Ha ha…the middle section of this chapter is so serious. I'm not sure how well it flows but a lot of it is inspired by 'All Hail Megatron' ( I love that comic, can you tell?) where Megatron gives a wonderful dialogue about how the Decepticons (and therefore Starscream) belong to him. It's a wonderful moment and I couldn't help but to reference it. Possessive Megatron = Win.

The and the mention of Red Alert was added in because I love him. He's up there with Tracks on fav 'Autobots list.

Thank-you all for reading, reviewing and being so patient!

Chapter 12

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Frenzy muttered when Rumble returned to the team's shared quarters, practically strutting when he entered. His brother had disappeared the moment they found out the Seekers were headed back to base and Frenzy was expecting him to camp out in Starscream's lab after a week of no contact. Frenzy would be the first to admit his brother had it bad for that idiot. "You're looking awfully confident over somthin.'"

"Nothin.'" Rumble smirked as he climbed upon the berth next to his twin who was currently playing one of those human video games. He was counting down how long it took for his bro' to figure it out considering he helped set up the whole plan in the first place. "Nothing I didn't already tell ya' I was going to do anyway."

Frenzy dropped the controller and crawled up on his knees next to his brother like an excited puppy. "For real? Ya' got under his plating? Was it good?"

"My wires are still on fire, bro." Rumble chuckled and crossed his arms in smug success. He was glad they were of like minds and Frenzy caught on quickly. Rumble was too excited to take all that time making his brother guess. "And what do you think? Of course it was good!"

"You're crazy." Frenzy laughed and fell back holding his side. His idiot twin had actually managed to pull off what he said he was going to. "Totally nuts. I can't believe he actually said yes."

"Didn't exactly say yes at first." Rumble huffed remembering the rough start to the morning. "Can you believe his initially excuse for sayin' no was 'cause I was short?"

"Yes." Frenzy snickered and smacked his bro in the arm. "This is Starscream we're talkin' about. I mean come on, that Skyfire guy he used ta' do it with was over twice his size!"

"I guess, but a few pile drives and a bit of the good old Rumble caress and he was putty man." Rumble smirked in an effort to draw the conversation away to a new topic. He wasn't exactly in the mood to think about 'Sceamers' old flings at the moment. "And I assure you he was more than satisfied."

"Expected nothing less if you actually got him to cooperate, bro." Frenzy chuckled. "Shame ya' can't really brag about it to anyone but me."

"Huh?" Rumble stared at his brother. Sure he wasn't exactly going to go shouting it to the rooftops (yet) that he and Starscream were an item, but he wasn't exactly going to keep it all hush-hush either. "Why I gotta' keep it a secret?"

"You serious?" Frenzy paused. "You just interfaced with Starscream. That isn't exactly something you spread around unless you want all that attention. His brothers'll be watching you like a hawk and I guarantee you'll get teased about it. He ain't exactly the most popular 'con on the base, remember? Not to mention he's the second in command. They'll think yer' just doing it ta' get something outta' him."

Rumble supposed his brother had a point. Soundwave had been pretty upset about the idea of the whole thing before. Maybe he should test the waters a bit first with Starscream before makin' a public announcement for other 'cons to keep their grimy mitts off his 'seeker. "I suppose…"

"Trust me, bro." Frenzy picked up the game controller and threw a second one at his brother. "You want to keep this little relationship up? Don't brag about it." Frenzy reset the game on the console. "What do you wanna' play?"

Rumble thought for a moment. "Flight game."

Frenzy pushed his brother off the berth.

"Who was what?" Starscream played dumb as his oh so caring leader glared at him, but couldn't help the slight coy to his voice. Megatron loved to throw fits over the least important things and Starscream was still in too good of a mood to hide his amusement. "I haven't a clue as to what you're referring."

Megatron looked over at Soundwave with a growl. He had a feeling this conversation was either going to come to blows before it was over or they'd be discussing Starscream's interfacing life. And to be frank he'd prefer a more intimate environment for such a thing; less distractions. "Get out."

"Sir." Soundwave stood up from the computer console and headed towards the front door noting the now slightly horrified look on Starscream's face. The tape deck smirked to himself knowing that Megatron always let loose a little more when he didn't have to worry about public opinion for his actions. Not that Soundwave really counted as public opinion because Megatron could decide to join the Autobots and he'd probably still follow the mech, but who was he to argue? Besides, Soundwave had been meaning to catch up with his wayward cassette and this seemed as good a time as any.

Starscream watched the door shut behind Soundwave and released a tiny squawk. Megatron must have been angrier than he thought to have sent Soundwave out of the room. Time to start putting his mouth to good use and start sweet talking the overlord. "For the record, considering I was off duty oh mighty leader, I hardly think it's any of your concern what I was doing and who with."

Megatron slammed a fist down on the edge of his chair. They'd gone through this little dance too many times for an argument like that to be valid. Megatron was almost disgusted Starscream was still attempting to use such a defense. "It always ends up being my business when you fraternize with others!" He stood to loom over the seeker watching the brat's face contort into anger from the accusations. "Contrary to the rumors around this base and elsewhere, I am more than well aware you are not nearly as promiscuous as everyone thinks.

"In fact, I'm fairly certain you only get involved when you want something or are trying to weasel someone into working for one of your little schemes with the very rare exception of your escapades with your teammates! And lo and behold, almost all of your plans and schemes come back to torment me in some way or form. Even more so when you drag others down with you! Starscream, you can't possibly think I've forgotten your little run in with the Autobot security director and his negavator? Or your stunt with the Combaticons?" Megatron paused in his tirade to grab at Starscream's wing and yank the 'con closer before he could get out of reach. "So do not tell me what does or does not concern my attentions when it comes to your traitorous hide."

Starscream smacked Megatron's hand off his wing and stood as high as he could cursing the height difference. "You don't know what you're talking about! And for the record this instance has nothing to do with you or any schemes!"

"Like I can believe that." Megatron huffed before his face formed into a smirk. "If you're so confident than you can give me a name and I can find out for myself what exactly went on during your little escapade."

"It's none of your business." Starscream repeated. And really, it wasn't. Even if he had a point about most of his recent flings being to further his goal of becoming leader of the Decepticons that didn't mean this particular time had to be included. Besides, it was Rumble who jumped Starscream! Not the other way around! Well, that and if he told Megatron he had interfaced with Rumble it was surely to get back around to Soundwave and well, that just couldn't happen. Soundwave would offline him. "I was off duty, it didn't have anything to do with a plot to overthrow you, and frankly you lost any right to care about who I interface with long ago when you lost interest!"

Megatron felt a strange calm wash over his circuits as he stared at his second in command, who for once wasn't lying. His posture was too relaxed and words uncalculated for this to be a plot. The seeker was holding something back of course, specifically a name, but it appeared for once the 'con really was just fooling around with another. The seeker was probably embarrassed by his choice in partner or something along those ridiculous lines. And in that regard, Megatron had no justification for punishment.

However, that didn't mean Megatron didn't have a few things to straighten out with Starscream.

The seeker choked when Megatron struck suddenly and slammed him against the back of his chair, feet scraping along the seat and armrests. "Meg…." Starscream was unable to finish the name and kicked and squirmed and clawed at the hand unmovable around his throat.

"You may," Megatron leaned in close enough to see his reflection in the red glass of Starscream's optics. "Yes, you may indeed have a point about what say I have in your chosen partners." He squeezed and brought his free hand up to tap on the insignia adorning Starscream's wing. "However, at the end of the day you still wear my brand. The Decepticons belong to me. They are mine to own and do with as I please. To order and control with complete authority and at the end of the day that means you too are mine to do the same."

Starscream gasped when Megatron dropped him to sit in the seat Megatron had been occupying when he entered the room and tried to pump fuel back through the crunched tubing. There was a strange sense of accomplishment for finally getting to sit in the Leader's Chair on the bridge that Starscream could not appreciate due to his fuel pumps working at full capacity to make up for the temporary blockage. He apparently had crossed a line with his leader, but Starscream wasn't sure for the life of him where exactly it was that he had crossed.

"Make sure this little fling of yours does not become a problem or I shall take matters into my own hands." Megatron turned his back on the Seeker and turned his attention to the monitors lining the walls. Secrets and Starscream were two things that never quite blended together. He'd know who this mystery partner was soon enough. "Do we have an understanding, Starscream?"

"Sir." Starscream hissed and grasped at the arm rest to pull himself up to a standing position. He scowled realizing this was probably a record for having one of his rare good moods ruined and crushed. He needed some air and wind and an idiot to beat on for an hour. "I'm going on patrol."

Back to business then, Megatron chuckled. "Take your team to Hoover Dam and map out the area to prepare for a raid later in the week. I'm in the mood for a bit of press coverage."

Starscream nodded once and walked out of the room leaving Megatron by his lonesome. The seeker made internal notes to inform Rumble that their little interfacing session would be best kept a secret unless he planned on explaining to Megatron's fusion canon how they were definitely not plotting to overthrow him. Starscream jerked however when he noticed Soundwave to his left. The 'con had been standing outside the door listening. As if the communications officer being able to read minds wasn't bad enough, he had to indulge in eaves dropping. "Enjoy that did you?"

"Educational." Soundwave nodded before heading back into the room without another word in that same emotionless manner he usually held himself.

Starscream really hated that 'con some days. But, Starscream slowly smiled to himself, it would almost be worth getting his wings ripped off to see that loser's face when he did finally realize that Starscream took his little cassette for another ride. Rumble wasn't the only 'con on base who could catch someone off guard, not by a long shot.

Thundercracker stood in Megatron's quarters completely tense and at attention. It was very rarely that the overlord summoned his subordinates directly to his private room aboard the Nemesis so the blue seeker could only assume it was for something important. Thundercracker had been requested to appear in Megatron's office the moment he got back from patrol and he had been standing at attention for nearly ten minutes while Megatron looked out his window apparently gathering his thoughts. Thundercracker cleared his vents before daring to speak hoping to get this over with as soon as possible. "You asked for me, sir?"

"Yes." Megatron didn't bother to give the other 'con in the room a look. While Skywarp was a loyal idiot, his brother Thundercracker was an oddity in his ranks: too noble to truly be a Decepticon at spark, but too intertwined in its workings to truly defect. However, those in close contact with the subject of the night were few and he was the better option of the two for this particular request. Much more likely to be discrete. "I have a job for you."

Thundercracker felt something pooling in his tanks. This was not going to be a pleasant assignment. "Yes, sir."

"I'd like if you could keep an eye on your commander for me." Megatron tilted his head thoughtfully and could hear the shifting of Thundercraker's joints and gears as he took in that information. He looked over at the nervous Seeker and chuckled. "It is not quite what you think. I'm not asking you to rat out one of his take-over schemes if that's what you're worried for."

"No, sir." Thundercracker swallowed and fought taking a step back out of the room. A calm Megatron was a calculating one and Thundercracker felt distinctly like an insect on an examining plate. "What am I looking for, sir?"

"It appears as though Starscream has found a new, companion, for his nightly activities." Megatron smirked at the poor Seeker's confusion. Obviously his brothers had not been informed Starscream's attentions were shifting elsewhere. "I'd like his designation, if you don't mind."

"Of, of course, sir." Thundercracker nodded swiftly and inwardly groaned. What on earth did he do to deserve an assignment like this? He didn't care who Starscream was with when he wasn't around. Though, Skywarp wouldn't be too happy to hear that Starscream was fooling around with someone else. Thundercracker could see this entire scenario exploding in his face very quickly and he just wanted to go recharge. "Is there anything else?"

"No, you are dismissed." Megatron chuckled and turned his attention back to the fish swimming by his window.

Thundercracker took that as his cue and exited Megatron's quarters as quickly as his peds would allow, the clanking and clinging of metal on metal echoing down the narrow hall. Why did Primus hate him so?