First Fleshling update of the year! We want to thank you for the amazing support you have had for this story. We are so glad you are enjoying it that much because it has turned into one of our babies. Many surprises are waiting for the updates to come. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 18
Wildlife
As Starscream descended from the human arena, the flashes of light and unintelligible shouts directed toward him fused into one, absorbent fog, vision and hearing becoming the same. He knew the earthlings' language, but suddenly their words became nothing, same as the hands palming his shoulders, same as the lecherous glances that landed brazenly on his bare torso as he passed through that line of improvised admirers.
His right hand was clenched on the irregular form made by his jacket and shirt, being dragged carelessly beside him, stained with random dots of blood, blood that was not his. He felt good, powerful again, closer to his usual self. He could feel his human heart pounding like a savage beast inside his chest, and he was sure at that moment that no matter what happened, he would succeed, that he didn't need wings to fly.
It should have been that way, in the Cybertronian arenas. Certainly Megatron knew that fever of triumph following all those combats in which he had crushed opponents far bigger than him. The memory of his leader's intrusion in his own fight made Starscream grimace. It was such an irony to think that somehow he owed that triumph to Megatron… just as he owed him for being in the core of that chaotic and filthy nest of humans. It was a shame his leader hadn't witnessed his small but meaningful victory.
Megatron had always had that effect on Starscream, to take out the worst of him and make it shine.
With rage filled eyes he walked toward Kane's seat, who contemplated him with a twisted smile.
"The currency," Starscream demanded. "Now!"
Frank got up to confront him, but Kane held his arm, stopping him. The other human, Pete, was absent, certainly repairing his broken nose and fingers.
"Of course," Kane said, taking out a stack of greasy pieces of paper, certainly human credits. "You earned your dough tothe last dime…"
Starscream didn't decrease the rage of his glare when Kane kept the credits in his hand.
"There's more where these came from, pretty boy," Kane continued. "A kid with balls as well placed as yours always has a place inside my organization."
Starscream licked a dot of blood coming from his lower lip. "Is that so? And let me guess, all I have to do is keep beating your shameful warriors."
Kane burst into laughter. "Sometimes, but don't worry about your pretty face. Mostly I want you to watch my back, take care of some of my personal business, like controlling the merchandise, keeping an eye on the girls… the usual stuff, you know?"
Merchandise? Certainly the human was talking about the commerce of illegal weapons, inebriating substances and prostitutes… Earth was not very different from Cybertron after all.
"No," he firmly said.
His answer brought a frown to Kane's sinister face.
"You're new around here, Latta, that's why I'll tell you this once and once only. It's not a good idea to say no to me, definitely not a good idea."
"I'll be the first, then. If you are looking for lackeys, look wherever you found your pathetic underlings. I take orders from nobody, do you understand?"
"Talk to Mr. Kane that way again and you're finished, cocksucker!" Frank shouted, but before he could accompany his words with actions; Starscream grabbed him by the neck of his jacket and threw him roughly backwards, making him fall against a stack of chairs.
Immediately, Frank took out a gun but Kane stopped him with a wave of his hand. Then he addressed Starscream again.
"Fine, as I said you're new here and I'll give you one chance to reconsider. If you know what's good for you, you'll be back."
"Yeah, whatever," Starscream said, rolling his eyes and snatching the currency from Kane's hand.
"Hey, what the fuck? There is more than five thousand dollars there you little asshole!" the man cried, trying to recover his money, but he only got a rough push in return.
"A meaningless amount considering what I helped you earn tonight. And in return for your friendly advice I'll give you some as well. Stay out of my way. You have no idea who you are dealing with, and believe me, you don't want to know."
Without waiting for an answer, Starscream walked toward the exit, indifferent to the crowd and to the new enemy he had just gained.
…………..
Starscream stepped into the alley feeling renewed, the clean night air replacing the stifling stench of cigarettes and sweat like a refreshing cleansing session. Sheltering in the shadows from prying eyes, he took a moment to compose himself; celebrating prematurely would only lead to future overconfidence and stupid mistakes, he had to be careful.
Casting his shirt and jacket aside, the gladiator examined the black, green and white currency in his bloodied hands, mentally taking note of each bill's value. Six thousand, one hundred and twenty-two credits... not a bad effort considering all he had to do was act like a Decepticon.
He turned one of the bills over in his hand, unsure of what to do next. There was so much he needed to acquire; fuel, shelter, cleansing products... Although he knew little about the human's currency he was certain the amount he now held in his hands would not get him half of what he needed; there would always be a need for more. But then again, that was always the case, no matter the planet.
Folding the wad of cash carefully, Starscream stuffed his new-found wealth into his pants pocket before pulling his shirt on again. He immediately felt restricted by the garment, but he had already learned that his exposed torso would draw more attention than he currently wanted and thus he had to suffer. However, the jacket he could do without, and by carrying it the ex Seeker was rewarded with the comforting chill of the breeze playing over his arms. He inhaled deeply; suddenly the game of playing human didn't seem so hard.
Striding proudly along the streets, Starscream watched the fleshy insects bustling around him with renewed interest. He still despised them, but now it seemed there was something to be learned from them rather than simply seeing them as fodder for the fires of the Pit – the place where they would all end up when he was restored, of course. The way they dressed, the items they carried, even the way they moved and spoke...all of it gave him the clues he needed to succeed.
Rounding a corner with absolutely no thought of where he was going, the young man found himself walking down a street lined with what appeared to be human dwellings. It wasn't so much the form of the structures themselves – they were tall and of questionable construction like all the others – but the adornments and behaviours accompanying them were obvious giveaways. That, and they were similar to the building in which the human Stella resided.
A group of human sparklings bustled past him noisily as he glanced up at one of the accommodation units; yellowed light streamed from several windows, some partially obscured by fabric coverings whilst others remained fully exposed. Voices could be heard flowing from some of them, listless chatter, words of discipline...but suddenly they were all interrupted by that familiar but distinctly unwelcomed sound of his comm. link reactivating.
"Ohhh slag, you have done it this time, Screamer," the wretched voice of Rumble made itself heard through the connection. The ex-seeker could hear the cassette's twin laughing uncontrollably in the background.
"Rumble? What the slag do you want, you fragging runt?" Starscream replied, ignoring the strange look he received from a passer-by. "Don't you think I've got enough slag to deal with without you two glitches torturing me with your stupidity? I guess it would be stupid of me to even ask if you've got authorization to use this comm. channel?"
"Aww, don't be such a glitch, Screamer. Of course we don't have authorisation! But that shouldn't get in the way of us pesterin' ya. We've missed watchin' ya get slagged by the big boss every cycle."
"Oh really? Well why don't you just go and get yourselves slagged, that would prove very entertaining."
"Nah, it's much better when it's you. Actually, that's why we called," Frenzy said between snorts of laughter. "Megatron is soooo pissed at you right now. Ha, I knew you had a death wish but slag, I didn't think you were dumb enough to call him a 'filthy slut'!"
Hysterical laughter suddenly invaded the communication link, making the human wince in discomfort.
'WHAT?" Starscream roared, pressing a hand over his aching ear. "I did no such thing!"
"Ahhh, that...that ain't what Megatron said..."
"He reckons you were whining about somthin', and then you said...what was it Frenz?"
"In your slaggin' dreams, you filthy slut."
More laughter; Starscream clenched his fists.
"I wasn't talking to him and if that fool had listened and cut the communication when I had told him to, he wouldn't have heard that."
"Oh? Sooo, who were ya talkin' to then, huh? You haven't been fraggin' whores, have ya?"
"No! Of course not, you moronic glitch of a machine!"
"Well, who were ya talkin' to then, huh?"
"Ohh, maybe he was talkin' to himself, ya know, Megatron caught him at a 'bad time'? Is that right, Screamer?"
"Oh for the love of Primus! Is there a point to all of your slag or what? Because I've got things to do. Come on, answer me now or I swear you will be the first ones I crush when my body is restored!"
"Geez, no need to be an afthole, Screamer," Rumble said with a hurt tone."We just thought you'd like to know that Megatron's really pissed at you."
"Yeah," Frenzy piped in. "He said if you don't have anything to show in two cycles the deal's off and you're dead."
"Personally, we hope you get slagged."
And with that, the communication ended before the humanised Seeker could reply.
.................
Street after street, footpath after footpath...the monotony of it all was beginning to get to the former Decepticon Second in Command. His mood had dampened considerably following his unexpected call from Soundwave's miserable runts, and his shoulders no longer held the arrogance and pride they had previously carried. He was now wearing his jacket as the wind had suddenly become cold and unforgiving, a bitter reminder of his painful reality.
The night had become considerably quieter as the hours passed by, the number of flesh creatures had decreased considerably, and so Starscream found himself lost in his thoughts. He needed, once again, to establish priorities; since he was unwilling to the weakness that was Stella, it seemed he would be spending the night on the street again. It wasn't optimal, but at least it didn't feel like it was going to rain for the time being.
Starscream shivered, he was getting cold despite the fact that he had put his jacket on. He was beginning to feel hungry too, although he suspected he could last a few more hours without refuelling becoming an urgent need.
"Hey, buddy," a voice called from within the shadows of a dark alley. "You got a moment?"
"Slag off," Starscream responded as he continued walking.
"Hey now, friend, that ain't the way you talk to a guy wantin' to help you out?" the human continued, grasping Starscream's arm.
"Get your filthy hands off me!" Starscream spat, rounding on the young man, pushing him back forcefully.
"Woah...ok buddy, no problem... Didn't mean to offend."
"Your presence offends the universe. Now tell me why I shouldn't kill you where you stand?"
The young man looked up at Starscream with wide, bloodshot eyes; his skinny body shivered slightly and there was definitely an air of agitation about him.
"Look, buddy...I...I just need some cash, ok? I got some merchandise here, ya know, you might be interested?"
"I seriously doubt that, worm. What could a creature like you possibly have that I would need?"
"Anything...anything... I got crack...e... Or maybe ya want somethin' pretty for ya lady...I got this ring here, see..." the man said, offering piece of gold jewellery.
"I don't think so, you filthy animal. Now get out of my way."
Starscream began to walk away, not caring a moment for the drug-addled creature scurrying behind him.
"Wait, please!" the man called; he cringed the moment Starsceam turned to face him.
"WHAT?"
"Please, buddy...I'll do anything... I just...I just need enough to buy another hit for myself... I'm jonesin' ya know. I mean...if ya don't want merch then maybe there's somethin' else, ya know..."
"Such as?" Starscream enquired, not for interest but for the pure fact that he was beginning to enjoy the pathetic spectacle.
"Anything...I mean...I'm not into it, but if you are I could...ya know...suck you off..."
Starscream's reply came in the form of a heavy blow to the face.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." the young man wailed piteously. "I didn't think you'd want that...but I need the money...please...I don't want you to just give me cash...please...just buy something..."
Starscream looked at the human with utter disgust. He raised his fist again, ready to teach the wretched whelp a lesson he deserved, but as his eyes met that fearful stare, something inside him lurched.
What was that...that strange and uncomfortable sensation rising within him like warm liquid?
"What is your name, worm?" Starscream asked roughly. "Speak!"
"Ahh... Johnny..."
"You know, Johnny," Starscream said, circling the still-trembling human, "you remind me of someone. And maybe, just maybe, you might be of use to me."
"Like I said, buddy...I'll do anythin'...nothin's too much for Johnny..."
"Is that so? Well, we shall see, won't we, Johnny."
Johnny stood up and took Starscream's arm. "C'mon, friend...let me show you my store..."
"Do not touch me, do you understand?"
"Yes, sir...sorry sir..."
Starscream followed Johnny into the darkness of his alley, the thick stench of vomit immediately assaulting his nasal passages and making clear that this human was indeed suffering for his addiction. Still he continued past the garbage littering the ground beneath him until Johnny stopped at a filthy doorway.
"Home sweet home..." Johnny said, pulling up a crate. "Here, buddy, take a seat."
"I don't think so. So where is this merchandise?" Starscream said, squinting into the darkness. Aside from more garbage, he could make out the form of several more doorways, a flight of stairs and a human motorcycle.
"Here, here...take a look at this crack...top quality stuff... I'd take it myself but I'd be killed if I can't pay for it."
"I am not interested in drugs, or whatever that substance is."
"No...ok then...well, wait a minute..."
Starscream watched on as Johnny scurried away like one of those fleshy rats, scrounging in the dark for the smallest amount of dignity. When he returned he was carrying numerous objects, most of which didn't seem worth the energy it had taken to collect them.
"I got a crack pipe...some more rings, these pearls...you got a pretty girl, buddy? She'd like these?"
"Not interested."
"Ok then...what about this?" he said, offering a serrated knife.
Starscream took the weapon and turned it over in his hands. The blade was sharp, sharp enough to inflict severe damage, and the black handle seemed strong and sturdy. He considered it a moment before speaking.
"How much for this?"
"Umm...three hundred bucks..."
Starscream scowled; he didn't know anything about the human currencies but he was certain the flesh creature Johnny was asking too much.
"What do you take me for, fool? There is no way I'll give you that much for this piece of junk."
"Please...it's really worth it, see... Look, it's still sharp, and I cleaned it an' everything."
"No deal."
"Well, what about two hundred?" Johnny asked, dancing agitatedly on the spot.
"No."
"One hundred? Please, my friend..."
"No."
"Ok, fifty then. But you're gettin' a real bargain. Seriously, buddy, you wouldn't find a knife this nice cheaper."
Starscream regarded Johnny with a look of disdain. He had already proven himself a formidable fighter without the aid of a weapon but still, it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of back up."
"Okay..." he said after a moment of silence. "It's a deal."
Johnny looked as though he were about to jump out of his skin with pure excitement, his sunken blue eyes seemed to brighten slightly from within their dark lids, blinking furiously.
"Oh, you won't be disappointed, my friend, no...you've made an excellent choice," he babbled as he took the fifty dollar bill from Starscream's hand. "And there is more where that came from," he said, offering another knife.
"I only need the one, worm. Now, do you have anything else to offer, or are you going to continue wasting my time. Because if it's the latter, then let me warn you that you will be the first victim of my new weapon."
Johnny cowered again. "No...I'm sorry, my friend...I know how important time is to a guy like you...I won't waste it."
"So, do you have anything else to show me?" Starscream asked, looking over the drug addict's shoulder into the darkness.
"I...uhh..."
"What about that?" he continued, gesturing to the motorbike behind them.
An idea had formed in the Seeker's head; one that had nothing to do with shelter or fuel but to do with freedom, speed, power...
"Oh...I...that's not... That is to say I don't..."
"Are you saying that you won't sell it to me? I thought you said you'd do anything for money?" he said, pushing past the young man and making his way over to the bike.
"I...er...well...yes...okay. It's just that I wanted to make sure you really wanted it...ya know...I can't just sell her to anyone...ya know..."
"How much power does she have?"
"I...ummm..."
"You don't know, do you?"
"Err...well..."
"How much do you want for it?"
"Ahh...five thousand," Johnny responded with little hesitation.
Starscream shook his head. "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny...you can't be that desperate for credits if you're asking that much for such a worthless piece of scrap metal."
"I'm sorry...I...just got a little carried away, ya know how it is buddy. Uhh, what about four grand?"
"Still too much."
"Three...and that's my final offer."
"You insult me, Johnny."
"Hey look, buddy!" Johnny suddenly spat, bouncing nervously on the spot. "You want the fucking bike or not? 'Cause I need a fucking hit and if you ain't gonna give me what I need to get one, then you can fuck off. Hear me?"
Starscream snarled viciously. "Oh, foolish boy..." he hissed, before delivering a brutal knee to his torso.
Johnny buckled in on himself and fell howling to the ground, clutching his painful abdomen.
"Nobody speaks to me like that, got that?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Johnny wailed in agony. "I was asking too much, I know that now...please...please don't hurt me...I'm desperate..."
Starscream's fingers tightened their grip on the knife as he knelt by the fallen man. "So...how much do you want for it?" he asked, pressing the weapon against his neck.
"For you, my friend, it's free...take it...please..."
"Much better," Starscream said with a smirk.
He stood up and glared at the squirming form of Johnny. There was that feeling again...was it possible he was feeling...pity?
Primus no...
He was Starscream, mightiest of Decepticons, murderer of millions...
"I tell you what..." he said against his better judgement. "I'm new to this slag pit and I could do with a few things to...help me settle in. I require accommodations...nothing expensive but above your filthy standards. It needs to be secluded, somewhere where I won't find myself bothered by simpering pests like yourself. If you can find something suitable, I will give you credits in exchange for your work. If not, consider yourself terminated. You will meet me here in exactly three days, and don't even think of missing it, or I will hunt you down. Understood?"
Johnny nodded feverishly. "Yes, sir...thank you sir..."
Starscream cast Johnny another glare as he stepped over him, making his way to his newest purchase.
He felt powerful again...funny how domination did that to him.
…………….
A welcome sensation kicked inside Starscream like the sweetest high grade. New and familiar at the same time, the wind against his face made him push to oblivion the curse that had hit him. His hair was toy for the wind, so were his clothes, and for a moment he wished for nothing but to strip from those lousy garments and become one with the machine he was riding, the increasing speed announcing that the sky was so close, closer than it had ever been since being converted into a human.
But reality always had ways to prevail. Starscream increased his speed as much as he could in pure rage, realizing that no matter how much he fantasized, he was chained to a human form, fragile and perishable, as far away from himself as Earth was from Cybertron.
But his arrogance also had its ways to counterattack. The two-wheeled vehicle had been easy to control, incredibly easy. His instinct had made him dominate that primitive machine as soon as he had started accelerating. Speed was his element, after all, as much as the skies were.
He didn't pay attention to the human vehicles around him until they considerably decreased their number, almost right after he left the highway to Seattle and took a smaller road to the east.
He smirked. Unconsciously, he had taken the path to the terrestrial mountain in which the Autobot base was embedded. Not that he was planning to initiate his mission right away, but it wouldn't do him harm to take a look.
………………
Two hours later, intermittent reflections of light illuminated Starscream's serious face. His gaze was fixated, lost on the bonfire before him. His wrinkled jacket and shirt lay beside him, carelessly scattered on the trunk he was sitting on.
He looked down at the tear in his jeans, exposing a break in his skin and part of his underwear. Dry blood had crusted over the wound and down his leg, staining the thick fabric with smatterings of the now brown internal fluid. Starscream ran his finger over the cut, he honestly couldn't remember how Maximus had inflicted that; he had been too lost in his fervour to notice.
Absent mindedly, he added a thin branch to the fire, making the element crackle. Not very far away, Mount Saint Helens was standing before him. Despite the distance, he could see the form of the Ark, illuminated by some exterior artificial lightning.
Curious. He had spent more than a terrestrial hour observing the enemy base and barely any movement had happened. A couple of Autobot patrols leaving and arriving, and nothing more. He didn't know if they had detected him, most likely they had, but the Autobots certainly hadn't considered him a threat, not even suspicious. Of course, what could they fear from some human insect? It was logical that many humans had tried to approach the Ark with the hope of seeing one of those giant, alien robots… many humans like him.
He didn't know what the slag he was doing there. Nothing would come from observing the enemy base from a distance; he had done so countless times before from the sky, although more than observing, he had been very generous releasing cluster bombs every time Megatron ordered some pointless attack.
His right hand headed toward his chest, slowly caressing his pectorals. There were no cluster bombs there; it was hard to believe they ever were. All he had now was skin, bare and soft skin.
He grimaced when a wave of pain assaulted his torso. That greasy human flesh bag had kicked him very hard. It was curious how in the moment of the fight, the pain had only increased his rage and made him counterattack harder, but now it was only a nuisance and a reminder of his own fragility. He still wasn't sure about human repairs, but he remembered that the bag of ice the human Stella had applied to him two cycles ago would have been welcomed at that moment. And not only the bag of ice…
Heat that didn't come from the bonfire suddenly hit him when the image of the human female came to his mind. He still couldn't believe he had fallen so easily, victim of the attacks of his lust. The last thing on his mind since his drastic transformation had been physical pleasure, but the events of the last two cycles had proven him wrong. It hadn't been a moment of weakness, but several. Now that his mind was considerably calmer and centred, he wondered if he would fall into such bestial behaviour again. He grimaced when he realized he didn't have an answer.
The battle between instinct and reason had never been so explicit. Descending to levels worthy of an animal was degrading, as was the heat he was feeling between his legs. He hated himself more than ever when he realized he would have liked to have the femme beneath him, sheltering his every-moment-harder masculinity.
"Do you ever stay down, you disgusting thing?" he snarled, looking toward his crotch.
He shook his head, realizing how ridiculous it was to actually talk to his intimate circuitry, and decided to lie on the ground, using his jacket and shirt to prevent touching the dirt with his skin.
For some reason, he wasn't feeling uncomfortable or anxious. The crackle of the fire and the soft song of the terrestrial insects around him had a peaceful effect on his normally agitated mood. The stars above him increased the feeling, bringing back the ancient days in which he was nothing but a science student filled with dreams, when war was still an impossible nightmare and his young processor still believed in peace.
He grimaced in disgust, feeling ridiculous for remembering such shameful times. His days of naïve innocence were very far away, but it seemed that his human condition made him easy prey for those memories. He had suspected it before, but now he was sure that being a fleshling was distorting his mind as much as it had distorted his body. He felt a shiver when he thought about how much that could affect him. He didn't want to return to his true body and discover that something inside of him had changed without the possibility of return.
"Ah, slag!" he screamed when he felt a sharp pain on his arm and pushed himself upwards, assuming a sitting position again. He saw the small insect walking on his left bicep and carefully grasped it between two fingers, bringing it closer to the bonfire to examine it.
An ant, he knew about those little bugs. Small as a particle but now he knew it had a very painful bite.
He tossed the ant into the fire, realizing that maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to spend the night there after all. Nature confirmed his thoughts when some drops of water started to fall over him.
Great, it was going to rain again.
Starscream got on his feet and put the shirt and jacket on. He then mounted his motorcycle and departed, not sparing a single memory for the abandoned bonfire that he left behind.
To be continued.