Title: Keep It Together
Author: DeviousGypsy
Summary: Unbeknown to anyone else, Starscream is a young Seeker. So when he hits his first heat cycle, he has no idea how to handle it. His trine tries to help but the plan falls apart and brings Megatron and Starscream together in a strange way...only to have Starscream ripped from Megatron's servos.
Warnings: Slash, mech-preg, the like :P
Pairings: Megatron/Starscream, Thundercracker/Skywarp
Chapter: III
Notes: All these reviews mean so much to me! Thank you guys so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
Orn = Roughly 4.7 Earth days, Vorn = 83 Earth years, Breem = 1 Earth minute, Stellercycle = 1 Earth month
At the end of the meeting, Starscream was biting his lip to keep himself quiet, noticing more than a few of the faults in Megatron's plan. Megatron seemed proud though, considering he had seemingly thrown the plan together overnight. Admittedly, the plan wasn't as terrible as it could have been, though if Megatron could swallow his ego long enough to get some feedback from more tactical mechs, the plan was sure to bring them months worth of energon.
Watching as the other mechs left the Command Centre in order to get some recharge, Starscream stayed back, waving his trine mates off as they looked towards Starscream worriedly. Reluctantly, pulling Skywarp along with him, Thundercracker left the Command Centre, informing Starscream to com him when he was finished. Starscream nodded in acknowledgment before turning his attention to Megatron, of which was giving Soundwave a final order before the telepath went to recharge.
When Megatron turned to find Starscream standing there, optics locked on him, he wasn't able to completely bite back the nagging feeling that he was about to be yelled at for interfacing with Starscream while said mech was helpless to it. Optics dimming slightly, Megatron made his way towards his treacherous second, Starscream's optics never unlocking from his frame. "You need something, Starscream?" Megatron growled out, leaning against the back of his throne in front of the Seeker. "If it's about how against my plan you are, then you may turn around and head to your quarters now while you are still able to walk on your own."
Starscream had to hold himself back from heaving air from his vents in a sigh, "Actually, Mighty Megatron," Starscream sneered, knowing it would only irritate Megatron some more but unable to contain himself. Megatron's optics dimmed even darker in irritation, Starscream ignored him though, waving his servo above the battle plans on the data pads in front of him. "I think this plan may actually be profitable," Starscream added, however, before Megatron's ego could get too large, he continued, "However, there are more tactical issues that you seemed to have let slip from your possessor."
Megatron's fist clenched, "I told you, Starscream. Leave on your own while you still can."
Sneering at his leader, Starscream simply continued, "If you right up attack the source, the humans have time to alert the Autobots," he informed the silver tyrant. "But if you attack the base of operations and take the humans out first, it will take the Autobots longer to find out about our attack and give us more time to collect the energon."
Yanking his arm back, Megatron stared at the data pad before him, looking at the map of the building they would be attacking. A blue finger darted in front of his optics, pointing out the area of the map that was the human's base of operations. "This is where we should attack," Starscream's voice came from across from him. Megatron yanked the data pad out of Starscream's reach, "I understand that!" Starscream was silent after that, watching as Megatron's optics looked over every part of the map and his previous plans. "Leave to your quarters, Starscream. We attack at dawn."
The multicolored jet bit back a victorious smirk, knowing that that would get him a solid punch in the faceplates from the ex-gladiator. Starscream turned on his thrusters, leaving the room without uttering another word. He knew that if he boasted that he was right, Megatron would no go through with his idea, and Starscream's idea would get them more energon, something Starscream would need during and after his carrying cycle.
There it was, the raid site, directly in front of them, right in clear view. Stopping a few miles away, Megatron turned to face the rest of his army, searching for one mech in particular. Crimson optics locking, Megatron pointed towards the raid site. "Starscream, attack the humans."
Smirking, Starscream flew higher, motioning towards his two trine mates. "Thundercracker, Skywarp, on my lead!" The multicolored Seeker dove forwards, transforming into his alt mode during the dive in order to prolong the human's recognition of a Deception. Starscream scoffed at the thought, humans were completely unobservant, there were multiple differences between himself and a human built jet, to mistake him for one was nothing if slightly offensive.
The three jets flew overhead of the building, circling back around in order to get close enough to make absolutely sure that their fire would not miss their targets. Coming down in closer, Starscream transformed and ripped a hole through the human's flimsy tin roof, watching as some of the few humans that were left standing hurried to the communications board, shouts of "Call the Autobots!" and "Alert Optimus Prime!" ringing through the heated air.
His smirk only growing as what he thought would happen became a reality in front of his optics, Starscream leveled his null ray at the communications board. "I don't think so," Starscream's snide remark was followed by the sound of his null ray going off, the human's technology exploding in front of them and sending them crashing into the opposite wall, some still breathing, others unconscious and severely damaged.
"Communications destroyed, Lord Megatron," Starscream spoke into his com, "Autobots remain unaware of the attack."
"Finally," Megatron's deep voice growled out, "Some good comes of you." Starscream took that as the praise it was meant to be, coming from Megatron it was the best he would get. "Continue on with the plan."
Starscream lowered himself to the ground, Skywarp and Thundercracker landing beside him. Skywarp stood closer to Starscream than the trine leader may have liked, but he simply brushed the thought off as he started towards the energon source. The three seekers were the first there, Megatron and the rest of the army landing only a breem or too later. As soon as he landed, Soundwave began producing the cubes needed to contain the energon. As soon as the cubes emerged the other Decepticons grabbed them, hurrying to fill as many as they could before the Autobots got wind of their attack.
Knowing this would be an advantage to him as well, Starscream went against his usual ways and did his best to complete his task without failure. If they could get enough energon to last them at the very least three stellercycles, then he could birth the sparklet in his chassis and not have to worry about getting damaged or hurting the new spark. Megatron seemed pleased that Starscream was actually doing something right for once in his miserable existence. Perhaps he should have fragged the Seeker a lot sooner had he known this would have been the result.
It wasn't long before they spotted another energy signature in the sky, the Decepticons looking up to find Skyfire, no doubt carrying the other Autobots within his cargo hold. Glaring, Megatron turned to Astrotrain, "Astrotrain, transform, the rest of you; take the energon and secure them within Astrotrain's cargo bay!"
Biting back a frown, Starscream hurried with the rest of the mechs in order to protect the energon from stray fire. There wasn't as much as Starscream had hoped, in fact there was perhaps only enough for two stellercycles, more than Megatron had planned, but less that Starscream had hopped. As soon as all the cubes were loaded on, Megatron sent Astrotrain back to the base while the rest of them took care of the Autobots.
Optimus Prime stood proud in front of his army, "Autobots, battle formations!" Standing with their guns pointed at the Decepticons, of which mimicked their motions, each Deception focusing a gun on a different Autobot.
"Starscream," Megatron called out, firing the first shot at Optimus Prime. "Aerial attack, now!"
Taking to the sky, his trine mates hot on his thrusters, Starscream took an aerial view of their surroundings. Pointing to a rather large rock formation, Starscream alerted his trine mates to attack the rocks instead of the Autobots.
"Have you glitched your processor, Starscream?" Skywarp asked, his voice betraying his shock.
Rubbing at the bridge of his olfactory sensors, Starscream hissed air out of his vents. "No, Skywarp, if we attack the rocks they'll fall on the Autobrats and allow us to get away."
"Oh," Skywarp frowned at himself, "Good idea." Following Starscream's lead, Skywarp and Thundercracker positioned their null rays at the rocks below, the Autobots and other Decepticons completely obviously at their antics.
Opening a com to Megatron, Starscream stopped his fire once he saw the first rock roll down towards the ground. "Megatron," Starscream alerted, "Push the Autobots back and clear away."
"Do not forget who the leader is, Starscream," Megatron growled back, but at first glance towards the sky he noticed Starscream's plan. Frowning at the idea that yet again Starscream's plan had fallen through, Megatron growled out the the rest of his army; "Decepticons, fall back!" Obeying Megatron's command, the rest of the Decepticons threw the Autobots off, taking to the skies while the rocks tumbled down on top of the Autobots. Smirking at their victory, Megatron started back towards the Nemesis, the rest of the Decepticons following closely behind.
When Starscream came up to take his position at Megatron's flank, the silver mech turned to glare at the Seeker. "Don't make a habit of this, Starscream," Megatron warned, "A few good ideas do not make up for the countless mistakes you've made." Sighing, Starscream simply dimmed his optics, knowing he wasn't going to get any closer to a 'thank you' than that.
Focusing ahead, Starscream couldn't help the feeling of dread at the thought that they hadn't gotten enough energon. That at one point, when he was much farther along in his carrying cycle, they'd have to attack again. Being a self-centered mech by nature, Starscream couldn't help but double that worry now that he was carrying.
Biting back the instinct to rub at his chassis, Starscream instead focused on following Megatron back to the base. Starscream's processor seemed content at delving up the idea of carrying Megatron's heir within his spark chamber. It would be a part of Megatron, perhaps the only part of Megatron, that wouldn't hate Starscream, that wouldn't criticize and openly mock him in front of the others. It would be somebot who needed him, who relied on him. Someone who may actually love him.
Love. What a strange word to even think of during this war, let alone as a Decepticon. The Autobots openly loved each other, most of them bonded, and caring deeply for one another. Yet as Decepticons they were not permitted to love one another. Love was a weakness, something that-once found out-could be ripped away from you and left you broken, perhaps a fate worse than death.
No one could find out.