The Brat Prince of Vos
Chapter 23
Continuity: Pre- and Post-TF:A, a little bit of AU here and there
Warnings: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ENDGAME!
Pairings: Megatron x Starscream, Cyclonus x Galvatron, Strika x Lugnut. Sort of, anyway.
Man, Strika's accent is hard to write. It's not German like Blitzwing, it's more...Russian maybe? Oh well.
"Optimus Magnus wanted us to just leave you here," the pompous-looking Autobot said, expression smug. "He wanted you to stay down here, in the dark, alone, forever." He raised the electric rod up, letting the purple light dancing off it illuminate his face. "But what he doesn't know can't hurt him, right?"
He moved a step closer. "Unfortunately, it's going to hurt you."
Megatron just snorted, looking up at the blue and yellow Autobot disbelievingly.
What's with his chin, anyway? a raspy voice whispered. Oh, great. Now he was hallucinating again. It seemed to happen whenever the Autobots didn't give him any energon for a while - he'd start to imagine that he could hear Starscream talking to him. That was the lamest torture speech I've ever heard! the imaginary Starscream yelled, and Megatron had to agree.
"You dare to scoff at me?! Do you know who I am, you worthless pile of scrap?" cried the Autobot indignantly.
"Couldn't…give…a…slag," the Decepticon leader choked out. It was strange to hear his own voice again; he hadn't used it in years, now, except to shout and curse whenever an Autobot competent in the art of torture came along to take a turn. He hadn't realized his vocaliser had gotten so rusty, either. And I thought mine was bad, imaginary Starscream commented, but it only served to reaffirm the fact that it was just a hallucination. Starscream would never admit his voice was grating.
"I am the great Sentinel Prime!" bellowed the Autobot, smashing the electric rod into Megatron's torso. The Decepticon just scoffed again - he still couldn't feel it. In fact, he wasn't looking forward at all to turning his sensor nets back on; his body was in such a terrible state after so many years down in the accursed prison. He hoped Team Chaar were taking better care of Starscream's body. Absently, Megatron wondered if it was still as mangled as the last time he'd seen it…
…when he'd blasted apart with his fusion cannon.
He frowned at the thought, though his contemplative expression only served to enrage Sentinel Prime further. If he managed to get Starscream back online, would the Seeker still be mad at him for that one, he wondered?
Even worse…had it really been that one fusion cannon blast that had finally killed Starscream for good? He'd aimed it at the flier's legs…it was only meant to cripple him. Had Starscream just given up? He'd promised not to kill him again, hadn't he? Slag…The thought of Starscream bleeding to death because of him filled him with regret, and his expression changed, softening with sadness.
Sentinel Prime just stared at the tyrant's face, well and truly baffled.
"It's not perfect," Strika said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin, "but it's ze best ve've got."
Oil Slick, Spittor and Blackout sank into their chairs in relief. Even Cyclonus allowed himself a small smile. They'd been trying to come up with a plan to break Megatron out for ten years now. Not just Megatron - Lugnut and Shockwave, too. General Strika had become grumpier and moodier with every passing year since Megatron's capture twenty years ago. The separation from her bondmate was starting to get to her, and doubtless she too could feel the stress and sorrow Lugnut was enduring in the Autobot prison.
"It…s-sounds scary," a black and purple flier whimpered from the corner. Cyclonus turned to look at their two newest recruits - he'd nearly had a spark-attack when they first came across Skywarp and Thundercracker, sitting on an asteroid playing "I spy", thinking them to be ghosts of Starscream and his siblings. Thundercracker just rolled his optics at the younger clone's pathetic whining.
"Don't vorry," the bulky femme said, "you and Thundercracker vill stay and guard de ship. Ve vill need to take off quickly. Ve vill only have about…ten minutes for dis entire operation."
"Ten minutes?" Oil Slick questioned, appalled. "Surely we can tinker around with it a bit, knock it up to twenty minutes at the very least."
"No," Cyclonus said, shaking his head calmly. "Any longer than that and the Autobots will manage to get a counter-attack together. Speed is of the essence. We should probably rehearse the entire operation a few times - it will need to be seamless."
"Agreed," Strika nodded. "Ve each have our parts. Your orders are to prepare for ze mission."
With a chorus of "yes ma'am"s, they left the command centre of the ship.