there's a million&one ways
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A/N: I won't lie. This chapter was hard. to write because I had to finally choose which way the story will go. :x it's sad since I liked both directions. Oh well, maybe I'll use the other direction later on or for another story.
Replies:
Pairings: Annabelle Lennox w/ Starscream vs. Annabelle Lennox w/ Ironhide
Disclaimer: I do not own transformers or any of them; they are rightfully copy-writed to their respectful owners.
Brother/Sister: A term used to describe a close bond to another mech or femme that is only a step below bond-mate. It is a signifigant term that has the human equivalence (importance wise) as being engaged.
Bond-mate: The strongest bond among any transformer. Though often associated with love, a bond-mate is generally not a lover. In most cases, a bond-mate is actually a verbal (in some cases written) vow to accompany and protect another being until one is not able to fulfill their vows due to death. It is often a life bond, but it is not uncommon for a Cybertronian to take another bond-mate should their previous bond-mate die. It has the same human importance as being "soul-mates."
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The seeker rolled his head around, before resting it against the wall. Stress pumped through his circuits at the limited time he had given himself to return to his post as leader. Such a time span was illogical, but his need to return to power overwhelmed his logic chip. His dim optics looked painfully upwards as they tried to search desperately for an object not there. He lifted up his hand, and began to scribble invisible symbols in the air. Though they weren't there for anyone to see, the seeker could make out the perfect motion of his hands as he imagined what it read. His internal diagnostic processor began to run the calculations as he furiously began to scribble faster. The seeker pressed his hand to his mouth after finishing marking the symbols. His maroon optics glimmered angrily into the air.
'It's all there,' he told himself. 'Every bit of information that I need.' Hot air was expelled through the vents circling his head. He hesitantly reached out to touch one of the symbols, but brought his hand back to his mouth. Starscream moved his head side-to-side, trying to argue with himself that he was not missing a piece of information, but overlooking a simple fact. 'If Wheeljack can figure out how to build a simple brain, then you can find the answer.' His agape and confounded optics betrayed his thoughts and lies. The symbols were there, but when deciphered, they were nothing more than gibberish. Only two names appeared throughout the symbols, but their meanings amounted to no use. 'Don't tear yourself up,' he commented. 'Frenzy most likely has the rest of the needed information inside that pathetic head that was his.'
He tore away from his imaginative symbols, and glared at his cockpit. 'Don't go there, Screamer,' he warned himself, but his logically thoughts had no control over his body. Starscream reached into his cockpit, carefully pulling out the cell phone. 'Please don't humiliate yourself even more,' spoke his egotistical logic, but his ego's contention was ignored as he hacked once more into the phone's circuitry. "Are you awake? – 22"
He scrutinized the bright screen, becoming pleased as the image "messaged sent" briefly crossed the screen before fading. The seeker brought the telecommunications device closer to his face, and it illuminated the sharp features of his animalistic face. The usual, high pitched "ding" reached his audio sensors. "I am now. Y? :p – Anna" A sleazy smirk crossed his face at her reply.
"I want you to come here. – 22"
"But it's 12:12 am! – Anna."
"I don't give a shit. Get your fleshy ass down here now. – 22"
"Y? – Anna"
"Because you owe me protection, remember? – 22"
"fml. – Anna"
"What does that mean? – 22"
"It means I'm on my way. – Anna."
"Good, lil pet. – 22"
"FU – Anna." He grinned devilishly at her response. The seeker placed the phone securely inside his cockpit, careful to place it on top of the pilot's seat. As he shut his cockpit, the familiar smell of human drifted into his compound component analyzers. The human unsteadily shuffled her way towards him in the pitch black. A pink blanket trail behind her, and she let her pillow (held in the other hand) drag against the floor. Her dry eyes eyed him callously, and spoke all the words she was too lazy to speak.
Starscream lifted the human onto his hand. "You got here quick, Annabelle," he commented. She made a half sounding sneer at his remark. "Don't move," he ordered. The 'con thoughtlessly used his inefficient arm to lower his torso onto the cold surface of the table. The relief from his tender engines no longer pressing against the wall outweighed the brief spurt of pain from arm. The mech raised his arm up, motioning for the human to step onto his wing.
Anna gladly stepped his hand off, tiredly unaware of Starscream's anxious winces. Alert systems flashed warnings of an object moving across the fragile surface of the wing, but the seeker overrode the alerts. Anna plopped herself down, as she wrapped herself in her blanket. She pressed her against her pillow, threatening to drift off into sleep. "Why do you need protection in the middle of the night?" she inquired. "No boogie man is going to get you."
"Logically this would be the perfect time for the autobots to initiate an attack onto me," he stated. "You would usually be away, so they would assume that they could get away with an attack on me. Then later, in the morning, they would lie to you, explaining how I tried to escape." The human murmured an incoherent 'oh, yes', but made no effort to repeat herself. "And you offered your services to protect, so I'm going to use them until I am free of this seventh level of hell."
"So you need me?" she asked.
"No," he retorted. "I only want to use your services."
"But you made yourself seem vulnerable to attack," Anna protested weakly. "You basically said that when I'm not around, you have a good chance of getting your ass whopped by someone."
"You are nothing but an evil necessity to my survival," the seeker informed matter-of-factly. Anna subtly smiled as she closed her eyes. "Hey!" He jostled his wing. "Don't you dare fall asleep on me!"
Anna rolled onto her stomach, glaring at the decepticon's head with unsavory hate. "Remind me to never promise to give you anything ever again," she stated bitterly. The human brought her phone into view, and untangled her ear buds' cord. She pressed one ear bud into her right ear, and sighed. "Why can't I sleep?" she inquired.
"Why do you ask so many questions?" he countered.
"Because I'm curious," she answered snootily.
"Well, I need you to stay awake and watch over me as I recharge," the seeker answered. He could hear her huff, but he dismissed her obvious disapproval of his late night intervention. "Now," he continued, talking civilly. "Why don't you tell me the reason why you loathe the smell of energon."
"I thought you were going to recharge," she snapped.
"I will recharge after I get what I want from you," Starscream retorted. She placed her head on her folded arms. Her eyes looked longingly towards the door. "Are you going to tell me the story or not?"
"You are so impatient," she criticized. "It's a wonder you haven't been captured before for your pathetic flaw." Anna rolled onto her back. She crossed her arms over her chest as she tried to decide where to begin. "I was fourteen," she began. "And it was a usual weekend in November. The twins and I were bored, so I suggested that we play truth or dare. We played it for a while. Then Swipe asked, "Truth or Dare?" I said dare, and he then told me to drink some low grade energon." She paused, smiling at the memory of that night. "Next thing I know, I'm waking up in the ICU, trying to figure out what happened."
"You don't remember anything after you consumed it?" the seeker inquired.
She shook her head. "Not a thing. They twins said I was fine for a minute or two, but then all of the sudden collapse with blood coming out of my mouth. Apparently the energon was beginning to eat away at my soft tissues. By the time I got to the hospital, I wasn't able to hold a conversation. They said I was suffering from bleeding and severe anaphylaxis."
"How long was it till you woke up?" he asked.
"The next afternoon. They had to put me out," she answered. "But I was okay. They just had to neutralize the energon. And thankfully Ratchet and Jetfire were able to explain to the doctors how to neutralize the energon without causing more harm. So as you see, we really aren't a capable species."
"I could have told you that in a half a nanosecond," he sneered.
"So what's your story?" she inquired.
"What do you mean?" Starscream asked protectively. "I have no story."
"I mean how you got into this shape," Anna clarified. "A thing just doesn't get beat up for no reason . . . especially when they're in your condition."
"That's none of your business," the 'con enforced firmly.
"I believe it is," she argued bitterly. "Being the one that found you, brought you back to life, and decided to take your side, I think all you can tell me is a brief summary of what happened. I don't need to know the details, just the general view."
"I said it's none of your business!" Starscream growled.
"Touchy much?" Anna retorted.
A deep alien growled bounced off the walls as he turned his head. His optics darkened to a deeper shade of maroon as he borrowed his gaze into her own narrowed eyes. "You don't understand how ironic this situation is," he said in a slimy, irritated voice. There was dark chuckled that followed, and I instinctively Anna sat up in cautious position. He looked away, staring painfully at the floor. "I had it all," he muttered. "You'd think it'd be the autobots who would stop me."
"Stop you from what?" she asked curiously.
"From saving my race," he answered plainly. "I had it in my hands, Annabelle." He strained his head to see her. "I had the very essence of Primus in my hands, ready to show Cybertron. I'd spent a decade on it, trying to perfect it. I even tested it on three protoforms to see if it would create the energon needed to form a spark." Starscream's voice strained his failure, and his optics began to wander to a distant memory. "I really thought that I had redeemed myself this time."
She watched him for an anxious minute, trying to decipher the expression of his facial plates; but deciphering his face was beyond her experience. "I thought the Allspark couldn't be restored," she said. "I always assumed once it was gone, it was gone."
"Optimus hasn't informed you has he?" the seeker asked rhetorically. She shook her head. "The energy contained within the Allspark can never be destroyed. It must follow our known laws of physics. The energy can only change it form. Above all, it can never use all it's energy. The Allspark, much like us, has to have energy in order to "survive" . . . . if you like that term."
"But Megatron took all the energy," she argued. "Optimus has told me many times how he saw his brother's spark chamber melt from the intensity of the energy."
He shook his head. "That was only a modest portion of the energy," Starscream explained. "I was monitoring it the entire time. Some of it, I will admit, was lost to the air; but most of it remains within the pieces of the Allspark. Each fragment of the Allspark must contain this "divine" energy in order to "live."" She stared perplexed at him. "It's like Frenzy. Every part of the Allspark is "alive" because every piece contains this vital energy. So when the Allspark is separated, its pieces can still survive for a limited amount of time. That's why I grabbed a few before returning to Cybertron."
"Okay," she spoke, as she made sense of what he had said. "But for a limited amount of time? I thought the Allspark didn't need energy."
"We didn't either," Starscream admitted. "At least not until the Allspark stopped producing the vital energon needed to stabilize the spark in new protoforms."
"We?"
"Well, actually they," he corrected. "I was busy protecting Cybertron from the Unknown at that time."
"So," Anna mauled, "What type of energy does the Allspark need?"
The seeker made a small, almost unseen shrug. "No one knows, Annabelle," Starscream said apathetically. "Quite frankly, my guess is as good as yours. Whatever it is, it must be abundant somewhere in the universe. I'm sure of that much."
"So your race was doomed even before the war," Anna commented softly.
The seeker regretfully nodded. "Yes, we were. That's why I need to fix it before we all die," he added solemnly. "If I can bring it back, then I can resolve this pitiful war."
"I just have one question, Starscream," Anna said.
"What?" the 'con replied bitterly.
"How were you able to give life to the protoforms, or create a second Allspark without this "divine" energy?" she inquired.
He sighed, getting tired of revisiting topics from his past. "I never said all the protoforms lived," Starscream informed in a chilly voice. "Out of three of them, only one had enough energy to sustain itself. But having one survivor was good enough for me, and plenty to give the waring factions hope at a chance of new life. But when I was to present this new allspark, it crumbled."
"Crumbled?"
"Crumbled," he repeated. "It turned an ungodly gray before falling apart into tiny, microscopic bits." Starscream's voice failed to continue. He painfully stared the wall, searching for the answer that had eluded him for the better part of two decades. "I've been over the equations so many times," he spoke in hushed, angry voice. "And they all say that the new Allspark should never have died. I – I don't know how I could have failed. Everything was perfect, and then . . . "He closed his optics, and in a defeated manner, pressed his head against the cool surface of the immaculate table top.
"You can always try again," Anna suggested.
"What made you think I wouldn't?" he snapped.
"You just sounded defeated was all," the girl retorted.
"I may have been tossed around a bit," Starscream answered bitterly. "I will never be defeated, Annabelle. That is a verb can only be used among the lesser creatures that pollute the universe."
"Oh, then you must be at the top of the least of the lesser creatures," Annabelle chided excitingly. She could feel his death glare upon her, but only a sleazy smile slipped across her face. "What? You really shouldn't take offense to the truth, Starscream. It's not good for your mental health."
"For your sake, you'd better be being sarcastic," the 'con growled.
"Or what?" the human asked tauntingly. "You're going buck me off your wing?" She placed her hands on her hips. "You're just a giant pussy anyway. Face it." The seeker reached up, and snatched her from his wing. "What the he – " He pressed the edge of his finger to her mouth to muffle her.
Starscream pressed the human against the ground, careful to not apply too much pressure. The last item he wanted was to be moved up on Ironhide's revenge list. "I could crush you. I could bend your body until your bone snaps," the seeker explained. "I could even try to ingest you if I wanted too. Now unless you want to die one of those ways, I would suggest keeping that insolent voice of yours on mute." He added minute amount of extra pressure. "Understood, fleshy?" His only response was primitive loathing of the upper hand he possessed physically.
He released his grip, and Annabelle gratefully slipped away. She stood erect, trying to match herself against him. "You may be stronger," she spat. "But you'll never have my intellect. Even with the help of that supercomputer in your head, you still can't come up with creative comebacks or snippy remarks like me. And I know that is what irritates you the most, Twenty-two. You've never had someone out do you verbally. Am I right?"
"No one has ever outdone me verbally," he stated harshly. "And no one ever will."
"How many times have I outdone you within the few days you have been here?" she inquired. "Surely your "super" brain is capable of simple counting, or am I once again overestimating your abilities."
"Correction: you underestimate me," Starscream barked.
"Then prove me wrong," Annabelle demanded. "Show me that you aren't a coward. After all, what's one more human added to your list of murders?"
"You're just searching for attention," the 'con observed. "This is exactly what you crave. You're such a pathetic human. You search for attention in all the wrong places. It's a wonder you haven't died some obscene way already." She bit her lip, remaining silent for once. "You are so insecure, fleshy. You radiate it with your arrogant attitude. You don't know how to stand on your own two legs without someone to support you. I would bet my spark that you've always had what you wanted handed to you, but when you learned that the autobots would leave you, you were upset. After all, if they loved you, shouldn't they stay with you? Not abandon you? The same would go for your parents. Aren't I right, fleshy?"
Annabelle abruptly turned on her heels, and raised her head high. She walked casually away, but there was an air about her that had changed. As she sat down (facing away from him), the seeker could sense the change. She leaned forward, pressing her head into her hands. "I may be a lot of things," she said in a tightly strained voice. "But at least I would never trade my family for strangers' acceptance. You – you have no sense of loyalty or any idea of what unconditional love is. It's no wonder Jetfire doesn't like to remember a shallow, power-hungry leech like you." She laughed mockingly. "You're so corrupted like Megatron, but you perceive yourself a saint." She glanced over her shoulder. "You can paint a silver medal gold, but it'll always be a silver medal, Twenty-two."
Annabelle looked to the ground, before lying on her side. She turned her back to the seeker, and pressed her head to her arm. She scrunched her legs to her chest as she closed her eyes. The seeker expelled a steamy puff of exhaustion. "Humans," he muttered. "Can't even control their own emotions. No wonder you live shallow lives so easily." But she didn't stir. The sleazy smirk spread across his face. "Are you defeated, fleshy?" His optics eyed her still body wearily. "No witty comebacks?" he asked tauntingly. "What happened to that "I'm always going to beat you up verbally" attitude of yours?" The 'con snorted, disgusted at her disrespect. "Respond, fleshy," he demanded. "I'll "listen" to what you have to say."
Frustration and violent impatience crept through his systems. His fingers curled unnaturally tight as he glowered at the human. "No one gives me the cold shoulder, fleshy," he hissed. "Not Megatron, not you or anyone else." She moved her free arm closer to her head. He reached greedily for her, before scooping her closer to him. With an easy flick of his fingers, he effortlessly flipped her onto her other side. He easily recognized the insubordinate death glower because he had held the same look in his optics when Megatron had beaten him into submission. But a more interesting, shiny layer lightly coated the edges of her eyes and trailed down her skin. "Have you been crying?" he asked, half laughing.
Anna tried to roll onto her other side, but his hand was firmly pressed against her back. "I thought you might be more thick skinned than this," Starscream mused. "And I wasn't even trying. It's a pity really. I was hoping you'd be harder to break than this." Her jaw remained tightly locked as he chuckled heartily. "Are you this afraid of being alone?" he asked in a more serious voice.
"The universe is not a kind place," she spoke in a hoarse voice. "And Earth is no exception to that rule." Annabelle sat up straight, using the back of his hand as a brace. "Humans long to be free, but it is human nature to also dictate others. Humans weren't created by God . . . they were made by the Devil. God merely tries to shape the humans in his image to correct what Satan has left undone."
"I thought God puts you humans on here for a purpose," the seeker replied hastily. "That's what the bible says. Isn't it?"
"I don't believe they are given a purpose," Annabelle informed. "I believe they must find it first. That's why humans are so corrupt, you know. They don't search for their purpose. They believe it should be handed to them on a silver platter with a map to help guide them. But that's not how the world works. You have to do everything yourself in this universe."
"They?" he scoffed. "Do you not consider yourself human, fleshy?"
"Cybertronians nor humans understand," she spoke boldly. Annabelle stared at the seeker, with a pleading gaze that wanted him to understand. "It's not the body that defines you of a certain race; it merely classifies your species. It's the mind that dictates what race you ultimately belong with."
"So what race are you part of, fleshy?" the mech inquired coldly; though he had a hypothesis of what her answer would be.
"Both," she admitted. He watched curiously as the edges of her rims shimmered with the unusual substance known as tears. "That's why I need of my families to stay. If one leaves me, then I'm alone." She looked away, finding a nice piece of her shadow to stare at. "I don't want to be one-of-a-kind, Starscream. I just want to fit in with everyone else . . . that is human. But that's hard to do when you feel so alien to the world." She folded her arms around her abdomen. A half sick, and two quarters of humility and helplessness stirred uneasily within the walls of her stomach. She glanced insecurely at him, and found his optics surprisingly relaxed. She wasn't sure the sympathetic look of his optics was real or just another bad interpretation of his facial expression.
He gently brought her closer to his body. "Why," he asked. "Would you want to be part of the inferior race? If I were the only human with a Cybertronian mind, then I would consider myself blessed. You said it yourself, those pathetic flesh creatures are corrupt. I do not understand your logic by wanting to be among a swarm of infected, inbreeding humans."
"I can't lie to myself like you," Anna responded. "We aren't a capable species, and as soon as I accept this, then I know it'll be easier to say goodbye to them when they do leave."
"But why say goodbye?" he asked. "I thought my revival was the reason to make them stay."
"It's pretty much back fired on me, Twenty-two," the human answered. "There's really nothing more I can do, but try to blend into human society. Besides, it's what I always wanted."
"To be accepted by strangers?" Starscream asked. "You are a hypocrite, fleshy."
"I'm not a hypocrite," she defended.
"So you're just going to turn the other cheek and walk away as a quitter?" the seeker persisted. "You're a quitter."
"I'm a fighter," she retorted proudly. "And part of fighting smartly is knowing when you've been outdone and need to retire for the time being."
"That sounds an awful lot like quitting in my vocabulary," he countered smoothly.
"That's because you're one of those creatures who sees the world as either black or white," Anna stated bluntly. "You don't see all the shades of gray in between. I would bet my life to go as far to say you either see someone as an ally or enemy. They're one or the other, but not something in between. Like me, you don't even know me, but you have me classified as an enemy."
"I never classified you as an enemy," Starscream corrected hastily. "You're just an unsavory – " The ground rattled beneath them. Starscream pushed the human underneath the gap of his neck, and she gladly held on tightly to the smooth neck components. He raised his head, trying to find the source of the rattling, but his predatory optics could not aid his search. His jaws parted, half snarling, half astonished. The seeker dug his claws into the table, trying to steady himself. Alerts flashed brightly over his optics. The 'con felt his circuits hum with anticipation of the unknown.
Silence fell over as the tremors abruptly stopped. Anna eased her grip on his electrical circuits, but refused to let go. "Earth tremors?" she asked uncertainly.
He shook his head. "No," Starscream answered frankly. The mech's optics narrowed hatefully to a slit. "Just hang on, Annabelle."
"Hang on? What the hell do you mean ha – " she started when a loud, ear throbbing boom blasted through the walls of the base. Large sections of metal shrapnel scattering to the floor reach their ears. The human pulled herself closer to him. Anna flinched as the pinging ding echoed from the seeker's cockpit. The mech sat up at the familiar sound of another boom. Clear, hectic voices clattered against the walls as they all shouted different commands. Anna stared like a deer in the headlights at the doorway.
Starscream plucked her from his neck and placed her inside his cockpit. Another rickety wave erupted across the floor, followed by an anguished cry. "Whatever you do, stay still, Annabelle," he ordered. His words never reached her ears as she was too focused on what lay outside the door. The seeker turned his head away before a sapphire blast of energy poured into the door. The door flew through the air before crashing ungracefully into the opposing wall.
"Over here, 'Warp!" he barked.
"Got it, Teecee!" shouted back his comrade.
Starscream glowered hatefully at his brother, unsure of whether he detested the autobots or disobedience more. "What the fuck are you doing, Thundercracker?" he asked, half snarling. A violet, ionized gas exploded in the room. A black slid out from the gas, and cleaved to Starscream's vulnerable chest.
"We're saving you," shouted the black seeker.
"Where's your armor plating?" Thundercracker asked urgently.
"In the medical bay," he answered gruffly.
The blue 'con nodded. "Meet me there, 'Warp," he ordered coolly.
The cool, dry air of the autobot base was replaced with hot, wet air. Starscream fell flat on his back, hitting a hard rock. "Sorry, Screamer," he muttered. "Gotta go." He opened his optics wide enough to catch a glimpse of the dissipating form of his brother. Starscream pushed himself towards the gas, growling at Skywarp's sudden disappearance. A second flash of violet light filled the hollow room. The 'con twisted his chest to see Skywarp standing in the middle of Thundercracker and Barricade. A displeased, and previous hidden, scavenger fell off the scout's back. He directed his boiling optics towards hi second-in-command. In Thundercracker's arms were the missing pieces to his chest armor. While he felt relieve to be away from the autobots, the disobedience his brother had shown overwhelmed the tan seeker.
Barricade aloofly glanced at Starscream before looking at Thundercracker for orders, but the blue seeker was oblivious to the scout. Thundercracker stared back at Starscream, trying to find a source of logic within the mech's surging circuits. "Barricade, take Scorponok and patrol the area. I don't want to stay here if we won't be safe," he ordered. The scout nodded, and obediently began to walk away.
"Where the hell are you going?!" Starscream barked. "I am your leader! Not Thundercracker!"
"Technically you're dead," Barricade responded in a monotone. "And last time I checked, a dead 'con can be leader of the decepticons." The 'con walked hastily across the ebony, uneven ground, eager to get away from the fuming aerial commander. Scorponok skittered behind the scout, not giving so much as a glance towards the larger mechs. His tail swished back and forth angrily like a cat's.
"Why don't you walk him to his new quarters," Thundercracker suggested. "And don't warp. Last thing I want is for the base to become polluted with your by-products." Skywarp rolled his eyes as he mouthed a smart remark to himself. The black seeker stepped forward, reaching for Starscream's arm. "And be gentle." Thundercracker looked away from Starscream and marched out of the slender built and dimly lit cavern.
"Don't you even think about lifting me up," Starscream growled.
"Never crossed my mind, brother," Skywarp retorted assuringly. He gripped his brother's arm tightly before teleporting. A flash of bottomless darkness engulfed the two mechs, and then faded as white light splashed onto their bodies.
"I told you not to teleport!" shouted Thundercracker as he entered the room.
The smallest seeker let go of Starscream as he turned to face Thundercracker. "He told me to do it," he justified. "Just ask him."
Thundercracker pushed Skywarp out of his way. "Why don't you go finish setting up the final rooms before I decide to use your spark as an energy source," he threatened. The black seeker bared his dental plates at his brother. Then, with a smart, payback look, he left the room in another flash of violet light. The blue 'con groaned as the lights overhead flickered, dangerously close to go offline for good. The seeker placed the tips of his hands on the bridge of his nose in an attempt to relive stress. He took a deep breath before exhaling through his mouth. He looked genuinely apologetically at his brother. "I have good intentions," he urged.
Starscream looked away, finding the stony wall to be much more deserving of his attention than his brother. Thundercracker set the armor platting onto the ground, careful not to damage or impair it. An awkward tension filled their strenuous silence. The blue seeker glanced at his brother, but his processor was lost for words. The mech knelt down in front of his brother and reached for one of the damaged legs. His optics scanned over damage. He quickly compiled a brief list of the problems and best fit solutions. Thundercracker's hand transformed into a sharp, needle-like projection. He pierced the central circuit leading from the leg to the chest. He felt his wires mesh with his brother's internal components. Data compiles of his brother's status flashed annoyingly across his optics.
"Delete what you need," Starscream stated coldly. "I want to be free of any glitches that slag may have put inside my processors." The blue seeker nodded. Thundercracker disabled his optics as he focused on his brother's wishes. "I need my regenerative code and communication codes reinstalled after you delete them."
"I know," he replied sharply. "I'm starting the process as I speak. I should have your systems replaced within the hour, brother."
"Make it fifteen minutes," the aerial commander demanded. "I have business that I need to attend to before I recharge."
"But – "
"There are no buts here, Thundercracker," Starscream corrected. "I am your leader, and you will do as I command. You should consider yourself that I'm letting you go without punishment . . . especially when you consider your record lately." Thundercracker's face froze with a solemn crease across his mouth. Starscream raised his head high as he carefully surveyed the room. The walls, much like the floor, were ragged with loose rocks jetting out from the walls in random, erratic places. The octagon room's walls were uneven with the floor, creating a sense of instability and claustrophobia. The ceiling catered inwards to the floor, limiting the amount of head room for both he and his brother.
Starscream glanced at his brother to see that Thundercracker had his optics disabled. He looked down at his chest. Behind the glare from his cockpit he could see the human holding onto the seat. Annabelle raised her head, looking over her should at the blue seeker. Her eyes watched with uncertainty as Thundercracker carried on with his task. Anna lifted her head higher to watch Starscream. "Sleep," he mouthed to the human. She shook her head side-to-side. "Now," he added silently.
"No," she mouthed back. "No, no, no, no, no!"
"Is there something wrong, Screamer?" Thundercracker asked. "You seem more tense than normal." He looked up from his internal screens. Starscream slid his good hand across his chest, covering up his cockpit. "You do know that I would not hurt you."
"I know," he replied. "But recent events have made me mistrustful." His maroon optics narrowed their bright light onto Thundercracker.
"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I didn't mean to go that far. Had I known the extent of your injuries, I would not have so carelessly put your life on the line, Screamer."
"You lie," Starscream spat.
"I assure you I am not, brother," Thundercracker insisted. "I did what I thought was best. Self preservation is the top priority for all of us. Had you been in my situation, you would have gone farther, would you not have?" His apologetic look turned into a defensive glare. "I'm not yet ready to die for something that doesn't work," he added. "Nor will I let Skywarp die for it. He is my bond-mate, and I must keep good on my vows to ensure that I protect him from any hazardous situations or creatures. I did exactly what you would have done for your bond-mate Skyfire."
"Skyfire is not my bond-mate," he growled.
"Then say it to his face," Thundercracker retorted. "Because I believe he is under the misconception that he is your bond-mate."
"Even if he thought we were, which we weren't," Starscream explained bitterly. "That vow would have been made void with my death. After all, a bond-mate would never condemn their mate. An injustice like that is worthy of only The Fallen."
Thundercracker looked away, staring at his leader's injured ankle. "I've just completed deleting your corrupted coding," he stated in a business-like tone. "I'm uploading my regeneration codes into your processor now." The seeker nodded. He reclined his head against the wall and closed his optics. He breathed a heavy sigh as he anger began to retreat from his circuits. Starscream felt his body go limp. He had not realized how much safer he felt in Thundercracker's presence than Jetfire's; and despite Thundercracker's blatant disobedience, he was grateful for him disobeying. "I'm glad you're back," Thundercracker said, trying to relax his own systems. "I'm tired of playing dictator."
Starscream lightly chuckled. "You just don't have the spark for it," he informed. "You're too weak to accomplish what needs to be accomplished, Thundercracker. Pity considering you have so much potential. But I suppose that is good for a second-in-command because I know you'll never want my power." The azure 'con nodded. "And that's a rare trait to come by in the decepticon ranks."
"It is indeed," The seeker agreed, sounding boastful. "It makes a world's difference."
"Literally," the tan seeker added. "How long till you're done?"
"I'll be done when I'm done, Sir," Thundercracker said hastily. "You can't rush repairs, Screamer." He eyed him suspiciously. "Or else you'll end up in the scrap heap again."
"I do have a bad habit of taking the brunt of the attacks," he admitted.
"Perhaps it's time for you to get some new habits?" the mech suggested. His counterpart nodded, remaining silent in his response. The seeker drew back his hand, and gently placed Starscream's leg on the ground. "I'll finish uploading the communication codes after your internal body structure repairs itself. I don't want to put too much strain on it." He backed away, angling himself towards the doorway. "If you need me, I won't be far away."
"You're the one that needs me, remember?" he recalled. Thundercracker rolled his eyes as he left the room. Starscream opened his optics and scanned the room. He carefully opened his cockpit, and before he could grab the human, Annabelle was climbing onto his chest.
"I am going to kill you unless you take me home this instance!" she shouted.
"That'll be easy enough," he growled. Starscream snatched her into his hand, squeezing valuable air out of her lungs. "That is a promise I can keep and fulfill with pleasure." He listened her gasps as she tried to breath. "You're in my world now, fleshy. You're at my mercy. Unless you want me to return you to home dead, that you learn to control yourself." He released his grip, and watched his an amused smile as she fell onto his chest.
"Shit!" Anna yelled. She rolled over onto her back and held her left wrist tightly. "Shit," she breathed again. The mech peered curiously over the human. She opened her narrowed eyes, glowering at him. "When they find you, I will not let them spare you," she hissed through her pain.
"You're just saying that because you're in pain," he retorted. His attention focused on the red dribble sliding down her arm. "You're bleeding."
"No shit Sherlock," Annabelle snapped barbarically. She weakly stood up, holding her injured wrist close to her abdomen. She took an unsteady step away from him. The human glanced over her shoulders, trying to depict the easiest way off his chest.
"Sit down before you hurt yourself more," he ordered. She gave him disgusted face and took a step back. Annabelle felt the front of her foot slide downwards, followed by the rest of her body. The seeker brought his hand to her, and with a light 'thump' he felt her body smash onto the smooth armor of his palm. "I told you," he spat smugly. "Now stop being stupid and listen to me before you go and get yourself killed all on your own." He lifted her to his face to get a better look at her injuries. Anna spat onto his face, and watched as Starscream flinched. "How dare you spit on me with lubricant!" he hissed.
"You deserve it," Anna hatefully responded.
"You are too much trouble for your own good," Starscream snarled. His hand curled around her body, and he constricted his fingers. He felt her hot, steamy breath pushed from her lungs. She briefly squirmed in his hand before going limp as a rag-doll. The seeker opened his hand, watching her lay unmoving. "Fleshy?" he inquired. He brought his hand closer to his optics. Her pulse, which had been strong, was only a faint beat. Then, like the ending to a song, it stopped.