Warning: Brutal beating/torture.
Chapter 14
Mirage was roughly shoved so that he fell to the ground. The Coneheads gathered around him, smiling evilly.
"So, the boss just commed us." Ramjet said as he hovered over the Autobot. "Said that you fragged his daughter. Well, we don't approve of grounders getting 'comfortable' with our young ma'am. Especially, when we helped sparkling-sit when she was just a few decacycles old."
"Yeah, might as well have fragged our niece." Dirge grunted.
"So, the boss has 'requested' that we give you a parting lecture concerning how to 'properly' date a Seeker femme. Don't. And we can't deactivate you because Dawn ordered you to be released, but she didn't say anything about the condition you were released in."
"Ah, should have known there would be a catch." Mirage said calmly. "For the record; she threw herself at me. ARGH!" He growled when Thrust kicked him in his side.
"Oh, wrong thing to say." Ramjet replied as he stood.
Sideswipe lied on the couch in his room staring at the ceiling. Sunstreaker was sitting on the couch as well so that his legs were slung over his red twin's abdominal plating. The yellow one was idly drawing on a datapad, the two just silent.
"Poke." Sideswipe said as he jabbed a single digit against his twin's leg.
Sunstreaker turned to him. "Hold still." He grunted.
"I am holding still. I can't move with your fat aft on me."
Sunstreaker just glared murderously at him for a moment. "Fine then."
Sideswipe watched his twin scribble a little faster on the datapad before holding it up for him to see. Sideswipe's optics narrowed. The datapad contained several sketches of him lying on the couch, but now in every one he had a moustache, missing denta, or ribbons on his helm. One even had him sporting a dress.
"Ha. Hysterical." Sideswipe deadpanned as he handed the datapad back.
"Don't insult me." Sunstreaker said in the same tone as he accepted his datapad.
"Hey, if you're gonna draw me, draw me like one of those French girls." He smiled that lopsided grin of his as he raised his servos above his helm.
Sunstreaker smirked. "No."
"Draw me harassing Prowl."
"No."
"Draw me harassing you."
"Well, if I'm going to be in it…"
Sideswipe snorted a snigger. "Oh, you're too easy."
"What face do you want to be making?"
"This one." Sideswipe said before sticking out his glossa as he made a silly expression.
Sunstreaker just slowly shook his helm as he continued to draw. The two were startled by sudden knocking at their door.
"Guys! It's me!" Bluestreak's vocalizer called out.
"It's unlocked!" Sideswipe shouted.
The door opened and the Praxian rushed in. Sunstreaker subspaced his datapad before the unexpected guest could see what he had been doing.
"Guys! Mirage is back!"
"Didn't notice that he had left." Sunstreaker grunted.
"He is getting fixed by Ratchet, but he says that he saw Dawnstar! He said that Dawnstar told Starscream to let him go so he did and then Dawnstar talked to him some before he was taken away to the outskirts of Kaon where he was beaten and then left for scrap, only to be found by someone when his distress signal was picked up."
"Dawnstar?" Sideswipe asked slowly.
"Yeah, that's what he said, but he could just be hallucinating because it looks like he took quite a few hits to his helm and maybe that-"
"Is Ratch allowing visitors yet?"
"I think so, maybe, yeah, sure. Why?"
"No reason. I just-"
"He wants to find out how Dawnstar is doing." Sunstreaker said in that tone of his.
"Why? I'm sure she's doing fine since Mirage saw her and everything. I mean, Starscream seems to not hate her." Bluestreak said.
"It's because he likes her."
"Sunny!"
Bluestreak just eyed them for a moment before getting it. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, I get it. Sides is in love with Starscream's daughter!"
"I'm not in love!" Sideswipe snapped.
"No, that's adorable, Sides!" Bluestreak almost girlishly squealed. "I mean, you two would make a super cute couple, and you two totally had a lot in common, and you dating her would be like a movie or some type of drama about forbidden love and all that really fascinating stuff, especially since you interfaced with her probably the most, and she kept talking about you, and how you two always were talking about everything and-"
"Blue! I'm not in love with her." Sideswipe said sternly.
"He's denying it." Sunstreaker grunted.
"Dude, I am not!"
"You are."
"She was cool, alright? But not someone I would be serious about."
"It's okay, Sides." Bluestreak smiled. "I won't tell anyone about your secret femme-friend."
"I'M NOT IN LOVE!"
"Do you hope to join with her? Are you going to have sparklings!?"
"Primus save us all." Sunstreaker replied.
"I'M NOT JOINING WITH ANYONE! And NO SPARKLINGS!"
"But, you would make a good sire, even if you deny it." Bluestreak continued
Sunstreaker snorted a snicker. Sideswipe's optics narrowed.
"No. No I am not joining with anyone, no sparklings, and I'm not in love!"
Bluestreak was silent for a moment. "Do you still wanna talk to Mirage about it?"
Sideswipe glared at the ceiling as he clenched his denta. "Yes. I will talk to him."
"I think Seeker's do some type of mating dance that involves lots of squawking and flapping of arms." Sunstreaker commented.
Sideswipe shoved his brother off and kicked him in the aft so he fell to the floor. Sunstreaker's optics narrowed before he scrambled to his peds and viciously pounced on the red frontliner.
Bluestreak wisely backed out of the room before he could be added to the list of casualties.
"I'm just going to stop repairing you two and then maybe you will stop being idiots!" Ratchet growled as he carefully welded small cuts on Sideswipe's helm while the red twin held a towel to his leaking lip plate.
"He started it." Sideswipe mumbled. "Ow!" He exclaimed after Ratchet slapped him upside-the-helm.
Sunstreaker sat beside his brother on the medberth waiting his turn as he wiped away dirt and energon from his arm plates.
"Let me see that." Ratchet said as he made Sideswipe remove the towel. "Right-hook?"
"Actually, that was my ped." Sunstreaker replied.
"I can even taste it." Sideswipe remarked. "Tastes like wax and affection."
"Stay here. I need to get something from the back." Ratchet ordered before walking away.
The twins didn't even watch him leave. They just sat there, caring for their wounds when Sideswipe spoke.
"Hey, 'Raj."
"Hmm? Oh, hey." Mirage said from where he sat on a medberth reading a datapad, his frame covered in metal healing slabs and weld marks.
"So, um, I heard you saw Dawnstar."
Mirage lowered his datapad. "Yeah, she apparently asked Starscream to release me. Odd."
"Yeah, odd." Sideswipe swallowed. "So, um, did she look okay? I mean, she wasn't dented or anything, right?"
"She looked fine, but, then again it was hard to look her over when Starscream was giving me the 'Look at My Daughter Any Lower Than Her Optics and I Will Tear Out Your Fragging Brain Module' glare, mixed with a little bit of sparkeater death glare."
"What did she say?"
"Just said that she apologized for Starscream trying to fry my processor and that she says 'hi' to everyone." He shrugged. "Nice femme, but very naïve."
Sideswipe nodded his helm slowly. "Yeah, she's different."
"Why you ask?"
Sideswipe shrugged. "Just curious."
Mirage looked at him for a moment before smirking. "Right." He said as he lifted his datapad and continued with his reading.
Starscream clenched his denta as Megatron bit his neck cables, some energon leaking from a small cut. The warlord tasted it and began to nibble more at the wounded location, his ebony servos lowering to touch his Second's waist. The Air Commander writhed beneath his leader, his wrists tied to the head of the berth by chains.
He gasped as Megatron's thrusting became harsher, his frame tense from being unable to move his servos and defend himself. He whimpered and twitched when Megatron's servos moved over his frame, roughly pleasuring him.
"Stop making those sounds." Megatron growled as he grasped his air marshall's mandible tightly.
"I-I'm sorry, Megatron." He said weakly, static filling his optics.
Megatron forced his thumb into the Seeker's mouth and held down his glossa with it, squeezing the flyer's jaw painfully. "I thought I said not to speak."
Starscream made a gagging sound, coolant beginning to pool in his optics as his mouth was held open. Megatron just kept humping, their chest pieces soon folding away and their sparks' energy connecting as they reached their climax.
Starscream cried loudly, this sparkbonding feeling more powerful than before. He panted, trying to cool himself off. Megatron finally released his jaw and grabbed his neck instead. Starscream swallowed, only seeing those cruel, uncaring, blood red optics before him as the thrusting continued.
Starscream walked home slowly, his wings lowered as he tried to ignore the snickering and whispers of the other Decepticons. He knew that they knew, and that they were paying extra close attention to the dents of his frame and the streaks of black and silver paint all over him, especially around his pelvic area.
He never wished he had Skywarp's teleporting power as much as he did now.
He entered his code and walked into the house. Without a word or hesitation, he walked past his trinemates, who were on the couch, and went straight to his room. He closed the door behind him and entered his washroom.
Slowly, he turned on the water, prepared a wash cloth, and began to clean himself. He reset his optics a few times to remove the static, and wiped away the coolant leaking from them. He gasped and clutched his abdominal plating when a sharp pain emanated from there. He hadn't been feeling too well for almost an orn now, besides the usual discomforts.
Suddenly, he purged his fuel tanks, leaving him gasping as he held his side. He wiped away unprocessed energon from his lip plates, watching what little his tank once held slowly run down the drain with the water.
Starscream held his wings high as he made his way to medbay. He had gotten little recharge last night, and just felt like slag. He palmed open the door, relieved to see that only Hook was inside.
"Hook?" He said softly as he approached, his wings lowering.
The mentioned mech looked up. "Yes, Starscream?"
The Seeker climbed onto a medberth and sat down. "I hate to admit it, but I don't feel so great."
"Hmm," Hook hummed as he retrieved his scanner and approached. "Do tell."
"I feel… Off."
"How so?" The medic asked as he lifted Starscream's chin to inspect his optics.
"I have been feeling discomfort from my abdominal region, and I have been nauseous. I purged by fuel tank last night. I also have been feeling unusually tired. Not depression tired, but, just tired tired."
"Odd. Lie down, commander. I need to run a full scan."
Starscream did so and actually didn't give the medic a hard time as he ran his scanner over him. The Constructicon read the results, raised an optical ridge, then rescan him again.
"Starscream," He said slowly. "When was the last time you interfaced with your trinemates."
"That's rather personal." Starscream grunted.
Hook eyed him for a moment before showing him the results on the scanner. "You're sparked, Starscream."
Starscream's optics widened. He quickly sat up and snatched the scanner away to better read the results.
"But-but-but-Oh, Primus, I can't-I am! Oh, no, no, no, no-Primus, what!?" He said in complete disbelief.
"Starscream, calm down. You're low on fuel and the sparkling isn't helping." Hook said as he placed a servo on the Seeker's shoulder.
"I-I-I can't be… I'm not supposed to be."
"Do you want me to call your trinemates? I can check them to see which one is the sire if you…" He paused when Starscream began to shake his helm, not looking up at the medic. "Starscream?"
"Don't call them. Not yet." He swallowed as he set aside the scanner, still not looking at Hook.
"Don't you want to find out now?"
Starscream was trembling as he chewed his lower lip plate. Hook just eyed him for a long moment before venting a sigh.
"It's Megatron's, isn't it?"
"What?" Starscream looked up at him.
"Some of my gestaltmates saw you two together. Them and several others. Gestalts never lie to each other. What's the point when we're in each others processors when combined?"
Starscream looked down, still trembling. "This wasn't supposed to happen." He said in almost a whisper.
Hook was silent for a moment. "I can remove it right now. I won't archive it or anything. This will be just between the two of us. He'll never know."
Starscream looked up at him. "Just like that?"
"You know what would happen to you if you were found to be carrying. Just lie back down and I'll take care of it. Here, let me get the necessary tools." Hook said as he started to quickly walk away.
"Don't."
Hook stopped and looked back. "What?"
Starscream swallowed. "Don't remove it. I-I want it." He said so quietly.
Hook sighed after a moment. "Starscream, this one can't replace the one you lost with Moonstar. You cannot be carrying. If Megatron found out he would-"
"Maybe he wouldn't. It's his. Maybe he would… Maybe he would let me keep it."
"Are you certain it is his?"
Starscream's wings lowered. "I have not interfaced with my trine in… Quite some time. He's the only one who has touched me lately. It's his."
"He would never allow it. He doesn't like sparklings."
"I would keep the little one away from him, just as I did Dawn. I just… I can't go through with aborting the sparkling. I almost did that to Dawn and… I can't."
"Starscream, I don't think you should risk it."
"What if he allows it? It's his."
"Dawnstar needs you, Starscream. If Megatron decides to treat you like the others…"
"He won't." Starscream said a little firmer. "He needs me."
"Does he? He doesn't seem to treat you like he does. How many times have I repaired you after he has shown his 'favoritism' towards you?"
Starscream's wings twitched. He placed a blue servo over his gestation tank and vented a sigh. "I will speak to him. It's his. He may change his processor."
Starscream palmed open the door to Megatron's office and entered. He raised his wings and offered the tyrant a small smile. Megatron barely spared him a glance as he worked at his desk.
"Hey," Starscream said softly.
No response.
The Seeker's wings lowered slightly. He walked around the desk and brushed past Megatron's arms to sit on the ex-gladiator's lap. He slung his legs over an arm and curled into the much larger mech's frame, his helm rested against the warm chest piece. He idly traced the Decepticon insignia on the chest plates before vented a small sigh.
"My lord? I have a question for you."
"What is it?" Megatron grunted, continuing his work without looking at his Second.
Starscream bit his glossa. Megatron was not in the best of moods right now. He lifted his helm and pressed a kiss to Megatron's cheekplates. Megatron ever-so-slightly turned his helm to see the Air Commander in the corner of his optic. Starscream swallowed.
"Mighty Megatron, I-um, so, when-when was the last time you checked to see if your wires were disconnected?"
"What?"
"Um, well, something-something has come up that you might want to be aware of." Starscream said slowly, a servo lowering to rest over his abdominal plates where his gestation tank was. He smiled faintly. "Something that might be good, in a way, and not detrimental to you at all. Something that, um, well, isn't really an issue. Something you don't have to deal with and I can just be the one to take care of it. Something-"
"Where are you going with this?" Megatron demanded abruptly.
Starscream swallowed before forcing a small smile. "My lord, Mighty Megatron, um, you-you, how should I say this? You sparked me." Megatron turned his helm and stared at his Second, his optics widening. "I'm carrying your creation." Starscream continued.
Megatron just looked at him for a few more astrosecond before his optics narrowed. "Have Hook remove it immediately." He growled dangerously.
Starscream's smile instantly vanished. "My lord? It's your creation. I have not interfaced with anyone else since…" He swallowed. "You put your creation inside of me. I think, maybe, it would be good to keep it. I don't know what grounders believe on the matter, but to Seekers being able to reproduce is a sign of being a capable leader. One who is able to keep his legacy going and, well, show how he can continue to keep the population strong." He paused to study Megatron's scowling faceplates. "I would like to keep it, my lord. You won't ever have to see it or deal with it if you so desire. I'll raise it away from you, and if you do not want to be associated with it… I can claim one of my trinemates as the sire. If you want." He hesitated again. "Please?"
"I made the mistake of allowing you to keep one brat, and now I have to deal with a traitorous whore and you being incapable to perform the simplest of tasks with your constant 'illness.' No, there is no place for sparklings in my army. Especially another one of yours."
"It's yours too. AHH!" He placed a blue servo over his cheekplates where Megatron had struck him. "I didn't want Dawn at first, but after she emerged… Why not give the little one a chance? You could teach the little one how to be a grouch and never smile… AHH!" He yelped when another smack made painful contact with his faceplates. "Please, why not give it a few orbital cycles to think over?"
"No, Starscream. I do not need nor want a creation."
"Then allow me to keep it and raise it on my own. Please, I promise-"
Megatron suddenly shoved Starscream off his lap. "Was I not clear the first time?! Have Hook remove the parasite before I do it myself!"
Starscream's wings lowered, a servo touching over his gestation tank. "Please, just give the little one a chance. I won't ever fight you again if you will just let me keep it. I'll-I'll forever pleasure you and-ARGH!" He cried when Megatron stood up and stomped on his abdominal plating.
"NO, STARSCREAM!" Megatron roared as his Second shied away. "I will not waste anymore time with this! Go to the medbay, NOW!"
"Please." Starscream said in almost a whisper.
That was it. Megatron was engulfed in pure, unadulterated fury at his disobedient and weak Second. He reached down and grabbed the Air Commander's shoulder vents before throwing him across the room. Starscream smashed into a wall and slid down, instinctively grasping at his abdominal plating. He began to tremble as Megatron approached. He was brutally kicked in his side, crying out from every vicious blow as energon and fluids leaked from his wounds. Megatron grabbed him and slammed him against the wall, then proceeded to pound the Seeker's faceplate's into the same wall. Once that was significantly torn up and profusely leaking, Megatron started to tear the wings apart, then repeatedly punched the Seeker in the abdominal plating just over the gestation tank.
Starscream begged and cried out as he was horrifically attacked, unable to fight back.
Hook and the other Constructicons were chatting in the medbay when the door hissed open.
"Hook!" Megatron bellowed as he stormed in, scaring the slag out of the gestalt team. "Remove the parasite from this pathetic slagheap." He ordered, holding up the heavily damaged Seeker by the neck.
The mentioned Constructicon swallowed. "Yes, sir." He managed to sound normal.
Megatron tossed Starscream to the ground before pivoting on a heel and stomping away. Hook, Bonecrusher, and Scrapper gathered around Starscream and started to help him up. The Air Commander was covered in his energon, his wings almost nonexistent, faceplates horribly mutilated, and abdominal plating so dented and torn that he couldn't bend or move it in any way. They carried him to a bedberth and set him on it. The Air Commander curled in himself, clutching his lower torso, just over the gestation tank.
Hook grabbed his scanner and scanned the jet. He read the results, venting a sigh at what he saw.
"Starscream, you need to remove your servos so that I can begin to fix you." He said softly.
Starscream didn't seem to acknowledge him. He didn't move, didn't speak. The other Constructicons all exchanged glances.
"Someone, call Skywarp and Thundercracker." Hook commanded before turning back to his patient. "Starscream, remove your servos. There's nothing there anymore. The sparkling was… destroyed from the shock of the… of the beating." He was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, Starscream."
Hook waited for a response, but Starscream's optics were still offline, his jaws clenched from the pain. The medic gingerly began to remove the blue servos from the damaged abdominal plates, only to have fluid from the ruptured gestation tank gush out. He quickly set to work to fix the wound, just listening to the Seeker exhale heavily.
The other Constructicons brought over supplies and did their best to help, uncomfortable with the horrible act. They had seen Starscream beaten far more times than they could count, but knowing that this one was committed simply because the Air Commander was carrying… And carrying the creation of the one who had inflicted the torture no less. They would never admit it to anyone else, but they felt pity for Starscream.
The sound of air being displaced brought them out of their dark reveries. Thundercracker and Skywarp were beside their trineleader in an instant, the blue Seeker grasping an energon covered servo.
"What happened?!" Thundercracker demanded from Hook before turning to Starscream. "Star, sweetie, what happened?" He said softly.
Starscream's optics onlined, white with static. He just looked into the worried faces of his trinemates for a moment before he could no longer contain it. He cried. Coolant poured from his optics, his sobs the only sound in the room with occasional hiccup-like whimpers when he coughed up energon. He was trembling so hard, slowly shaking his helm.
Thundercracker swallowed, gripping the shaking servo a little tighter. Skywarp looked like he was about to breakdown as well. The Constructicons weren't sure what to do, awkwardly watching their commander bawl, something they had never witnessed before.
"What happened, love?" Thundercracker asked quietly. "Why did he do this to you?"
It took Starscream a moment to answer, trying to calm himself enough to be able to speak. "He-he sparked me. I was carrying his creation. I-" He coughed up energon. "I just asked him if I could-could keep it and he-he attacked me." He let out a few more sobs before continuing. "He killed it. He destroyed it without even giving the little one a chance. I lost another one."
Thundercracker swallowed. Skywarp's optics were white with static, trying to keep from crying.
"I can't-I can't, Thunder. I just… Please…" Starscream continued, too overcome with anguish and his crushed spark to think properly. "It hurts. Please, make it stop!"
"Shhh, shhh, Star. 'Warp and I are here for you, now and always. Hook will make you feel better. Just, stay calm-"
"No, no, he'll take me again. I don't want to be interfacing with him. I can't do this anymore!"
Thundercracker offlined his optics for a moment. "I will get you out of this, Star." He said softly. "I'm doing my best."
"I have to protect her. He'll-he'll kill her." He wiped away coolant from his still leaking optics, only to smear his energon blood over his cheekplates.
Thundercracker unsubspaced a cloth and began to gingerly wipe his trineleader's faceplates. "I know, sweetspark. I know." He vented a sigh. "You shouldn't be going through this."
"It hurts." He hissed, his optics momentarily offlining. "Please, it hurts."
"I'm working on it, Starscream." Hook said gently as he continued repairing the Seeker.
Skywarp reach over and touched Starscream's servo. The Air Commander changed his grip so he was holding both his trinemates' servos in his. He just watched their worried and loving optics until everything went black.
The warm water felt so soothing, relaxing, and comforting as it ran down his warm plates, seeping into transformation seams and into the more sensitive areas. He panted, a gasp escaping his vocalizer every so often as the ebony servo grasped his neck. The other cruel servo gripped his thigh, the digits curling to the inside so close to his codpiece. His own servos rested over the wet wall he was pressed against, his optics offlined as he was savagely thrust into.
It was barely an orbital cycle later since Megatron had thrown him into the medbay and demanded the sparkling removed. A little life thrown away and everything returned as if it had never happened.
Coolant leaked from the Air Commander's optics, still shaken up from what had just transpired the previous orbital cycle. His abdominal plating was still sore, and his spark felt like it was about to snap at any astrosecond from how much it was broken.
He felt like a failure. He had failed everyone in his life… even himself. All he was good for was to be used as a frag toy, and even that he couldn't do right.
"Stop making those sounds." Megatron growled.
"Apologies, lord Megatron." Starscream said softly, his vocalizer fritzing some.
Starscream just looked ahead, studying how the water droplets ran down the wall, joining with other droplets and then running down even faster. He turned his helm slightly, best he could with Megatron's tight grip around his neck. He could see them in the washroom's mirror, see Megatron humping him and his large, lustful smile. Starscream studied his own visage, his optics barely online, everything about his expression so beaten and defeated. It looked almost unreal, the much larger grounder holding the flyer so, using him to his spark's content. His optics lowered, watching it where it entered him, pounded into him, hurt him.
He turned away, swallowing before he started to softly cry again. The digits on his neck tightened until they began to dent the delicate cables.
"I thought I said to shut up." Megatron said dangerously with gritted denta in his Second's audio receptor.
"Sorry. I'm sorry." Starscream softly sobbed.
Megatron started to thrust harder from his growing wrath. Starscream bit his lower lip plate and offlined his optics, trying to remain quiet.
He couldn't.
He continued to softly sob, his frame soon trembling, just wanting to curl into a ball and cry alone in a corner.
Megatron had had enough of it. He pulled out of the Seeker and roughly grabbed his wrist. He dragged him out of the washroom and threw him against the berth. Starscream looked back at Megatron, not sure what to do as the Slag Maker rummaged through the storage containers in his berthroom. Starscream sat on the berth, knowing that there was no use in trying to flee or talk the warlord out of whatever he was about to do.
The Seeker swallowed when Megatron turned around and approached him with his gathered items. The ex-gladiator roughly shoved a cloth into the flyer's mouth before turning him around and forcing a thick cable in as well. He tied it behind Starscream's helm, gagging the poor Seeker so tightly that the corners of his mouth components were strained and hurt. He then tied Starscream's servos together before tethering him to the head of the berth. He was forced to lie his front on the berthtop, his peds still on the ground.
Megatron entered the Decepticon SIC and resumed his fierce thrusting as the Seeker moaned helplessly. An ebony servo keeping the Seeker down by the nape while the other gripped the red hip. His vocalizer now muffled, he silently cried, his scream through his agonizing overload barely audible.
Megatron kept going, moving his one servo from the hip to grasp a wing. He slammed Starscream's faceplates against the berth when the Seeker moaned a little too loud, tearing the delicate wing as well. Starscream clenched his jaws, biting down on the cable hard. Coolant flowed from the offlined optics, the Seeker completely submitting to his fate.
Thundercracker lovingly stroked Starscream's helm as the exhausted Seeker recharged on the couch, using his blue trinemate as a pillow. Skywarp sat on the other end of the couch, Starscream's peds atop of his lap.
Skywarp's optics were filled with static as he massaged the blue and silver peds, trying to ignore the hundreds of whip marks that covered his trineleader's frame. Starscream's wrists were damaged from being bound, his neck cables dented from servos grasping them, and wings bent.
Thundercracker checked the device he was using to pump energon directly into Starscream's fuel line in the arm. The Air Commander had stopped drinking energon an orn ago, when he had been beaten for carrying. Now, he only came out of the house to see Hook or Megatron, or to train with Dawnstar. Otherwise, he locked himself in his room, refusing for anyone but his trinemates and daughter to come near him. He had stopped his duties as Second in Command, and now Thundercracker and Soundwave had to do it all.
Starscream hadn't even flown since he had chased Dawnstar and saved her from the Empty rapists. And that was nearly two orns ago.
"He's still beautiful." Skywarp said barely louder than a whisper. "Even if he's hurt."
Thundercracker looked up at the black Seeker. "Yeah, he's amazing." He said softly.
"You think he'll be okay until we can get him away?"
Thundercracker was silent for a moment. "I don't know, 'Warp. We have a lot to do. We have to get the other Seekers out, ensure no one spots us leaving, and find somewhere to go." He vented a tired sigh. "I am not sure how long it will take."
Skywarp slowly nodded his helm, just keeping his optics on the peds before him. Thundercracker removed the tube from Starscream's arm when all the energon had finally been drained into him. He manually pushed the plates back into place before gently patting the arm. Thundercracker gazed at the dark faceplates of his commander, studying how they looked so upset even in recharge.
They had to leave. Starscream may not agree, but the Autobots were their best choice. He would get them all there safely one way or another. He just needed the right chance.
Starscream flicked his wings as he watched Megatron. He was in the tyrant's office waiting to begin, but the silver grounder was finishing up reports. The Seeker patiently waited, shifting from one ped to the other, too anxious to sit or lean against the wall.
After a bit, Megatron set aside his work and approached. Starscream's wings lowered slightly when Megatron's servos rested on his shoulders. Starscream reached down and removed Megatron's panel just over his codpiece, checking to make sure that his wires were disconnected. A new habit he had started just to make sure he wasn't accidentally sparked again.
"I would like to try something new, Starscream." Megatron smiled lustfully.
Starscream looked up at him. "A new form of bondage?" He asked quietly.
"No, we will try that tomorrow. I was thinking we do something that won't get you sparked."
"My lord?"
"On your knees."
Starscream swallowed, but obeyed as he was forced down. His optics widened when he realized what Megatron was thinking. His wings lowered as low as they could go and he swallowed.
"Megatron, I don't think-"
"What, Starscream?" He snapped. "You said that you were mine 'in every way.' You don't want the DJD coming after your treacherous, whoring brat, do you? Then shut up and do as you're told."
"Megatron, you don't want me doing this. I have never… I've never done this before. My trinemates and I are not particularly fond of oral, and the few times we have done it, it was valves only. We never once did spike. You don't want my inexperienced self to-to perform this act. Why not just continue sticking it in my valve?"
"Nonsense. You're a Seeker. This is something you are naturally good at. Now, begin." He finished by gesturing for Starscream to proceed.
Starscream looked up at him, his optics resembling the eyes of a kicked puppy. He turned his gaze to the black codpiece before him, swallowing again. He reached up and began to salaciously rub it until it folded away. Starscream clenched his denta, disgust evident in his faceplates. He hesitated before touching Megatron's spike, stroking it for a moment before holding it before his visage. He started to tremble, wanting to be anywhere but here doing this.
"Please, can't you just slam me into the wall and shove this up my valve instead of… of this?" Starscream pleaded, looking up at his superior.
"Starscream." Megatron growled dangerously.
Starscream looked back down, that tone making it clear that there would be no persuading the Slag Maker otherwise. He brought his lip plates closer to it, trying to keep from retching as he began to feel nauseous. Slowly, he opened his mouth, offlining his optics as static began to fill them. He swallowed again, trying to keep his energon down. Then, he placed it into his mouth, forcing himself not to jump back and purge his fuel tank.
He started to run his glossa over it, mouthing it, sucking it, trying to please the tyrant. He heard Megatron hum in approval, enjoying it despite the Seeker's lack of experience. An ebony servo clasped the top of Starscream's helm, keeping him there.
Starscream kept going, not removing it from his mouth, for if he did he wouldn't be able to stick it back in. He traced his glossa over the seams, his one servo stroking the rest he couldn't fit in, while the other held onto Megatron's thigh.
Starscream could feel Megatron's overload finally coming after what felt like an eternity. He prepared himself, readying to turn away and spit it out. His mouth was suddenly filled with far too much fluid as the ex-gladiator came to his climax. He jerked his helm away, the trans fluid still spraying out splattering all over his faceplates. He turned to spit it out, but Megatron was faster. He clasped a servo over Starscream's mouth while the other held his neck.
"Swallow." Megatron ordered harshly.
Starscream just gave him pleading and horrified optics. Megatron stroked the Seeker's neck with the thumb of his one servo, trying to get him to react. Starscream held out for as long as he could before Megatron started to push his thumb hard against his neck as he rubbed, causing the Air Commander to swallow.
"Again." Megatron said as he continued forcing the flyer to do so.
Starscream capitulated, swallowing for a second time. Megatron released him and he fell to the ground, gasping and coughing. Megatron rolled his optics before grabbing the delicate wings and yanking the smaller mech up. He forced the Seeker to lie on his back on the desk, then pulled the flyer's legs apart. Starscream's codpiece slid aside and he yelped as he was entered. He wrapped his legs around Megatron's waist as the grounder held him down by the shoulder vents.
Starscream gasped as he was brutally thrust into, his frame quickly overheating. He felt sick. He was nauseous, his fuel tank feeling like slag from what he had just done, and the harsh jerking of his body from the humping and being so hot did not help. He felt like he needed to see Hook immediately.
He clenched his denta, trying to think about something else, anything else, just to keep the fuel down. He felt more uncomfortable as Megatron leaned closer, his hot exhales caressing the dark faceplates.
Suddenly, Starscream jerked his helm forward as he purged his fuel tanks… all over Megatron's faceplates and chest…
Megatron just stopped, his optics offlined as he held perfectly still. Starscream's optics were as wide as they could get as he stared in complete horror.
"I'm sorry." The Seeker said quickly. "I so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry, sorry, so sorry. Here, let-let me get that." He said as he unsubspaced a cloth and some of the soap he always carried with him to cleanse himself from Megatron's filth.
Megatron's optics onlined, thin slits promising instant death. He snatched the cloth out of Starscream's servo and began to wipe the purplish-pink, unprocessed energon off his faceplates. Starscream quietly watched him, sheepishly offering the bottle of soap as well once the tyrant's faceplates were clear.
Megatron swiped the bottle out of Starscream's hold and opened it. Starscream uncomfortably tapped the tips of his index fingers together. Suddenly, Megatron grabbed Starscream's mandible and forced his mouth open just before pouring the soap down his throat.
Starscream made horrible gurgling gasps as he grabbed Megatron's wrists, trying to make him stop while he squirmed. Megatron held the Seeker's mouth shut before slamming Starscream's helm against the desk.
"Swallow, Starscream." Megatron growled menacingly, his thumb pressing against Starscream's neck.
Starscream whimpered before finally doing so. Megatron removed his servo only to slap it across Starscream's cheekplates, eliciting a pained cry. Another smack followed on the other cheekplates, then Megatron slammed Starscream's helm against the desk again.
"Please, I'm sorry!" Starscream begged, trying to get away, but just couldn't.
He cried in agony when a fist impacted his abdominal plating, then shattered the glass of his cockpit. The blows rained down on his faceplates and torso, denting, cracking, and tearing his plates as energon began to ooze out.
The beating was not helping his sick fuel tank, and he once again purged it all over Megatron. To say that Megatron was pissed would be a great understatement… With blinding rage, he wiped the unprocessed energon off his faceplates and smeared it over Starscream's before once again forcing the last of the soap into the Seeker's mouth.
Starscream sputtered and coughed when he finally swallowed the soap, only to be punched in the face again. He whimpered when Megatron finally pulled out and took a step back. The ex-gladiator grabbed Starscream's ankles and swung him into a wall, causing the Seeker to shriek in pain.
Starscream curled in on himself when he was stomped on and mercilessly kicked. He was grabbed and forced to stand up, before his face was repeatedly slammed into the wall until the wall held a hole in the shape of the Seeker's head.
His wings were twisted and bent before being ripped off. Starscream let out a piercing scream of pain as his wings were removed and tossed aside. Megatron grabbed his neck and held him as he delivered a powerful punch, sending the flyer across the room.
He was grabbed, yanked so hard that his arm joints were severely damaged, and thrown into another wall. He fell down to the ground, trembling so hard, helplessly watching as Megatron approached.
"Please, Mighty Megatron." Starscream said barely louder than a whisper. "I beg of you."
He was punched and kicked even more, the floor beneath him covered in his energon blood. After a bit, Megatron turned and stalked over to his desk. Starscream watched as he lied on the ground, his optics having difficulty focusing.
Megatron returned with chains, and Starscream swallowed. The Air Commander was forced onto his front before being made to get on his knees. Megatron grabbed his wrists, pulling them down and behind his thighs. They were tied together, securely behind his bent knees. Megatron forced his helm down so that only the Seeker's aft was in the air.
Starscream trembled, unable to move in the awkward position. He watched Megatron stomp off in the corner of his optic, reseting them as they began to turn white with static. Megatron stopped at a shelving unit and tore off a long, metal rod. He returned to the Seeker, holding the weapon up.
Starscream's optics widened when he saw the sharp, jagged end of the rod nearing, quaking with fear.
Decepticons throughout the control building stopped and listened when they heard his horrible shrieks of agony.
The Constructicons were lounging around playing a board-like game with holograms when Hook jumped from being startled.
"Yes, Lord Megatron?" He inquired in his comm. link, the others watching.
::Remove Starscream from my office this moment.:: Was the curt demand.
"It shall be done." He then turned to his gestaltmates. "Oddly, we are being told to retrieve Starscream's remains instead of his trinemates."
"Weird." Scavenger said.
"Come on, let's just go and get him." Scrapper grunted as he stood.
The green and purple grounders made their way through the hallways of the control building until they came to Megatron's office. They all suddenly felt uneasy. The door was slightly open, and the lights within off. They exchanged uncertain glances before Bonecrusher took point and forced the doors further apart. He stepped in and immediately stopped. Slowly, he lifted his ped to see the floor covered in energon. The other Constructicons entered as well, being careful not to slip. Scrapper pressed the button for the lights, suddenly wishing he hadn't.
The entire room was smeared with energon, from the floor, the walls, the desk, the inside of the doors, everything. The walls were filled with dents from someone being slammed into them, the desk was toppled over, datapads and other items littered the floor, and the place smelled like interface fluids and energon.
Long Haul swallowed. Then, they heard the rattling of metal and strange gurgling sounds. As one, they turned to see.
"By the Allspark…" Scavenger gasped.
Before them, in a puddle of his own energon, lied Starscream… or rather what was left of him. The Air Commander was completely covered in his own energon blood, his limbs disconnected, plating torn all over so inner wires were exposed, his spark casing visible, his face mutilated, and looking more like a pile of scrap than an actual Seeker. He was twitching and convulsing violently, energon mixed with oil leaking from his mouth as he made gurgling gasps. His optics were flashing as they wildly malfunctioned, visible wires cut apart and electricity zapping in the air.
"Primus, Starscream!" Hook exclaimed in shock as he and the others rushed over.
Hook whipped out his scanner from subspace and began to scan him. The scanner rushed through hundreds of damage reports, making the medic's optics widen.
"Hook…" Mixmaster said softly.
"What?"
"You might want to take a look at this."
Hook stepped over to where the others now stood, gaping at what he saw.
"Long Haul, transform. Scavenger, comm. Flatline and tell him to prepare the medbay for emergency surgery. The rest, help me get him onto Haul." Hook ordered.
They did as ordered, soon lifted the near deactivated Seeker onto the transport vehicle. As fast as they could, they rushed him to medbay where Flatline already had a medberth prepared with all the necessary equipment nearby. Carefully, they placed the convulsing Seeker on top of it, allowing Long Haul to transform.
Mixmaster slowly poured the right amount of acid over the chains and tore them away, freeing Starscream's servos. As if he were made of glass, the Constructicons turned Starscream over so that he lied on his back. Hook and Flatline began to remove the damaged abdominal plating, having to take a moment at what they saw underneath.
"How is he still alive?" Flatline said softly.
"He doesn't have much longer. Get him connected to a drip. Scrapper, start welding the primary fuel lines. Long Haul, go get more energon. Lots of energon. Scavenger, Mixmaster, grab extra Seeker parts from the back." Hook ordered.
Everyone did as they were told. Hook quickly began to connect wires to Starscream, the Seeker's vital signs soon displayed on the surrounding vid screens. Flatline shoved a tube down Starscream's throat, forcing more fuel in that way even faster.
Bonecrusher strapped Starscream's limbs to the medberth, trying to keep him to hold still as he jerked about. Everyone's servos were soon covered in energon, as was the medberth and floor. They pumped energon in, trying to keep it circulating as they did their best to repair him.
Suddenly, Starscream began to thrash about as his spark pulses started to spike.
"He's going into shock!" Flatline exclaimed.
"Keep pumping that fuel through him!" Hook ordered as he started to remove torn plates to reach Starscream's spark. "You are not dying on me. Not like this." Hook said in almost a whisper, his optics momentarily looking at Moonstar's designation so perfectly written on Starscream's spark casing. "Not when I made my own promise to her." He said so quietly.
::Scrapper to Thundercracker and Skywarp. You read?::
::Thundercracker to Scrapper. Yeah, loud and clear. You sound tired. Didn't recharge well?::
::I didn't recharge at all last night. None of my gestalt or Flatline did.::
::Flatline?::
::You two best get to medbay.::
Thundercracker swallowed when the line was cut. He turned slowly to Skywarp who was sitting on the couch with Dawnstar, telling her about some crazy adventure the trine had before the war while showing her pictures on a datapad. The blue Seeker vented a tired sigh. He had a good idea what was at medbay.
"Where is he?" Thundercracker demanded when he and Skywarp entered the medbay.
"In a CR chamber in the back." Mixmaster informed where he was busy cleaning energon off of the medberth they had used to repair Starscream on.
Skywarp swallowed, seeing how much of the purplish-pinkish liquid was still there. Thundercracker continued on, stepping into the backroom and walking by all the CR chambers until he came to one where Hook was sitting in front of on the floor, looking over a datapad.
The Seeker's optics widened when they saw their trineleader suspended within the tank, barely recognizable, even with his frame now clean of his energon.
"What happened?" Thundercracker demanded.
Hook rubbed his faceplates, dried energon still covering his servos. "He died on me. He died on me three times during the night." He said softly. Skywarp swallowed. "I finally got him stable a cycle ago." He vented an exhausted sigh. "He's never died on me before."
"What happened?" Thundercracker asked, barely louder than a whisper.
"Megatron. Megatron did this. I don't know why." Hook said as he set the datapad aside. "He commed me and ordered me to remove Starscream from his office. My gestalt and I found the place covered in energon. He was on the floor, tied and…" He rubbed his temples. "I never seen such damage before. On him at least." He was silent for a moment. "Three times…"
"Thank you for saving him."
"Hmm," Hook grunted. "I was ordered by Megatron long ago that I wasn't allowed to let Starscream deactivate. That that privilege belonged to Megatron himself. But then she came along. She made me promise to keep Starscream alive for her when she couldn't." He leaned back and thunked the back of his helm against the CR chamber. "Don't thank me. I did this for her."
Thundercracker watched him for a moment before slowly nodding his helm. "I think we still do a lot for her."
Hook offered him a small smile. "If only she knew how much she still affected us after death."
"How long will he be in there?"
"Decacycles. He received immense internal damage." He was silent for a moment. "I have a feeling that this injury will not be forgotten like the rest."
"You should go rest, Hook. 'Warp and I will watch him."
"Yeah, you earned an orbital cycle off." Skywarp added softly.
"Tempting. But I feel as if I were to leave he would die again." He swallowed. "I watched his spark fade away three times…"
"You need to recharge. We'll comm. you if anything happens." Thundercracker said.
Hook's visor darkened as he thought it over. He looked back at the Seekers before exhaling heavily. "I capitulate. I'll recharge in the medbay, though."
Thundercracker gave him a small smile as he reached down and took the grounder's servo, hoisting him to his peds. Hook took a moment to balance out, still unsteady from his exhaustion, then walked away.
"What do you think happened?" Skywarp asked softly once the Constructicon was gone.
"I don't know, Sky." Thundercracker said as he approached the CR chamber and placed a servo on the glass. "He probably mouthed off again and pissed Megatron off."
"He never hurt him to the point that he actually deactivated on Hook before."
"I don't know what to tell you, 'Warp. We'll just have to wait to ask him."
The Next Orbital Cycle:
Dawnstar walked towards her sire's berthroom and knocked on the door.
"Dad? You up?" She called, pausing to listening for his reply.
Nothing.
Her wings twitched before she palmed the door open and entered. An optical ridge raised when she saw that it empty. Once again, her creator was not around. It almost seemed as if he was avoiding her.
She turned and exited the berthroom, walking towards the stairs.
"Hey, Uncle TC, have you seen dad?" She inquired when she reached the bottom.
"He's busy, Dawn." Thundercracker said not looking at her as he read through datapads. Datapads that Starscream should be reading.
"Like slag he is. He promised he would train with me every morning!" She exclaimed as she put her servos on her hips and slightly leaned forward, just as her sire did.
Thundercracker looked up at her. "The universe does not revolve around you. Your sire is a busy mech and doesn't always have time to be dealing with you." He grunted, his optics narrowing.
"Who rattled your cage this morning?" She snapped sarcastically.
"Don't start with me. I'm not in the mood."
"You are such a jerk. Where's Skywarp? I much rather speak with him."
"Manners. Be rude to me and I won't answer your questions."
"Ugh! Whatever! I'm done with you." She said exasperatedly as she rolled her optics. "Go be a fragger." She started to stomp away, her arms crossed. "I'm glad you're not my sire."
"That makes two of us."
She stopped and turned around. "I don't see why dad trined a slaggger like you?! You just make everything worse with your odious attitude and just being so despicable!"
"You better watch it, young femme." Thundercracker said threateningly. "And I'll have you know I'm considered the nicest in the Elite Trine."
"Well, everyone has the wrong perception of the Elite Trine, then. You're the meanest. Even dad being his typical aft self is better than you."
"You have been so sheltered. I don't have time to waste bickering with you. Go find Slipstream to train with." He grumbled as he returned his optics to the datapad.
"Go get fragged, you stupid, old ignoramus!"
He whipped his helm up and glared at her. "You want to repeat that?"
"I'm so sick of you! I just want to find my dad and you have to be a complete jerk to me! I know you hate me. I hate you. Dad would probably be happier if you were the one to have been deactivated instead of mom!"
Thundercracker subspaced the datapad as he stomped over to her. "You listen and you listen good, little slagheap." He growled as he jabbed a digit at her chestpiece. "You are a naïve, stupid, little femmling, who would not even exist if not for me! Your sire would not be doing better if I was the one who had deactivated. I know him better than anyone, and I know that you are the one making his life a living hell! He has done so much to protect and care for your ungrateful aft while you hit him and treat him worse than slag! Everything you have done since Moonstar was deactivated has only made things worse for him! You can't even begin to fathom what he is willing to go through to keep you safe and is going through! If there is anyone whose deactivation will make him happy it would be yours!"
"Shut up!" She bellowed before kicking his shin guard.
"You do not hit me!" He roared as he grabbed her wrist and squeezed tightly.
"Let me go! I hate you! You're the worst uncle, ever! You're not even my real uncle!"
"I'm glad I'm not your real uncle! Being related to selfish brat like you! Stop kicking me or I will turn you over my knee!"
"I'll tell dad!"
"Go ahead. If you strike me one more time…"
"Let me go! I just want to find dad. Please!"
"He's busy. He can't see you for a while."
"How do I know you're not making that up to keep me away from him?" She snapped.
"Why don't you march your aft back to your room before I get tired of your disrespectful tone." He growled.
"You are not my boss!"
"Oh, yes I am."
"Stop it! Let me go! I'm going to tell dad! You stupid fragger!"
"Keep talking and you won't be able to sit for an orn."
"You can't threaten me! I'll tell dad and he'll throw you back in the brig where you belong!"
"You depend on him to fight all your own battles and yet treat him like slag? What goes on in that simple processor of yours? Oh, that's right: Nothing. You just want to be mounted by any passing mech and expect your sire to clean up the mess you leave behind as you throw away your life!"
Dawnstar clenched her free servo and punched Thundercracker across the faceplates. He took a step back, still not releasing her, and touched his lip plates. His optics narrowed when he saw energon on the tips of his digits.
Skywarp put in his code and entered the house, tired after not getting a good recharge from spending the night on the floor next to Starscream's CR chamber. He didn't want to leave Starscream alone, but Scrapper finally convinced him to go home and get some proper recharge, and that Starscream was being taken care of.
The black Seeker's wings lowered when he heard Dawnstar's cries and the very obvious sounds of a metal switch beating against her aft. He walked to the entertainment room and stopped.
"Make him stop! Ah!" Dawnstar screamed when she saw Skywarp.
Thundercracker held her wing tightly as she was slung over his lap, mercilessly lashing her aft as hard as he could. Coolant tears were pouring from her optics, her digits digging into his leg as she gripped him.
"What she do this time?" Skywarp inquired softly.
"She punched me in the faceplates, not to mention was very disrespectful to me." Thundercracker grunted, not ceasing in the punishment.
"I'm sorry! Ah! Please! Ah! Stop it!" She bawled.
"You probably should stop, TC. Star wouldn't want-"
"I'll stop when this brat learns some manners!"
"How long have you been hitting her?"
"Nearly two breems."
"I think that's long enough. TC, she's learned her lesson by now."
"I don't think she'll ever learn her lesson."
"Thundercracker, let her go." Skywarp said a little firmer.
Thundercracker eyed his trinemate for a moment before delivering a few more painful swats to the femme's aft. He then pushed her off and she ran to Skywarp, hugging him as she cried into his shoulder. Skywarp gently stroked her back, hugging her back.
"Uncle 'Warp," She said after a bit, still sobbing. "Where-where's my dad?"
Skywarp bit his lower lip plate. "He's busy." He said softly.
Her optics narrowed before she forcefully shoved him away. "He is not! You guys just don't want me to be around him! You both think I am just a failure and that the only thing I'm good for is to ruin my dad's life!"
"Dawn, we don't-"
"Shut up! I-I'll find dad myself!"
She then rushed out of the house leaving the two Seekers behind. Skywarp vented a sigh.
"You shouldn't be beating her, TC. Star will probably throw you in the brig again." Skywarp said quietly.
"I am done dealing with that brat. The entire reason Star is in the CR chamber is because of that ignorant youngling running off and fragging our enemies!"
"I know, but, Star is going through a hard time right now and we need to try and make it easier for him. If he doesn't want us to punish Dawnstar, then we have to do that. I don't like what Dawn has been doing either, but Star is stressed enough without fretting about what we do to his daughter."
Thundercracker eyed his trinemate for a bit before sighing. "I know. But if Star doesn't do something about her she is either going to get herself deactivated or one of us!"
"He's scared about punishing her."
"Why?"
"He hasn't told you?"
"What hasn't he told me?"
Skywarp bit his lower lip plate. "She's his last connection to Moonstar. He still feels bad about what he did to Moonie and yelling at Dawn or doing anything to her makes him feel like he's hurting Moonstar again."
"That brat is nothing like Moonstar. She's nothing like her sire either." Thundercracker grumbled.
"She's just as stubborn."
"She inherited all his bad traits, none of the good."
Skywarp smile faintly. "He has any good besides that sexy aft?"
Thundercracker sniggered, a grin on his faceplates. "It is pretty sexy."
Skywarp's wings lowered, his smiling vanishing. "Too bad it has been taken away from us."
"We'll get him out of here and get that aft back. Don't worry, Sky. We're Seekers. We'll get through this."
Skywarp nodded his helm slowly. "I hope you're right, TC."
Dawnstar ran into the control building still crying, coolant tears running down her cheekplates as she shoved by mechs. She stopped at her sire's office and knocked on the door.
"Dad? Daddy! Please, I need to see you!" She waited a moment before palming the door open. "Daddy?"
The room was dark and empty. Her wings lowered she turned and ran off. Pushing more mechs out of the way, she quickly arrived at the Control Room and rushed in. She slid to a stop when the cold, malicious optics of Megatron focused on her. She swallowed, slowly approaching where the tyrant stood talking with Soundwave and Shockwave.
"S-Soundwave?" She stuttered as she touched his arm. "Have you seen my dad?"
Soundwave's visor flashed. "Seeker Starscream's location: Classified."
"No, it isn't! Please, I need to see my dad. Soundwave, please tell me." She begged as she held his arm a little tighter.
Soundwave was silent, debating on what to say when Megatron spoke up.
"He's in medbay." Was the harsh reply.
Dawnstar looked up at him. "Why?"
Megatron's optics narrowed. Soundwave nudged Dawnstar, indicating that she leave. She glanced at him before turning and running out.
The Seeker femme ran to medbay and forced the doors apart. She looked around, searching for her sire, but he was nowhere to be seene.
"Hook! Hook, where are you?! Scrapper!? Long Haul!? Scavenger?! Anyone!?"
"Dawnstar, what are you doing here?" Scrapper demanded as he walked out of the backroom.
"Megatron said that my dad was here. Where is he?" She asked softly.
Scrapper vented a sigh. "Dawn, sweetspark, he's being repaired. He was hurt and so is offline right now. You'll have to wait until he is fixed to see him."
"He's my sire. I can see him in whatever condition he is in." She said firmly despite her vocalizer fritzing some.
"Hook doesn't want any visitors until he is better. I'll comm. you when he is online."
"Slag that! I'm going to go see my dad!"
"Dawnstar, don't make me use force." Scrapper threatened as he jabbed a digit at her.
Dawnstar eyed him for a moment before pivoting on a thruster and stomping away. Scrapper watched her, crossing his arms as he shifted his weight to one ped. Suddenly, Dawnstar activated her thrusters, transformed, and flew past the Constructicon leader, missing him by inches. He twirled around, trying to snatch her tailfins, but she slipped by and entered the back. She quickly transformed and ran through the room, Scrapper giving chase.
"Dawnstar! Get back over here! That's an order!"
She ignored him. She came to the CR chambers, passing each one by until she came to the one. She stopped, her wings lowering, optics widening, and mouth open. She let out a piercing shriek before falling to her knees, screaming and crying. Scrapper approached her, getting on one knee and placing a servo on her shoulder.
"He'll be okay. Hook is going to fix him right up and you'll be able to hang out with him again." Scrapper said gently.
Dawnstar stayed there bawling for a few kliks before she could talk. "Wh-what happened? Why is he hurt?"
Scrapper didn't answer right away. "There was… an accident. He'll be fine. Don't worry."
"How long will he be in there?"
"A few decacycles."
"What?! But I need to speak with him, now!"
"You don't always get what you want. The time will fly by, you'll see. Hey!" He exclaimed when Dawnstar suddenly shoved him away and bolted off.
She ran out of the back room, out of the medbay, and through the control building. She ignored everyone she came across, just needing to get away. She turned a corner and suddenly crashed into a large, dark blue and tan frame. She looked up at the hidden visage of Onslaught for a moment before scrunching her faceplates and bawling into his chestpiece. The Combaticon leader held his servos up, uncertain of what to do.
"Um, Dawnstar…? Err, what's wrong?" He dumbly asked.
It took a moment before she pulled her helm away and looked up at him, her optics white with static. "Daddy's in a CR chamber and will be for decacycles and I need to talk with him! He was hurt really bad, and-and I just really need him right now!"
She burrowed her faceplates back into his chest and continued with her crying. Onslaught scratched the back of his helm as he thought.
"Um, I don't know what to do about that, but I do know something that might help."
She looked up at him, wiping away coolant tears. "What?"
"How about you come with me and we play a game."
"A videogame?"
"Primus, no. A real game. Ever heard of 'Conquerors?'"
She shook her helm. "No."
"Well, it's a holo-board game where you must use your processor, unlike those time-wasting, processer-melting things your uncles are so fond of. The goal is to defeat your opponent without losing all of your pieces. Here, I'll show you."
He took her servo and started to lead her away. Dawnstar held onto him arm, walking alongside him. She had known him her entire life and felt safe with him, and even though he would deny it, he always enjoyed her when she was an innocent sparkling. Especially when she would climb onto his lap and demand for high-fives.
He missed those orbital cycles with her.
"If Onslaught found out he would de-plate you, Swindle." Blast Off pointed out as he lied on the top berth looking down at his gestaltmate.
"Ah, but you see, he never will." Swindle smiled mischievously where he lay on the bottom berth, his legs crossed at the ankles and his servos cradling his helm.
"You hope that."
"I know that."
"Oh, which reminds me: Where do you want to be buried again?"
"Ha! Such fate in my lying abilities, I see. And I thought we already discussed this. You all are burying me in a tomb made of Shanix and shame."
"We certainly have the shame stocked up, but I don't think there's enough Shanix for a full tomb. What should we use as a replacement?"
"Death threats."
"I think we could rebuild all of Cybertron with all the death threats you have…"
"What can I say? I'm a popular mech."
"Hey," Brawl grunted as he entered the room. "We have company so clean up."
"Company? Since when does anyone want to be around you guys?" Swindle inquired.
"It's Dawnstar."
"Dawnstar? Why is she here?"
Brawl shrugged. "Apparently she ran into Onslaught crying. He's trying to cheer her up."
Swindle and Blast Off exchanged glances before leaping off their bunkberth and exiting the room. The Combaticons walked to the lounge room where they found Onslaught setting up the game to play with a softly sobbing Dawnstar.
"Hello, little ma'am." Swindle greeted her with a smile.
"Hey, Swindle." She forced a smile as she looked up at him.
He sat down next to her on the couch. "Doing alright?"
"Not really." She said softly.
Swindle unsubspaced a cloth and handed it to her. She accepted it and began to wipe her cheekplates and optics dry. The other Combaticons all pulled up chairs and gathered around.
"What's wrong?" Swindle asked softly.
"I just…" She exhaled heavily. "I just really miss my mom and how things were before. When dad was almost always around, when I felt like I could trust him, when everyone was happy and Thundercracker didn't hate me."
"What makes you think he hates you?"
"Because, he said so."
Swindle stroked her back, right between the wings, for a moment before speaking. "Forget what he says, sweetspark. Ol' TC is just a grouch. You have a good spark in you. Have you made some mistakes? You bet. But, everyone does. Things are rough for you with the loss of your carrier, and you just gotta get through all this slag. We've all lost people we cared about. It's an endless cycle and you just gotta find things to help you."
"Hey, anytime you wanna chill out with us is fine. You're welcome company." Brawl said.
"Thanks." Dawnstar said quietly.
"Would you like some high grade?" Swindle inquired.
"Yeah, that'll be nice."
Swindle rose and left to retrieve the high grade. Onslaught finished setting up the game and looked up at the Seeker.
"Now, I don't want you crying like a sparkling when I kick your skid plate, femme." He grunted.
Dawnstar smiled. "Careful, Onslaught. I'm a quick learner."
"Yes, you share that trait with your sire."
"I also don't go down so easily. Just like him." She replied a little stronger.
I just keep making things worse...
Awwww, Sideswipe is so cute when he's in denial! XD
Poor Starscream... Just wanted to keep the sparkling since he now realizes that he loves having kiddies and raising them. :(
What did Megatron do to Starscream? You'll find out all the details in the sequel when he finally reveals some secrets to his trinemates. It won't be pretty...
Yeah, Thundercracker does not like Dawnstar. At all. Not anymore since she has been the cause of so much misery. :/ It's sad, really.
So, I managed to draw a concept drawing of Moonstar! Go to my homepage and look at my blog, The Robotic Dragon dot com. :)