Chapter 20

Reunions and Bloodlust

Starscream wasn't sure why he had returned to the north side of the city, why he was renouncing a much needed recharge cycle to contemplate once again one of the many decadent sights of the human society.

It seemed that every city of planet Earth shared such drastic social differences, so like the ancient Golden Era of Cybertron, during which all the important cities were populated only by politically correct mechs living together in harmony, whilst the scum of society was kept away from sight.

A couple of humans fighting this way, others inhaling inebriating substances that way, one screechy female claiming she had been robbed at a corner…

It was perhaps a sick feeling of nostalgia. That part of the human settlement Portland, so obviously dysfunctional, reminded him of Kaon.

Kaon before the war, Kaon when Starscream was nothing but an ambitious dreamer…

There were vices too, in Kaon, vices beyond the wildest perversions. And Starscream had submerged himself in those vices, even learned to relish in them, finding his way to survive whilst standing out among a group of losers whose destiny was doomed.

And right when he had thought he was on his way to the top, just when he was standing on the anteroom of greatness… he had fallen. And now there he was, turned into one of the most insignificant creatures of the Universe, stripped of everything he was and had owned, brought back to his roots.

He had started that way too, dealing, stealing, murdering, using others to his advantage, trusting no one but himself… How ironic life was, how ironic it was being to him.

"Hey, hey buddy, hey!"

Starscream stopped his motorcycle and stared at the skinny and untidy young male that was waving his hands at him.

Johnny ran and reached him, panting with the effort. "Ah… ah… ah… it's you, right friend? I didn't recognize you with the helmet… but ah… that's the bike I got you, right?"

Starscream removed his helmet. "A machine that is not legal, I assume."

Johnny smiled. "Heh, don't worry about that pal. The owner won't be needing it soon, he's kinda… you know, badly wasted. By the time he wakes up, if he does, I'll cut my left ball off if he even remembers he had a bike, hee hee.... By the way friend, I heard about your fight with Maximus! Wow! It was you, right? Since the moment I first saw you, I said to myself, hey Johnny, now this is a tough guy, someone you can trust in. But hey, nice to see you around, buddy. I didn't expect to see you so soon but I did what you asked me."

Starscream frowned. He had completely forgotten about this human worm whose vocalizer was so definitely out of order.

"A place, remember?" Johnny continued. "You told me to get you a place and you'd give me some dough. Well, there's this friend of mine, who kinda owns a little building two blocks from here. See it?" the young man pointed toward a four-floor settlement that had definitely seen better times. "I crash there sometimes, when I have nowhere else to go, but thing is that he always has rooms for guys like you, you know, who don't want to be bothered and don't care about their neighbors? Thirty bucks a night and you got yourself a nice place, no questions asked, you know?"

Starscream considered the human's words. He hadn't planned to stay in that zone of the city after trying the accommodations of the hotel he was staying in, but somehow he felt more protected there, wrapped by crime and secrecy. As much as he loved the luxuries his former status granted him, he had never forgotten the unique shelter a dark city could provide. Besides, it wouldn't be bad to have some place to hide in case he needed it, even if he wasn't planning on actually residing in it.

"Whatever… But tell me something, Johnny. Have you heard about these… machines… cars that have life?"

"Woah… oh yeah… you mean the robots? Who hasn't? See, some people say they are like alien and shit, but I'm sure they're Japanese."

"Have you seen them? Do they come to this part of the city often?"

"Hell, no. I mean, sometimes they come to patrol and shit, but they usually hang around more to the south, you know? They're like heroes and shit… I saw two once, though, they caught the Bugs when they were smashing a pawn shop. Oh man… those two-chip fuckers busted aaaaaall the Bugs gang by themselves. You know the Bugs, right? Kane's gang took over after they were gone."

Starscream frowned. Of course, with the Ark being so close to Portland, it was to be expected that the Autobots were recurrent visitors. After all, he just had encountered Bumblebee outside some youth dance club.

"I see…" he said. "Here are your new orders, worm: go to that place you just showed me and make it habitable. I may use it sometime, I don't know when, but it could be anytime."

"Sure, whatever you say friend… But I'll need some cash to make it comfortable for you, you know?"

Starscream extracted three of his last one hundred dollar bills from his jacket and extended them to the young man. "There are more where these came from, Johnny, many more. If you're smart, you'll do exactly as I say, and you'll keep receiving them."

Johnny took the money with a big smile. "Wow, yes! I'm your man, buddy. Whatever you need, all you have to do is ask Johnny."

……….

Johnny had barely made it ten metres down the footpath when he suddenly stopped still, turned and came scuttling back like a disturbed insect. His face seemed paler than before, dark rings highlighting his now wide, bloodshot eyes.

"Oh shit...shit..." he muttered frantically, skirting around Starscream and cowering behind him. The Decepticon immediately moved away from him.

"And what the slag is wrong with you?" Starscream said without the slightest hint of concern. "You've got your orders, and if you want to live to see the morning then I'd suggest you go and see to them."

"T-there...look...oh shit...it's them...it's them...fuck, they're...they're fuckin' gonna kill me..." Johnny continued, pointing down the road. He ducked behind Starscream again, clutching onto his arm like a terrified sparkling.

"I thought I made it clear last time that you are not to touch me," Starscream said irritably, shaking off Johnny's grip.

"I...I'm sorry buddy...but...but you gotta help me... Fuck...I...I don't wanna die..."

Starscream glared at the creature cringing behind him; the pathetic display of cowardice bringing about a sick sense of satisfaction to the ex-Seeker. It wasn't the first time he'd held someone's life in his hands, although normally he wasn't the one apparently charged with saving it.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze and looked in the direction that Johnny had pointed. Sporadic streetlights cast a sickly, yellowed glow down the length of the street, throwing the pavement into wedges of contrast. Without his advanced optical sensors it took him a moment to find anything out of the ordinary; a couple of upturned rubbish bins, a car up on bricks...

And then he saw them.

The unmistakable forms of Frank and Pete; Kane's lackeys. Starscream snarled.

"Shit," Johnny whimpered, the short, dirty fingernails of his right hand finding their well-known place between stained teeth. His body began to shake violently, replacing his usual agitated tremor with one of absolute fear.

"What, you're afraid of those two morons?" Starscream mocked as he returned his attention to Johnny. "I suppose those two brutes would pose a threat to a worm like you… Although why anybody would want to waste their energy on you will remain a mystery to me."

"Buddy…please…please, you gotta help me…" Johnny said, pulling Starscream into the darkness of an alley. "I…I don't have the merch, I…I got desperate and kinda used it…thought I'd have the cash to cover it by now…shit…"

"Do not touch me or I swear the punishment I deliver will be far worse than anything those two creatures do to you."

"Uhh…four…there's four of them…"

Starscream peered surreptitiously around the corner. Frank and Pete were now dangerously close to their location, not that it bothered the Decepticon in the slightest, yet he still couldn't detect the presence of the two other humans Johnny had alluded to. He closed his eyes for a minute in frustration before checking again; and the he saw a movement in the shadows.

"Slaggit!" he cursed under his breath as the dark outlines of two burly men made themselves clear in the shadows, he would never have missed them if he still had his radars…

"See…see, I told you…shit, they're gonna fuckin' kill me…"

"Johnny!!" the angry voice of Pete bellowed.

"So, you owe them credits for the 'merch' you stole?" Starscream asked cynically.

"No…no friend…I didn't steal it…honest!! I…I was gonna pay for it, but a deal fell through…"

"We know you're here, faggot! Come on, show us your pretty face!"

"Sounds to me like you stole from them. In which case you deserve to die."

And with that, Starscream pushed Johnny out of the relative safety of the alley, right into the path of his impending doom.

..............

Johnny squealed in pure terror as he fell over a dustbin and landed hard on his hands and knees. The young drug addict didn't have time to find his feet as a rough hand grasped the lapel of his brown jacket, lifting him into the air like a rag doll.

"Please…please don't hurt me," he begged piteously as the unknown man carried him to where Frank and Pete were standing with their second accomplice.

From his hiding place in the alley, Starscream smirked. He had always found pleasure in other people's torture; even in his youth the spectacle of a one-sided street brawl awakened the senses as much as a gladiatorial match did. He had never been able to explain exactly why that was, but he suspected it was the delicious stench of fear…intoxicating like nothing else.

His expression deepened as he watched the unknown, hairless brute land two brutal punches in Johnny's abdomen, causing him to cry out in pain. The other man, brown-haired and bearded, now held his victim captive in an unforgiving headlock.

"Enough, Roger!" Frank said as a third blow found its mark. "Tony, release the fucker."

The bearded man dubbed Tony complied with the command, viciously throwing Johnny to the ground. Whimpering, the young man immediately cowered, covering his head with two shaking arms.

"So, faggot," Frank said, circling Johnny like a shark. "You owe us some money."

Johnny cowered further, if such a thing was possible, until it seemed his body would soon become absorbed in the pavement. "I…I…I do, yes…but…"

Frank kicked Johnny hard in the side, causing him to cry out again. "I don't like 'buts', Johnny. Where's the cash?"

"I…I don't have it…not all of it…I'm sorry… But I'll get it, my friend…I promise you will have it…and more…just please…let me go…please…"

"Not all of it?" Another kick. "Well, how much do you have, then, faggot?"

"Ahh…ahh…three…three hundred…"

And another kick. "What do you take us for, Johnny-boy? Three hundred…that's not even half of what you owe."

"I'll get you the rest…I promise…"

Starscream leaned in closer as Frank gestured to his companions, all three of them acknowledging the silent communication by withdrawing sharp knives from within their garments.

"What is it they say, Pete?" he said maliciously as he too pulled a knife; cleverly concealed within the cast around his hand and arm. "A pound of flesh…?"

"No! No…please… I'll do anything! Anything!"

"You've had your chances, asshole," Pete said. "Time to pay up."

Starscream shivered in anticipation; he had come across the origins of this 'pound of flesh' concept whilst studying human cultures and he knew it meant torture, suffering, blood…

He moved forward slowly, desperate for a better view. However, it seemed that fate once again had different ideas as a pile of cardboard boxes beside him decided to collapse; his front row seat suddenly becoming centre stage.

………

All eyes focused on Starscream, who suddenly stood stock still like an animal caught in the headlights. Internally he was berating himself, however, after a few moments of silence he was able to compose himself well enough to speak evenly.

"Well, well, well, look who it is," he said. "Imagine finding you two here."

He moved defiantly into the centre of the gathering as four knives raised against him, their sharp blades gleaming in the night.

"You picked the wrong night to fuck with us, pretty boy," Frank said, advancing. "You're gonna pay for what you did, got that cock sucker?"

Starscream regarded the red-head, smirking at the sight of his damaged hand. "Oh yes, I can see that you mean that."

"And when he's done with you, it's gonna be my turn to fuck you up," Pete hissed, moving to stand at Frank's side.

"Yes, I can see why you'd think that."

A bloodied bandage adorned Pete's face, brown stains highlighted on white gauze, surrounded by a sea of purple, swollen skin. He looked hideous, a pulpy mass brought to life, and it suddenly struck Starscream that he too should have resembled something similar.

"You see this knife here? Well, it's gonna open up some new holes in that pretty little body of yours."

"Oh, do you really think so?" Starscream said as he pulled his own knife from a jacket pocket. "Because I think you are the ones that will be sporting new holes, not me."

Suddenly, Starscream was grasped from behind, pulled into a headlock by the creature known as Roger. Taken by surprise the ex-Seeker couldn't prevent his capture, but his unnatural speed and strength allowed him kick out brutally, sending an approaching Frank to the ground with a sickening crack. It didn't escape his attention that Johnny was now nowhere to be seen.

"You're…fucking dead!" Frank gasped as Pete rushed forward to take his place. "Fuck…I…I can't breathe…"

Twisting about wildly, Starscream managed to avoid the blade that moved menacingly towards him. As he broke Roger's hold, he pulled the man forward, directly into the path of Pete's falling arm.

Roger howled as Pete immediately withdrew the knife, sending a torrent of violent red streaming to the ground. His body followed the movement and he landed heavily, a string of expletives mixing freely with the cries of pain.

Starscream laughed viciously, relishing the look of surprise on Pete's disfigured face. "Oh, bravo!" he mocked, kicking Roger hard in the side. "Your fighting skills are truly worthy of your pathetic existence. But I must say, it does remind me of a few other morons I've had the misfortune of knowing…"

Pete lunged at him a second time; Tony did the same from the right. A blade found Starscream's forearm as he ducked and pushed his way between his two attackers, his new jacket, much to his chagrin, baring the brunt of the damage. His own knife flashed hungrily as it tasted blood for the first time, lodging deeply in Tony's thigh. Like Roger before, the thin, bearded man screamed and fell crumpled to the ground.

But Pete remained standing, and within seconds was rushing towards him again. A fine trail of blood made itself felt as it dripped slowly from his own cut, warm and viscous. But he knew it wasn't serious, well acquainted with pain he didn't need to see it to know it was nothing more than a mere scratch.

"You think you can beat me?" Starscream goaded as he took hold of Pete's wrist.

"I use faggots like you as practice, asshole," Pete replied as he grabbed Starscream's arm. "You got lucky last time, that won't happen again."

"Oh really, fleshling?"

The pair struggled for several moments, wrists captured and locked in a stalemate. Realising he wasn't making any progress he kicked out at Pete's abdomen, forcing him backwards and breaking himself free.

As the dark-haired brute struggled to his feet again, Starscream moved to the place where Tony lay helpless. "Aww, what's the matter, maggot? Can't get up? What a shame…"

Without a second thought he kicked the middle-aged man in the head, rendering him unconscious in an instant. Placing a foot on Tony's chest, Starscream pulled his knife free and wiped it clean on his jeans.

"Three down," Starscream said as he sucked in air. "Come on, worm, give me a challenge!"

Suddenly, time seemed to stop. Starscream had been about to pounce when Pete pulled a gun from his jacket and levelled it; despite his superior speed Starscream was almost certain he couldn't outrun a bullet.

He hesitated.

Then he felt it, a hand on his left shoulder, spinning him around.

And a knife, waiting to receive his right shoulder, piercing his flesh without remorse.

Starscream couldn't repress the cry of pain that escaped his lips as he fell to his knees, the weapon still residing in his muscles.

Frank…

He had been foolish enough to assume he was down for the count…and the Pit-spawned fragger had taken his opportunity when he had allowed himself to be distracted by Pete's gun…

The world seemed to swirl about him as he heard Kane's two lieutenants departing, leaving behind the still writhing Roger and now unconscious Tony. In truth he was surprised they weren't taking the chance to finish him there and then, however, he suspected they might have had orders from Kane concerning that.

Starscream cried out again as he took hold of the knife and pulled it from his shoulder, despite its sharp nature it resisted a moment before sliding out smoothly. Swaying dangerously as he stood slowly, Starscream looked down at his shaking hand, now sticky with blood. He extended his fingers painfully, moved his elbow and then the shoulder itself, and despite the instant agony the movement brought, it confirmed in his mind that it wasn't as serious as it could have been.

But the loss of blood was a problem…a problem he wasn't sure he could deal with on his own.

To be continued.


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