Disclaimer: I own nothing – at least nothing Transformers related.

AN: Nothing special, but hey….

Thanks to mdnytryder for correcting this chapter.

15/28 On Vacation (G1)

"I'M YOUR SECOND IN COMMAND! WITHOUT ME, THIS ARMY WOULDN'T STAND A CHANCE!"

It was a fairly normal day at Decepticon Headquarters.

The Nemesis still rested at the bottom of the ocean, the giant squid still scared the living slag out of the occupants of the bridge now and then, the fish still hadn't tired of watching their strange but amusing metallic guests through the numerous windows in the hull of the spaceship turned underwater base… and Starscream still shrieked his vocalizer out in an attempt to finally gain his much deserved respect from his Supreme Commander.

Every Decepticon soundlessly mouthed the words of the never changing rant along with the Air Commander, some even acting out his exaggerated, dramatic movements to the amusement of their audience.

Four seconds, three, two, one….

Enter, Megatron.

"IF NOT FOR YOU, YOU LITTLE, SLAGGING FOOL, MY ARMY WOULD HAVE CONQUERED CYBERTRON A LONG TIME AGO!
SLAG IT, I WOULD HAVE EVEN CONQUERED THE UNIVERSE BY NOW! BUT YOU SIMPLY CAN'T RESIST TRYING TO OVERTHROW ME AT EVERY FRAGGING CHANCE!

"TELL ME, STARSCREAM, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU FINALLY SUCCEEDED IN GETTING RID OF ME?

"WOULD YOU GO RUNNING TO PRIME, CRYING THAT NOBODY LISTENS TO YOU AND WHAT YOU CONSIDER ORDERS?
WOULD YOU WHINE ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE NO CLUE WHAT TO DO, BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T EVEN LEAD A BUNCH OF RETRORATS TO AN ENERGON LAKE OR ANT-DROIDS TO A PICNIC?"

Quiet sniggers of the unwilling, if amused audience.

Thirty seconds for Starscream to gape at the insult, to cycle air and then launch the great finale.

Two, one….

"YOU NEED ME! YOU WOULDN'T LAST THREE DAYS WITHOUT ME!"

Ah, only Starscream's voice had this aghast, hurt, enraged, indignant, whining and slightly questioning, unsure quality to it.

Countless Decepticons had tried and failed to imitate this particular tune throughout the war and still it never ceased to be the topic of numerous bets and over-energized games of 'Truth or Dare'.

The Decepticons onboard the Nemesis waited, knowing that somewhere in the giant base a fusion cannon charged with a lovely if frightening whine.

The explosion and a pain-filled shriek proved them right, and were followed by frantic steps through the halls in the direction of the lift.

"I'LL PROVE MY VALUE TO YOU, MEGATRON! JUST WAIT! THREE DAYS, AND YOU WILL BE BEGGING ON YOU KNEES FOR ME TO RETURN!"

Heavier steps, a second explosion, another scream – end of the show.

The Decepticons smirked and went back to their normal activities.

Just another, fairly normal day at Decepticon Headquarters….

Optimus Prime slowly stepped in front of the brig and wearily eyed its single occupant, a mostly silver-white and red Seeker.

Starscream lay on the berth behind the bars, one arm awkwardly behind his head, the other hand holding a book cube that he studied with a rapt interest.
Never before had Optimus seen the Air Commander so calm and… peaceful.

Prime hesitated for a moment, then he spoke up, "Megatron has called - again. He now offers us three whole months of cease-fire, one-ninth of his collected Energon cubes and ten safe travels through the Space Bridge and back in exchange for you. We...."

Starscream interrupted him without even looking up from his reading, only lazily waving a light blue hand into the taller mechs direction, "Good, good…. Keep refusing and you will have a peaceful half-year soon…. Anything else?"

Optimus Prime sighed and pinched his optic ridges, "Starscream…. It's been almost three days now and you still refuse to leave our brig and go back to your faction. What exactly are you doing here?"

The Seeker smirked smugly while thinking of all the ridiculous and disastrous things his underlings had planned that he had caught wind of, right before he had his argument with Megatron.

"Proving a point and rubbing it in as hard and as long as I can manage."