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Chapter 5

Beware of mechs bearing needles

Still dizzy from his unworthy voyage through the Nemesis base, Starscream fell on his buttocks on the cold floor, right before Megatron's huge feet.

He hurried to get up, afraid of whatever his leader might do. Being so close to him, becoming a pulp of blood and bones was more than a simple possibility.

"Oh, please don't get up because of me, Starscream," Megatron mocked. "I would invite you to sit but I'm afraid we are a little short on chairs for insects."

Megatron joking was no guarantee of safety. Starscream knew perfectly well how the sick processor of his Commander worked, and one of his favourite tactics before terminating an enemy was precisely that one: joking.

"M-megatron…" the human stammered.

"How was your first night as an earthling?" Megatron interrupted him. "I trust your accommodations were proper for your new condition."

Starscream's eyes narrowed with hate. Megatron had always been taller than him, stronger… but that never stopped the Seeker from confronting his leader. This time wouldn't be the exception.

"Would you quit the sarcasm, Megatron? My night was a living hell. Is your curiosity satisfied now?"

"You shouldn't talk about hell so easily, Starscream. If there is somebody in this Universe that can turn your life into, I quote you, a living hell, that's me, and you should already know that perfectly."

"Fine, fine… I grant you that, leader, more now than ever. But I suppose you didn't summon me here just to state your infinite superiority. Knowing you as I do, I assume you have made a decision concerning me."

"Perhaps."

"Before you say anything, please allow me to…"

Megatron unleashed a brutal punch on the arm rest of his chair. "Silence! I didn't make you come here to listen to your pathetic rambling. If you know what is good for you, you will keep your disgusting mouth closed. I hope you understand that your life is standing on a very thin line."

"But Megatron…"

"Soundwave, proceed."

Starscream flinched when he saw the azure demon that emerged from the shadows.

"No! Stay away from me, Soundwave! Leave me alone!" the terrified former Seeker cried as he backed off.

Frenzy came up from behind and grabbed his arms, not allowing him to retreat even one step more.

"Where do you want him, chief?"

Soundwave pointed toward a nearby repair berth and Starscream was dragged there, all his efforts to free himself a waste.

"NO! Let go of me!" he cried.

Megatron got up from his chair and approached the repair berth. "Stop being such a damsel in distress and show some courage, you cowardly wimp. We are not going to cut you up… yet. Soundwave will only perform some simple tests on you."

Frenzy lay Starscream on his back on the workbench whilst Rumble chained his spread wrists and ankles with four conveniently placed shackles.

"I won't tolerate being restrained like this! Release me!!"

"I thought I told you to shut up, you fool!" Megatron yelled. "I highly recommend you not to challenge my patience today, Starscream. Behave like a Decepticon for once in your pathetic life."

Starscream forced himself to calm down. It wasn't wise to anger Megatron, not when he wasn't in a condition to stand a punch or a fusion cannon shot. If he wanted the opportunity to have some sort of civilized talk with his leader, he would have to cope with the humiliation of being treated like a subject of experimentation.

Soundwave approached. From the tip of one his fingers, a white gas emerged, bathing Starscream's body.

"Aaarrghh!! It's cold!!! What the slag is that?!" he cried in panic.

"Soundwave is just disinfecting you, relax," Rumble explained.

"Disinfecting me? I am not contaminated! This procedure is totally unnecessary!"

"I will decide what is unnecessary and what is not," Megatron stated.

Starscream fixated on his leader a glance that shot daggers. "You are enjoying this, aren't you Megatron? You know as well as I do that humans do not carry any kind of virus or germ able to infect our kind! You are only doing this to humiliate me!"

Megatron smirked. "Am I that transparent? Yes, Starscream, I am doing this to humiliate you, and I can't tell you how gratifying it is."

Starscream bit his lip, barely able to contain the storm of insults he was dying to shout at the accursed rust bucket he was forced to call leader… Self control had never been his forte, but he managed to contain himself. It wasn't the moment to completely discard prudence. His life depended on it.

Soundwave punched a button on the computer's console and the huge device that hung over the repair berth activated. A slim metallic plate descended until almost grazing Starscream's body and started to travel over it slowly, bathing his nudity with a soft green light. The screen of the computer illuminated and started to display data.

Height: 6´ 2", Weight: 182 lbs, Estimated human age: 27 years…

"See, Screamer?" Frenzy said happily. "The computer is using human equivalences to display your statistics. We wanted you to feel at home."

Starscream didn't respond. What could he have said to defend himself? He was worse than a subject for experiments, he was a toy…

"Aw, come on Screamer, don't pull that face," Rumble said. "You are in pretty good shape… for a human. And now that I look at it, ya are not that ugly you know?"

"Your little Screamer is quite decent too…" Frenzy added, pointing at the human's crotch.

"Would you two shut up? The last thing I need is your idiotic opinions about my appearance!"

Megatron's huge shadow towered the chained human. One of the most evil smirks the Decepticon leader had ever displayed adorned his face.

"I've been thinking, Starscream… Perhaps this is the moment to give up my position and make you the Supreme Commander of all Decepticons. What do you say, my loyal warriors? Would you follow this putrid protoplasmic parasite as your leader?"

"By all means, boss!" Rumble laughed. "He would pee on the Autobots and make them flee like petro rabbits."

"Hey! We could all expose our intimate circuitry to follow his nudist policy, ya know?" Frenzy seconded.

"You will do no such thing," Soundwave warned Frenzy tacitly, simultaneously responding vocally to Megatron's suggestion, "Probability of his failure: 100 percent; probability of his termination: 90 percent."

Megatron laughed at his lieutenant's statement, delight giving his red optics a sinister glow. "All the more reason to give you the leadership, then," he said acidly to Starscream, "with odds that good, I think we'd all get what we wanted in the end."

"Oh yes, the magnanimous Megatron thinking only of his soldiers," Starscream hissed sarcastically, straining against his restraints, "trust you to put my needs before those of your own, you sla..."

"Megatron," Soundwave cut off the furious seeker mid insult, "Starscream's transformation: incomplete."

"Eh...?" Megatron drew his murderous glare away from his humanised Air Commander, slightly disappointed by the fact that the Seeker's harsh words, and thus his termination, had been interrupted. "What have you found, Soundwave?"

Soundwave pointed to the large monitor which now displayed numerous cross-section images of the human's internal composition. "Starscream's heart: defective," the communicator said, enlarging one of the live images to focus on the muscle that seemed to be vibrating erratically. "Conclusion: spark did not fully transform."

"Ya know, Screamer, Soundwave said somthin' about you not soundin' like a human," Rumble said, crawling over the repair berth towards Starscream and pressing his audio onto the human's chest.

"Argh, get off me you fragging runt."

"Shhh Screamer, I'm tryin' to listen here..." Rumble said, putting a hand over Starscream's mouth to silence him. "Woah... Frenz, you gotta listen to this, it's like one of those crazy human trance parties in there!" the blue mech giggled, his own structure invading the images Soundwave and Megatron were analysing.

"Rumble, desist," Soundwave stated, the slightest hint of impatience colouring his monotonic voice.

"Well, that proves it then," Starscream cried from his place on the repair berth, "I'm not completely human, which means there is still a chance that I..."

"Don't get ya hopes up, Soundwave said ya didn't sound Cybertronian either," Rumble interrupted, poking the human in the arm before retreating as commanded.

"Interesting," Megatron continued as the mechanised form removed itself from the display, allowing Starscream's heart to take centre stage again. "And what about the rest of him?"

"Transformation of structure: complete."

"See, told ya not to get ya hopes up," Rumble said cheerfully.

"Yeah, you're more human than Cybertronian now, fleshy," Frenzy seconded, mimicking his brother's previous actions by poking the Seeker.

"I swear to Primus, when I get my body back you two will be dead..."

"Oh, enough of your empty threats, Starscream, they are only satisfying their curiosity," Megatron growled, his patience waning. "Perhaps if you had payed as much attention during your mission as Rumble and Frenzy are now, you wouldn't be in this situation. Soundwave, continue your examination before he forces me to crush him."

"As you command," the Communications Officer stated, turning away to switch off the scanner, before rummaging through a selection of instruments on a nearby work bench.

Megatron approached the Seeker, his face devoid of any expression. Starscream felt his body tremble slightly as the tyrant's shadow fell over his weakened form.

"Your cowardice through all of this repulses me, Starscream, even more than your disgusting flesh."

Megatron's hand drew ever closer; it seemed to the fear-filled Seeker that his master was going to touch him, but instead the hand hovered over him menacingly, before retreating slowly. Starscream wondered if his leader was scared of him, if he couldn't bring himself to touch a flesh being lest he get dirty...but that thought lasted only an astro second before the memories of that same mech crushing human after disgusting human his hands returned him to his senses.

No, Megatron was just playing a game with him.

"Now show some courage like a true Decepticon," the silver mech commanded as he retreated, making way for Soundwave to approach. Soundwave kneeled beside Starscream. He was carrying a slim tube with a needle in one of its ends. The sharpened piece of metal was extremely small by Cybertronian standards, but to the horrified eyes of the former Seeker it appeared as threatening as any weapon.

"W-what are you going to do?" he stammered, not caring for bravery.

"Blood sample," Soundwave replied coldly.

"Are you… are you going to inject me… with that? No, wait!!"

Soundwave ignored his complaints and slowly moved the device towards his restrained victim. Starscream clenched his fists, imagining a thousand different ways of destroying his comrade in arms.

"You are enjoying this too, aren't you…?" the young human said in a very low pitched voice. "You are so enjoying this, you slagging sadistic freak…"

"Affirmative," was the monotonic response.

Starscream didn't have time to comment on Soundwave's brutal sincerity. The needle easily penetrated the skin of his arm and began to suck out what now acted as his vital fuel.

He repressed a grimace of pain. He was aware that Soundwave kept a sound register of the cries of suffering of his victims, and he wasn't going to give the slagger the satisfaction of adding his own to such a sick collection.

However, what really froze his new vocaliser was the sight of the red liquid that was being extracted from his arm. It was so… red… He deviated his glance, disgusted. He could never get used to that body… never…

His shackles suddenly opened. Immediately, Starscream stood up, rubbing his sore arm.

Soundwave almost hit him with a small rectangular pad.

"Hit it," he ordered.

"What? What for?"

"HIT IT," Soundwave repeated, his monotonic voice showing traces of impatience.

Starscream hurried to obey. A number was displayed on the computer: 660 lbs.

"Harder," Soundwave spoke again. "Use all your strength."

Starscream frowned and applied as much strength as he could, trying to focus in a single blow all the fury accumulated since his nightmare had started.

"1100 pounds…" Rumble said, slightly impressed. "Not bad Screamer, you have the punch of a heavyweight boxer."

"But the appearance of a medium weight one," Frenzy laughed, palming hands with his twin.

"Comparisons: irrelevant," Soundwave stated. "Now kick."

Starscream did as requested, concentrating his anger again, this time in his right leg. The number in the screen changed again: 1650 lbs.

Rumble did another quick search in his memory banks. "And you have the kick of a karate champion. Not bad. You're stronger than a regular human."

"It couldn't be otherwise! I am a Decepticon warrior after all!"

Soundwave walked toward a microscope at the other extreme of the laboratory, taking the blood sample and force meter with him.

"So, does that mean you're finished with me?" Starscream spat, "it's just that I've got better things to do then being your slagging experiment."

"Initial examination: complete," Soundwave stated icily in reply, "more tests may be required pending outcome of analysis."

"Oh, well that's too bad, Soundwave, because I've had enough of your sadism and in case you've forgotten, I'm still your superior officer. I'm going, and you can take your analysis to Pit for all I c..."

"In case you've forgotten, Starscream," Megatron interrupted, "I'm still your superior. You will wait here until Soundwave is done with you, I don't care what you want."

"Well, isn't this just great, then," Starscream complained, sitting down heavily on the repair berth, pounding its surface with his fist. "You realise I could be working towards finding a way to reverse this if you let me go," he continued ironically as his Commander turned and moved towards a chair in front of the computer terminal, "but no, you have to let your slagging puppet play his little games with me, don't you, oh glorious leader. Do I need to remind you that every moment that passes while I'm stuck in this state our army is at great risk?"

Megatron let himself fall onto the chair, ignoring his subordinate's words.

"Why, Starscream? Why do you always try so hard to prove just how idiotic you are?"

"I can assure I didn't get myself into this mess only to annoy you, Megatron! And it's quite selfish for you to consider this a personal offense. I am the one trapped inside this body, slag it!!"

"Let me see if I understand," Megatron continued. "You surpass your greatest example of stupidity seen so far, sabotage my immediate plans, turn my army into a joke, and I am supposed to have considerations for you? My base is not a shelter for meat bags! And believe me when I tell you that I have reached the limit of my patience with you!"

Starscream's heart began to thrum maniacally inside his chest. Megatron was getting angry… and Megatron's fury in that moment was deadly dangerous.

"Megatron, please… Can we discuss this… calmly?"

"Calmly? I see that being a pathetic flesh creature hasn't decreased your cynicism. I have been more than tolerant of you after all these vorns you have spent trying to dispose of me! The time has come to correct such mistake."

Megatron stood up, looking more frightening than ever. Starscream retreated until he reached the edge of the repair berth.

"NO!! What are you going to do?! M-my leader, please…!!""

"Attention, Megatron."

Megatron looked over his shoulder. Behind him, Soundwave was looking through the microscope at Starscream's blood sample.

"It better be important, Soundwave," the Decepticon leader growled. "Report."

"Analysis concluded. Cybertronium found."

Megatron frowned. "Cybertronium? In the blood of a human? Impossible."

"I am not a simple human! Even though I'm trapped in this body, I'm still a Cybertronian!"

Megatron ignored Starscream and walked toward Soundwave.

"Let me see that sample!" the former Seeker demanded. "It's my blood!"

Both Decepticons completely ignored his screams and focused their attention on the sample under the microscope. Starscream clenched his fists as he contemplated the ultimate outrage. It didn't matter how much his comrades mocked him, it didn't matter if they played with him, treated him like a pet... Humiliation wasn't going to destroy him; his pride had proven its ability to take devastating hits. But being excluded from his own analysis, from perhaps his only method of salvation... he had been turned into a human, but suddenly he was feeling invisible.

After eternal astro seconds of silence, Megatron turned around and faced the human that remained on his knees on the workbench, his head bowed in defeat.

"Well, Starscream," the Decepticon leader said, "it seems I will spare your life one solar cycle more, perhaps two. If you manage to survive until Soundwave finishes his report on your examination, I will summon you again. Although, the continuation of your life is something I can't guarantee. Rumble! Get him out of here!"

This time Starscream didn't struggle when Rumble grabbed him by the chest and unceremoniously dragged him away. He knew defeat, he knew what it was to lose a battle, but he also knew that it was never a complete failure because he was able to stand up again; he was Starscream the mighty, the tyrant of the firmament, the future Supreme Commander of the Decepticons, the one that would vanquish the Autobots once and for all.

But as he was being dragged out of the laboratory, Starscream began to doubt himself. There was nothing ahead but an infinite black abyss. His hopes were starting to fade with bare brutality, suffocated by the superior weight of his reality.

For the first time he wondered if he was still himself. Could he still be called Starscream?

To be continued.


Additional note from iratepirate: Ok, for those of you like me, who have no idea what a pound or an inch or a foot is, here is an approximate conversion for you: 182lbs = 82.5kg, 6'2" = 183cm, 1100lbs = 498.95kg, 1650lbs = 748.40kg. Sounds good, huh? ;o)

And another additional note from Taipan Kiryu: We based Starscream's body on Daniel Craig's when he filmed Casino Royale, although we made Screamer a little bit taller. As for the face, picture the hottest brown haired-green eyed tanned guy you can think about, and that's him!

We are sure you all have your own private versions of a humanised Starscream, but let's face it... the slagger is gorgeous!

Update coming soon. Let us know if you liked this chapter.