for what seemed like hours before suddenly bending down to Starscream's level and smiling broadly at him.
And it was such a painfully fake smile that held none of Steelstrut's real cheerfulness that Starscream nearly burst into tears.
"It's okay Star," Steelstrut told him gently, squeezing his shoulder vent reassuringly, "I'm going to get us out but you need to listen to me okay?"
Starscream nodded obediently, coolant gathering in his optics.
"The closest safe house is 'Crystals', the femme's you know, remember them? They work there." Steelstrut said quickly, glancing over his shoulder and shifting awkwardly every few seconds.
Starscream nodded again, a thick lump in his throat preventing him from speaking. A drop of coolant escaped his optic and trickled down his face.
Steelstrut cupped the side of his helm and wiped it away with his thumb, smile stretching wider as if he could make it any more convincing. "It's two levels up and to get there you need to take route six leading onto ninth, you know how to get there?"
Starscream wasn't sure he did know, but nodded anyway, sensing that there wasn't a lot of time for the orange mech to explain further. He felt a little panicked that Steelstrut was telling him this though. Why would he need to know where to go? Wasn't Steelstrut coming with him?
"What about you?" he managed to croak.
Steelstrut gave him that unconvincing smile again, "We have to split up -but I'm going to meet you there!" he continued quickly as he saw Starscream's optics widen in panic, "I promise you, I'll meet you there."
"Wha-what about Mega-?"
"He'll be there too," Steelstrut said quickly, standing up and glancing around the corner again, "He probably already is, but Starscream you can't wait for me, okay?" he pointed to the corridor he'd been keeping an eye on, "There are only three Autobot's that way, so I'm going to distract them whilst you run for the exit."
Starscream almost couldn't hear him over the throbbing of his own spark. He could only stare at the gladiator with wide optics as he continued to give him directions.
"As soon as you're outside don't stop running, don't attract attention to yourself and do not fly. Don't stop till you get to the safe house."
Steelstrut then threw himself out from their hiding place before Starscream could ask any more questions. There was a flurry of movement, a loud clang and grunt and then Steelstrut was bellowing, "RUN!" as he was chased out of the corridor by two angry looking Autobots, leaving the corridor open for Starscream to escape.
He obeyed Steelstrut's order -probably the first time he'd ever listened to the gladiator- and ran into the corridor and past an unconscious enforcer Steelstrut must have knocked out. He could see the exit ahead of him and moved his thrusters that much faster, his spark already starting to lift with hope.
He pushed through the door and into the dark Kaonian night just as a loud blaster shot echoed through the corridor.
He'd promised Steelstrut; he didn't wait.
X
Prowl came back online moments later. He pressed a servo to the painful dent in his helm where -from what he could remember- an orange blur had swung a support beam into his cranium. Forcing back his dizziness he straightened up and surveyed the situation.
His subordinates, Bumper and Fastback, were a few metres up the corridor, standing over a lifeless orange form. The same shade of orange that had attacked him in fact.
"Status report," He ordered as he approached.
Both Bumper and Fastback stepped away from the downed mech and stood at attention, "Area secure sir," Fastback announced proudly, "Bumper successfully removed the threat."
He gestured to the orange mech at their feet and Prowl frowned, "Is he offline?" he growled, noticing the dark scorch mark and warped plating marring the side of the mech's helm from where he'd been shot with what was clearly not a blaster set to stun -as he had ordered. "You were under orders to prevent casualties were ever possible."
Fastback and Bumper exchanged glances, "He attacked you-"
Prowl lifted a servo and waved them silent, leaning down to study the orange mech. from the insignia carved into his upper arm he had obviously been a gladiator here, but his face was young, very young. Prowl shook his helm, disappointed. What a waste, for mechs as young as this one to have been involved in places like this, he must have had no other choice.
He had been about to order his subordinates to pick up the deactivated mech and take him upstairs to be dealt with respectfully when one of the supports to the tunnel snapped and fell behind them, bringing most of the ceiling with it.
"Evacuate," he ordered already jogging towards the exit, "Leave him."
Bumper and Fastback obeyed, leaving the orange mech behind as the last of the arena collapsed in on its self behind them; destroying as much of the evidence they had needed as possible. Prowl clenched his servos into fist in frustration as he watched from a safe distance.
There was nothing he could do now though. The mission had been a failure, mechs had been lost on both sides, and because of the explosion their target had most likely escaped-
"Sir," a formal voice announced its presence behind him.
Prowl turned wearily, nodding his permission for the mech to speak.
The mech cleared his throat and stood up straighter, "Sir, we've just received word... they've found him. He resisted arrest and was deactivated on sight."
Prowls optics brightened and he clenched his jaw, not another one. "I ordered him not to be-" he stopped himself a sighed, lifting to servo to his helm and brushing it over the dented area, "What's done is done. Bring him to me."
Prowl watched as another two mechs were motioned over, carrying between them the deactivated, dulling grey frame of what was once a light blue seeker. The mechs holding him looked somewhat ashamed of themselves.
"We're sorry sir," one of them began to apologise, "He wouldn't surrender, it was either him or us and-"
Prowl lifted his servo to silence his excuses, "It is fine. We have evidence enough by merely being able to prove he was present." He moved closer, studying the seeker, checking to see if it really was who they had been looking for. The royal markings on the edges of his wings proved he was.
He straightened up and turned to the mech closest to him, "Send word to Iacon that their suspicions about Vos' involvement in the riots have been confirmed, and inform the Sovereign that we have found her Chancellor."
The mech nodded and moved to obey. Prowl turned back to survey the wrecked remains of the gladiatorial arena, folding his arms behind his back. His mission wasn't a complete failure; but if Vos couldn't come up with a good enough excuse for what their Chancellor had been doing here, then it might be enough to start a war.
X
Every now and then Starscream looked back over his shoulder vent for any sign of orange armour and a stupid grin, but there was nothing behind him but the distant sound of sirens and blaster fire echoing up through the levels of Kaon, carried with the thick billowing smoke from the wreckage of the arena he had almost thought of as a home.
The cables and gears in his thighs were starting to ache as he continued to run, keeping in the shadows of the tall buildings and away from the large flashing neon signs, one of which was showing the news; Starscream recognised with a jolt of nausea that they had already started covering the huge explosion in the lower levels of the city. There was no mention of it being a gladiatorial arena, and no mention of the Autobots...
He didn't waste time staring up at the huge vid screen, setting off at a run in the direction he thought Steelstrut had told him to go when glyphs reading " Current Death Toll" appeared next to the femme speaking on the news.
He searched the overload of bright, colourful, neon lights for any sign of "Crystals", growing surer with each passing moment that he had come the wrong way. He'd never been up on this level before, and the gaudy, multicoloured atmosphere seemed foreign in a place like Kaon.
Just as he was about to turn back the way he came to try and figure out which wrong turn he might have taken, he ran straight into a thick, rusting brown leg. He bounced off it and landed hard on his aft, optics widening in fear as he recognised the mech he'd just run into.
Sidepunch, looking even more scuffed up and dented than usual, his vents working as rapidly as Starscream's own, simply glared between him and the section of his leg he'd just run into in exasperation. "You've scratched my paint," he rumbled gruffly.
Starscream was too wound up to think about self-preservation and the fact that Clench's order's regarding him might not apply now that he didn't have an arena to kick his gladiators out of anymore, when he pushed himself to his thrusters and scowled right back at the towering mech, "Like you could even tell!" he argued.
Surprisingly Sidepunch rolled his optics and looked skyward, muttering something under his breath about regretting something before looking back down at him, "You were going the wrong way," he growled stiffly.
Starscream blinked, "...You were following me?" he suddenly realised, taking a cautious step back.
Sidepunch didn't answer and began to move out of the shadow of the towering building, glancing in both directions before moving into the open, "Hurry up! I'm not slowing down for you runt!" he called back to where Starscream was hidden, already jogging into an alleyway opposite them.
Starscream stared after him, weighing up his options, before rushing out after the gladiator that had already rounded a corner. Apparently, Sidepunch had been lying when he said he wouldn't wait for him as he was leaning against a steel pole behind the building, an expectant expression on his face. He grunted in acknowledgement when Starscream skidded to a halt before him, stumbling back a few steps to keep some distance between them, and set off again.
Starscream had never realised how much Megatron and Steelstrut must slow down their pace for him when they walked as he had to alternate between jogging and sprinting to keep up with the dark brown gladiator, forcing back the sparkling-like urge to grab at some part of the larger mech's armour like he did with Megatron, especially as they passed a group of overcharged mechs falling out of a nearby bar.
Eventually they made it, and Starscream hadn't felt so much relief in his short life before when he saw the neon pink sign for "Crystals" not too far ahead of them, displaying an animated femme dancing below in the same flashing pink. But when they walked in, it didn't look much like a safe house.
The bass of the loud thumping music hit him the second he slunk into the bar after Sidepunch. It was dark, darker than any bar he'd ever been in with Megatron before, and he could only see where he was going when the lights from somewhere deeper inside the venue flashed or span in their direction. It was nothing like the quiet, depressing aura of most bars he'd been in, and he failed to see how this could possibly be a safe house.
It was packed full of mechs, probably the most crowded, claustrophobic place he'd ever been and it was made infinitely worse by how short he was compared to everyone else. No one was looking down and he was certain he was going to be stepped on any second now. He stuck as close to Sidepunch's back as the large mech weaved through the busy crowd surrounding the bar and past a large seating area, all facing a stage. Starscream craned his neck cables but couldn't catch a glimpse of whatever it was that was being performed, still too short to see over the seated mechs. It must have been good though, even Sidepunch seemed captivated by the stage as they passed by, right up until they reached a door at the back of the bar and he snapped himself out of it.
Sidepunch knocked four times in a certain rhythm and murmured something to the door before it whooshed back to emit them. Sidepunch pushed him in when he froze in the doorway to the backrooms, staring at the familiar faces of the gladiators he'd come to know injured and slumped around the room. The door closed behind them, cutting out the music and then all Starscream could hear was shouting.
Clench stormed in through another door on his right, followed by a flustered looking femme who rushed to the closest gladiator whose servo was pressed to his helm, trying to put a stop to the rivets of energon dripping down his faceplates.
Clench stopped bellowing and gesturing angrily when he spotted Sidepunch, "You injured?" he snapped.
Sidepunch shook his helm, opening his mouth when Clench turned around and waved him away, "Then get out,"
Sidepunch didn't argue, happily walking back out of the room and into the bar again. Starscream stared after him, a little worried about being left on his own. He glanced around him, frantically searching for any sign of Megatron or Steelstrut. There was none.
He flinched when a servo touched his wing and looking up to see Clench roughly spinning him around. He shook off the older mech and stumbled back, pressing himself against a wall. Clench didn't seem bothered by his reaction, more than pleased that he was still in one piece, "Nice to see you made it out," he commented casually, "Megatron in there then?" he asked, gesturing to the door behind Starscream where the bar lay.
Starscream shook his helm, feeling tears gather in his optics for the second time that evening, "He-he's not here?" he whimpered.
Clench scowled and balled his servos into fist, "Fraggit, that's another one..." he muttered angrily, turning away, as if- as if he knew that Megatron wasn't coming back at all.
At that moment Starscream felt his spark stop in its chamber, his entire frame numbed and his intakes stalled. He couldn't see, could hear, couldn't think. He was only vaguely aware of his knee joints buckling as he slowly sank to the floor. Then there was someone in front of him, someone pulling him into a familiar hug, slight, smooth and gentle servos cupped his face and wiped away at the stream of hot tears.
"Star, sweetie, are you okay?"
It was Shareware and she was sat on the floor next to him, surrounded by the dirty, half mangled gladiators and the noise of Clench's incensed commotion. Starscream's vocalizer wouldn't work so all he could do to let her know that no, he wasn't alright, was cry harder and press his face into her shoulder.
She rubbed his wings soothingly, murmuring comforting things like, "You're safe now," and "I'll look after you," when nothing in the world would have comforted him more than the sound of Megatron's gruff voice telling him to suck it up.
"Meh-Megatron!" was all he was able to wail at her. She drew back and he was unable to tell what her facial expression was by the amount of coolant leaking from his optics, blinding him.
"Is that what you're so upset about?" she said lightly, as if Starscream's fears were silly and unjustified, "He's probably at another safe house," she soothed, stroking his dark cheek, "just as worried about you as you are of him."
Starscream sniffed loudly, wiping his optics with the back of his servo, "What- what if-?"
Shareware raised a slim optical ridge, she scooted closer to Starscream's side and nodded her helm towards some of the gladiators waiting to be patched up the bar medic that had only the most basic of medical training, "Now, do those boys look like the smartest Cybertron has to offer?" she asked him seriously, "And just think, as dumb as they are they made it out, didn't they?"
Starscream looked to where she'd gestured, seeing that she had a point. Megatron must have been the smartest gladiator in all of Kaon, and the idea of him not getting out like almost every other idiot in there had managed, seemed bizarre. He was still anxious though. The sooner Megatron got here and proved that he hadn't been captured -or worse- the better.
He sat back against Shareware and was about to ask her where the other two femmes, Freeware and Hardline, were when Clench barged back in through the other door, obviously pacing through the entire back of the bar. Two mechs followed him, neither of them looking familiar or like anyone that worked at the bar. Starscream watched curiously.
"-And what the frag was that explosion!" Clench bellowed, kicking a stray piece of armour on the floor in front of him that must have fallen off one of his damaged gladiators.
"We were trying to stop the Autobot security forces from entering!" a blue, short mech to his right said angrily, "But you miscalculated the-"
"You blew up my arena!" Clench roared, throwing out his arm and punching the mech in the side of the helm. He fell to the floor and Starscream flinched against Shareware. "Those explosives were to be used as a last minute resort to destroy the evidence! You weren't supposed to blow them up with everyone still inside!"
The remaining red mech on his left side held up his servos in surrender and moved away from Clench when the volatile mech stepped towards him. Clench glowered at before starting to pace again, "Do we know what they were after?" the red mech called to him, following behind him but keeping his distance.
Clench nodded, "A seeker."
Starscream's spark leapt in his chest and the gladiators that had also been listening in on the conversation all turned to look at him, optics dark and accusing, full of blame. He tried to hide against Shareware when the femme stood up and moved to stand in front of him, as if her tiny, lightweight frame could stand a chance against a dozen fully trained, angry gladiators.
But Clench scoffed and threw a data-pad at the closest one, "Not him you idiots!" he snapped, turning back to the red mech still following him, "A noble from Vos," he told him, "It was bad luck he was in our arena the night they finally caught up with him."
Starscream stared at Clench as he said this, all that destruction, all that death, for one seeker? He knew now that the explosion that had been the main cause for the chaos was not the Autobot's fault, the image of blaster fire raining down upon everyone was still stuck in his processor.
"Did they get him?"
Starscream looked back up to see Clench nodding, "Oh yeah, deactivated him. So much for taking prisoners," he snorted and started moving into the other room again, "Stupid fragger's own fault for getting involved in all that revolution slag, if you ask me, things are..."
He moved out of audial range. Starscream stood and moved to follow him, wanting to learn more, when he was pulled back as Shareware caught his shoulder.
"You look tired," she cooed, bending down and touching him again. Starscream pulled a face but didn't shake her off. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, just... foreign to him. He'd never known someone to be so affectionate. "We have rooms upstairs, you can recharge up there so you don't have to spend all night down here with this lot." She smiled, gesturing to the gladiators behind her, and Starscream was starting to get the impression that she wasn't much of a fan of their particular career choice.
Though he'd rather stay down there and wait for Megatron to arrive, he was exhausted and everything ached. He knew he'd never be able to go to recharge knowing Megatron was still out there, but the idea of at least resting back on a nice soft berth was an appealing one.
He nodded and let her lead him out through the door Clench had been storming in and out of, and then through several others. It was a like a maze, so many doors leading into different rooms, most of them filled with mechs in various states of disrepair. At one point they passed Axel, and Starscream could see why it was the bar medic trying to treat the injured and not him, seeing as he was missing his entire right arm.
Eventually they reached a set of stairs and were so deep into the backrooms that Starscream couldn't even hear the muffled bass of the music playing in the distance. As they walked up the stairs Starscream was unable to contain his curiosity any longer, "How can a bar be a safe house?" he asked the femme.
Shareware frowned in confusion before laughing, "Yes I suppose this is a bar, in a way." She smiled, and before Starscream could ask her what she meant she continued, "The owner here has a deal with Clench," she explained, "As do several other mechs nearby. The idea is to use the bar as a front, and if the Autobot's ever came looking for you we'd have plenty of time to hide you back here or get you out of the building entirely."
Starscream nodded, "But where are we going to go afterwards?"
Shareware shrugged, "I really don't know sweetie," she said, but at Starscream's concerned expression she elaborated, "Don't worry though; this place is more than capable of hiding you lot for a couple of weeks. And I'm sure Clench had a load of other arenas you can move to."
"I liked the old one," Starscream muttered sadly as they reached the top of the stairs.
Shareware smiled, "So did I, it was close by."
She entered a code into a door panel and gestured for Starscream to walk in, "This is the room I share with a few other femmes, we have to share here, but they're all nice." Starscream wasn't bothered; he used to share with Megatron after all. He moved to the berth Shareware patted, "This one's mine. I'm about to work a shift so you can have it to yourself." She smiled.
Starscream didn't have the energy left to smile back and fell face down on the berth, optics already offlining. He heard Shareware sigh lightly and stroke the back of his wings, "Just think," he heard her say as recharge start to claim him, "By the time you wake up Megatron will have arrived."
Starscream smiled to himself at the thought, drifting off into recharge, the image of Megatron striding triumphantly in through the door like there wasn't anything in the world that could faze him the last thing on his mind.
X
Megatron had watched from above, hidden from view, as the arena's structure finally gave up and collapsed in on itself, the remaining Autobots caught standing too close ran for cover as it rained heavy steel, iron and rubble.
Nothing inside could have survived that. He rubbed a servo over his brow and refused to start panicking now. Not even Clench would have been selfish and sparkless enough to have left a sparkling behind.
No Starscream was safe. He refused to believe otherwise.
But not everyone would have survived. Megatron shook his helm and moved to stand, wincing at the pain in his side where most of his battle armour had been torn off his torso where an Autobot canon had blasted him. Perhaps covering the slower gladiators' retreat, armed only with impractical gladiatorial weapons hadn't been his brightest idea, but as one of the more experienced fighter's who'd seen more than his fair share of Autobot raids, he felt it was his duty to protect the newer idiots -like Steelstrut- from getting deactivated by doing something stupid like going back for things and letting themselves get boxed in.
Megatron sighed at the stupidity of some mechs and moved back into the shadows, glaring at the Autobot's below as they began to survey the area for survivors. He was starting to see the point Impactor had tried to put across all those stellar cycles ago...
He snorted to himself as he began to make his way to the closest safe house, his pace considerably slower than it normally would be with the amount of energon leaking out of lines exposed and damaged in the fight to get away. Wire and gears still felt charred and hot from where hand held blasters had shot at his back as he'd retreated, and not for the first time he found himself feeling grateful for the reinforced protoform he'd been designed with for the mines; it was the one aspect of his past he felt thankful for.
'Crystals' was as packed as it always was, perhaps more so now that it had a broad selection of gladiators, some even still damaged, prowling around. He strode past them all without a glance at them or the stage they were all so captivated by and thumped on the reinforced door at the back loudly.
"Passwo-"
"Open the fragging door before I kick it down!" he bellowed aggressively, not in the mood to play these stupid games with whomever Clench had left in charge of the door.
There was a moment's pause before it whooshed open. Megatron muttered to himself angrily as he barged in, pushing over the red mech that had obviously been the one to delay his entry as he went. It didn't take him long to find Clench, he followed the sound of his loud, and by now, slightly overcharged voice through the labyrinth of doors.
He was speaking to one of his slimy little informants -who obviously weren't half as good at what they did as they should have been seeing as they failed to catch word of any of this happening- and Megatron grabbed the back of his neck and span him around. Clench swayed a little as he lost his balance, looking confused and affronted that anyone would dare manhandle him, but his expression broke out into a grin as he spotted who it was.
"Megatron!" he said cheerfully, "You made it, well..." he slurred glancing down at the lack of armour covering his favourite gladiator's abdomen, "Most of you anyway. But I'm glad you're not dead."
Megatron could say the feeling was mutual, "Where's Starscream?" he snapped, feeling his apprehension grow as he had failed to spot the seeker anywhere. The fact that he hadn't heard the little menace yet was also concerning him. Clench looked blank and Megatron wrapped him servo around the drunken mech's neck and squeezed, "I swear to Primus, Clench" he hissed, "If you don't have him-"
"Megatron," a calm femme's voice called to him.
Megatron reluctantly dropped Clench and turned to see a familiar looking femme, "What!?" he snapped, patience short with worry for his seeker.
She smiled despite the way he strode forward and loomed over her, energon leaking from his waist dripped down onto her pede. "Starscream's upstairs, recharging," she told him politely, as if she hadn't just seen him strangling another mech.
Megatron felt himself instantly deflate, relief washing over him. "Is he alright?" he asked before he could stop himself.
The femme's smile stretched wider, her optics brightening, "He was quite upset, and a little scratched up, but he's okay."
Megatron nodded, somewhat annoyed with himself for letting his emotions get the better of him, "Take me to him," he ordered.
He stepped over Clench's coughing form, knowing that though he'd probably get penalised by the mech for attacking him later, Clench wasn't likely to throw his best gladiator out on the street anytime soon, especially now that he'd lost a considerable chunk of his mechs.
The femme lead him in silence, and no one, save for one brave or stupid femme wearing a medical cross that tried to convince him to sit down so she could repair him and stop the energon leak, tried to stop them. He had merely pushed her aside, muttering that it usually stopped on its own and continued after the pink femme.
Any doubts he'd had that Starscream couldn't have possibly made it out safely vanished the moment the door opened, and there he was, tiny, curled up and fast asleep. The femme backed away and let him enter on his own, leaving to give him some privacy.
Megatron walked to the berth side as quietly as his heavy pedes could manage, kneeling down so he could see Starscream's young faceplates which were –though tear stained- peaceful as he recharged. He watched the slow rise and fall of Starscream's wings as the seeker cycled air, but still had to reach out and touch the warm smooth armour to convince himself that the sparkling was okay, that he was safe.
At his gentle touch Starscream shifted, optics onlining slowly. He blinked at Megatron and lifted a servo to rub his optics, as if he thought he was still in recharge.
Megatron flashed him a wry smile, "Go back to recharge," he murmured quietly, pulling his servo back awkwardly, trying to make it look like he hadn't just been stroking the back of the seeker's helm.
But Starscream just stared at him with wide optics that were suddenly wet, his bottom lip wobbling, before finally he just burst into tears, servos lifting and reaching for him, silently begging for a hug.
Megatron sighed and relented, leaning forward and lifting his own large arm, wrapping it around the seeker's back. Starscream clung to his neck cables and cried into them, Megatron grimaced at uncomfortable wetness he caused there because of it.
"Th-thought you were dead!" Starscream cried out in a squeaky, sharp voice, acting more his age that Megatron could ever remember seeing him.
Megatron rubbed his servo over his fluttering wings, "I won't leave you," he muttered absently, resting his chin on the top of Starscream's helm, "You can't get rid of me that easily."
He felt rather than heard Starscream snort against his neck cables, his mouth curved at the side in spite of himself. The seeker pulled back and wiped at his optics furiously, "Did you see the explosion!" he exclaimed, and Megatron wasn't sure if Starscream speaking as if he was horrified by it or in awe.
"I think all of Kaon saw the explosion," Megatron said darkly.
Starscream nodded, looking down, and then said in a very quiet voice, "People died..."
Megatron chose not to say anything, still absent-mindedly rubbing Starscream's back.
"The Autobots shot a seeker that was with me," Starscream continued, as if he felt it was important to tell him this, "I think he's dead. He saved me, and he's dead."
Megatron frowned, "Saved you?" he asked the seeker, "You were with Clench." He stated, assuming that since Starscream was here and well, the cowardly mech must have actually done something any decent mech would and taken the sparkling with him.
Starscream blinked and shook his helm, swallowing thickly, "He left me," he whispered, coolant leaking from his optics again.
Megatron felt rage coil in the pit of his tank at Starscream's words, his mouth turning down in a frown, vents huffing out hot air loudly as he tried to defuse some of his growing aggression. His dermas grated together as he growled out his next question, "How did you get here then?"
"The seeker, I thought he was weird at first but then he helped me, before..." Starscream stopped and swallowed again, "So I went and looked for you, but I couldn't find you and then Steelstrut found me and he knocked out an Autobot so I could escape, but then I lost him and I didn't know what to do and Sidepunch found and me-"
"Sidepunch?" Megatron interrupted Starscream's rambling account of events, thinking he'd misheard.
Starscream nodded, "And he brought me here," he finished.
Megatron found himself honestly surprised that the mech he thought had the biggest problem with Starscream had gone out of his way to help him. He'd have to buy the other gladiator a cube as a thank you. He sighed and made to stand, "You go back to recharge," he told the seeker.
Starscream pulled a face and sniffed, "I want to be with you," he whimpered sadly, lifting his arms again, "please."
Megatron shook his helm and looked away from the tearful optics before his self-restraint crumbled, "I need repairs," he reminded Starscream, gesturing to the missing plating on his torso, "And you'll be more comfortable up here. I'll check on you later."
Starscream nodded sadly and lay back on the borrowed berth, watching Megatron cross the room to leave, when he had a sudden thought, "Do you know if Steelstrut got back yet?"
Megatron froze in front of the door, "...I'll check."
Starscream seemed satisfied with that answer and rolled over, settling back down for recharge as Megatron left through the door, feeling the return of that sinking feeling he thought he'd gotten rid of. Steelstrut...
The strode down the steps, hoping that he'd just passed the younger mech earlier and not noticed him, distracted by his worry over Starscream, hoping as he passed through each door that he'd be in the next room, and the next, and the next, sitting in the corner annoying everyone else who had to suffer his company for the evening. But he wasn't in any room. He wasn't anywhere.
He began to search for Clench, finding him nursing another energon cube, sat back with a femme massaging the neck cables he'd abused earlier. Clench seemed to have forgotten that it was his doing though, and smiled wide and drunkenly at him as he saw his approach.
"Steelstrut," Megatron barked immediately, "Has he come in yet."
Clench merely shrugged and pointed to a blue mech next to him. The mech in question glanced down at a data-pad he held before answering, "A mech of his description was reported by the Autobots of being shot attempting to assault a superior officer," he stated impassively, lowering the data-pad down again, "believed to be deactivated, we've striked him off the router."
It was only then, with the news of his deactivation, that Megatron realised he might have felt... something other than just annoyance for the younger gladiator after all. His spark clenched in something that felt strikingly alike grief.
But his own feelings aside, how was he going to tell Starscream?
He moved through doors until he came upon a room that was empty and sat down in the dusty corner, ignoring the twinge of pain his cramped position caused to his exposed abdomen. He couldn't escape the feeling that this was his fault, couldn't get the knowledge that Steelstrut had been so young, only a few vorns older than Starscream, out of his processor.
He rubbed a servo over his helm and gritted his dermas together, unsure as to whether he was feeling anguish or fury, perhaps both. He slammed his servo into the wall next to him, denting it, trying to relieve some of the emotions psychically, having no idea how to deal with them.
Eventually he reached into his subspace and pulled out a data-pad, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the button to activate it, trying to force back his conflicting emotions, before finally giving in and onlining it.
The data-pad lit up, showing only two lines of glyphs, one a comm. link number, the other a designation.
He deliberated over the decision that there would be no going back from for a few moments longer, but ultimately, it was the idea of Starscream having to go through something like what happened today again, the idea of coming so close to losing the seeker, that made the decision for him.
He entered the number into his comm. link and waited until a monotonous voice answered.
"Soundwave."
X