Hello everyone! Happy belated St. Patrick's day! Yesterday was the New London (which is called New Dublin this time of year) St. Patrick's day parade and unfortunately I missed it. But the day wasn't lost. I spent it with my older sister and brother-in-law at an arcade bar… In my new red Ford Fusion! Tura-lura-lura! XD

About this chapter, I did a little something different. The drone's I have written about so far have come up sounding pleasant and kind. Case and point, Steve and Cass. But like how some Cybertronians can be good or bad (Autobot or Decepticon), so can the drone's. So I made up a new character to go along the lines of this theory. I decided to call him Antaeus, after the Greek half giant, and we will be hearing from him again later on in the future… Unfortunately for Steve and Starscream…

Oh! Also forgot to mention something in my last chapter. I posted another drawing on Deviantart account. This time it's Breakdown and Knockout. Anyone who's curious I'll leave the link below the disclaimers and you can check it out.

Special shout outs too: CreepyLolita, maria-ioanna984, and Cao dreams in books. To CreepLolita, yeah, I think Breakdown and Knockout make a cut couple too… But no spoilers. To maria-ioanna984, this post made me blush a little, but it also made me smile as always XD. Thanks again for being so awesome! To Cao, if you get any sweeter, you're going to give me a cavity ;}. Thank you for your concern, Cass and I hug ya' back, but I'm alright. Like my mom always said, I'm the only one of her kids that bounce… Apparently it's true. And thank you for taking the time to go back and review chapter sixteen, that was very nice of you. Good luck with your finals and break a leg in your theatre group!

WARNINGS: If you are not into yaoi, slash, or mech preg, please do not read then try giving me a hard time in the comments and reviews. You were warned on the opening tab, and you are being warned just now. So, if I'm not your cup of tea that's perfectly alright, but please don't be shitty about it.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any stocks, trades, or licensing from the Transformers franchise. All rights are reserved for HASBRO entertainment.

emiko-kiichigo101/art/Knockout-Breaks-Down-790044683

MERCY

Chapter 18

There is a distinct, awful pain

that comes with loving someone more

than they love you.

-Steve Maraboli

Starscream dragged his pedes as he stammered into his living quarters. He clutched his shoulder painfully and his arm dangled along his side. Again the seeker had narrowly escaped the deadly clutches of his master's tyranny, and fortunately it ended quickly. If Megatron wasn't going to follow him after he scampered out of the throne room, then the tyrant wasn't going to pursue him all the way to his dorm. The flier remembered Steve was still in his berth chamber, so he carefully tiptoed over to his lounge couch. Quietly he rested over the cool seat and he went straight to examining himself. He couldn't risk going to Knockout incase Megatron changed his mind and decided to continue the abuse. The med-bey would be the first place he'd look, and granted, Starscream's room would be the second. So it would be wise if he didn't linger for too long. Once he had his injuries sorted out, the seeker would leave and keep his helm down for the next couple of days. But then there was the matter of Steve. What would he do with him?

One step at a time, Starscream told himself as he propped open his dented shoulder armor. Upon further inspection his injuries only looked worse then what they were and despite still being in pain he was able to repair himself by hand. The bleeding energon had already been sealed off by his internal nanites, so that was one thing he didn't have to worry about for a time. But as he started to adjust his joints and reattach loose wires he had time to reflect on everything that had happened, and everything that was said.

It was curious how that little drone managed to stir so much from the warlord, and Starscream had barely touched him. But what was really amazing was the power that little drone had over Megatron's temper. The moment everyone heard him say 'stop', Megatron stopped. Where did this sudden burst of over protection come from? Even if the giant brute was fragging the little scrap, that said little scrap was still just a drone. Of course this meant that the small Vehicon is, for some reason, important to Megatron… And if Starscream could find out whom this mysterious drone is, he could perhaps use him against the Decepticon leader.

Soon, the seeker's devious thoughts were interrupted by the rustling sounds coming from his chambers. He froze like ice, fearing that he might have awoken his lover from his recharge. When several minutes went by and nobody emerged from the room, Starscream felt confident enough to finally exhale, but the engrossing feeling of worry continued to grip the base of his intake. It had finally occurred to him that Steve was in just as much danger as well. Even though he never mentioned the Vehicon's name, the seeker had openly admitted to Megatron that he had taken up a new lover, so if his master decided to track Steve down, not only would Starscream be a target… But Steve would almost certainly be dismantled, and in front of the seeker as promised by the warlord.

After he had finished his repairs Starscream replaced his shoulder armor and then he just sat there. He stared out into the distance with a haunting blank expression. 'What am I going to do?' He asked himself in dull repetition. "what am I going to do? What am I going to do? What am I…?'

Starscream alerted himself back to reality when he felt a stray tear trickle down his chin. He didn't even realize he had started crying, and he was so upset it didn't really surprise him, but he was still acting unusually calm. When the flier reached up to wipe away the optical lubricants he finally saw the congealed energon that had partially dried over his arm.

"A wash." Starscream whispered, his voice wavering between slight shock and denial. "First a wash… And maybe I will find an answer in the steam."

"Nice going Steve!" A random Vehicon pouted to himself while he marched down a long dark corridor. "You made a complete fool of yourself in front of a Commander! And you left that poor kid alone with a now, very irritated Soundwave!" He was so distracted he didn't see if anyone was crossing into the hall in front of him. He and another drone collided with each other within seconds, and he immediately recoiled backwards.

"Woah there!" The second drone grabbed his tumbling compatriot by his waist and pulled him closer to his frame. "Is that you Steve? Where are you off too in such a hurry?"

"Oh-no…" Steve groaned when he realized whom he had run into. "Antaeus… When did you return to the Nemesis?"

"What? You're not happy to see me?"

No. Steve was not happy to see the tall Eradicon. All of the drones had their own ranking system outside the knowledge of the higher officers. Antaeus was one of the few older Eradicons that had risen above the rank of Colonel, and one of the few that completely exploited his position. The General Officer was a notorious panel chaser. Anyone he could blackmail into spending a night with him he would take full advantage of. Nobody on the ship had a good thing to say about the older drone, and the only reason anyone put up with Antaeus was because of his uncanny fighting abilities. Rumor has it, he was the one that took out the Autobot weapon specialist Irondhide back on Cybertron, but to Steve it was just a rumor. There were plenty of witnesses at the time to back up that he was the last one seen fighting the giant mech at the time, but no one saw what happened after that. The only thing that was known for certain was that when it was all over, Antaeus returned to the Decepticon army and Ironhide was never heard from again.

Like plenty of other troops, Steve didn't really believe Antaeus actually defeated the Autobot, since there was no one at the end of the fight to back it up with any canon. Despite no witnesses to the ending of their battle, the tall Eradicon still managed to impress the Lieutenant General enough to be promoted to Major General, much to many of the lower ranked drone's dismay. Including Steve.

One day after the Vehicon neglectfully slipped off his mask when he thought he was working alone, he didn't know that the General Officer was in the storage room with him, and when the Eradicon made his presence known he didn't hold back from being forward. Steve immediately rebuffed him, but for some reason this just encouraged the tall Eradicon to continue his advances. Every chance Antaeus got he would find Steve somewhere around the ship and try to seduce him. Once, Steve let his guard down long enough that he was slapped in his aft after bending to lift an energon crate, and that motivated the fed-up Vehicon to finally retaliate. After he dropped the crate, he quickly spun around and slapped his harasser. Steve might've put up with that if it was a much higher official like Knockout or Starscream (mostly because he would've definitely been off lined if he did… Of course if it was Starscream that spanked him, the drone could die happily), but not from someone that earned rank merely on a whim.

Fortunately for Steve there were actual witnesses to this little slapping incident and it intimidated Antaeus enough to leave the Vehicon be for a time, and luckily for everyone else he wouldn't be a bother for much longer. Every one-thousand years the troops would occasionally be rotated between the other ships that remain in the galaxy, and when the time came more than half the ship voted for Antaeus to be sent away. But now he was back. It had been at least fifteen hundred years since anyone on the Nemesis had seen him, and Steve theorized that nobody on the other ships wanted him aboard with them for much longer either.

"Please Antaeus, leave me be." The Vehicon rolled his optics and tried to push himself off the taller Eradicon. "I'm already having a rough night, and the last thing I need is you—Gah!"

Steve gasped when he felt a large servo reach under and behind his aft. The digits teased the base of his interfacing panel while Antaeus swiveled Steve gently to the side. The way they rocked from side to side it almost looked like they were dancing, until Steve's back finally rested against a corridor wall. He was now pinned by the taller mech's body and he had no where to run. The Vehicon squirmed and pushed against Antaeus's chassis, but the perverted Eradicon wasn't going to give him room to move.

"Aww… Poor Steve." Antaeus taunted his captive. He was one of the few drones that had an automatic sliding mask and he slid it back revealing his devious smirking faceplate. "Having such a hard time on this ship while I was away. How about you take your mask off and I'll make it feel all better?"

"How about you move your servo off my aft, and I won't rip it off at the wrist?!" Steve snipped and even gestured with his helm that he would head-butt the Eradicon if he got too close to his neck-cables.

"Feisty as ever my little trooper." The taller drone growled seductively. Once he found an opening to reach Steve's neck he quickly latched onto it with his dental plates. When Antaeus rushed in to sensually bite the shorter drone, he accidentally bit down too hard.

"OW!" Steve shouted angerly while he quickly unclipped the base of his visor and slipped it halfway up his faceplate. "You son of a—Nrgh!"

The Vehicon bit his captor in return and he viciously wriggled his helm while he gnawed into the sensitive circuitry. To make sure he still had a good hold on Antaeus he quickly grasped the side of his arm struts and managed to force the Eradicon to his knees. The force of the bite was so strong Steve began to taste cycled energon on his glossa, but he still held onto him. He had a message to send Antaeus and this time he was going to make sure it stuck with him.

Soon the pain became so unbearable that Antaeus had no choice but to gut punch Steve as hard as he could. It did the trick, but the Vehicon had already left his mark. As he stammered backwards with his arm embracing his abdomen, Steve spat out a mouth full of energon and hunched over to violently cough in pain. Antaeus on the other hand was furious and quick to collect himself. While he clutched his neck he lunged to his pedes, believing Steve was still stumbling.

"You little tart! I'll rip you apart for that!"

"Yeah?!" Steve stood with a wide battle stance, and he immediately transformed his arm into his weapons mode. "You just try it you perv! I'll blast you full of holes before you even lay a digit on me!"

Antaeus may have froze at the end of Steve's barrel but he glared at the Vehicon with an intense death sentence in his burning red optics. This was the first time Steve had the unwanted privilege to see the Eradicon's face. He wasn't a bad looking mech, but that didn't make him attractive to the Vehicon… Not in the least.

"Just walk away…" Steve huffed. "Just walk away right now and we can forget this ever happened…"

"Oh I'll walk away…!" Antaeus growled furiously. "But there is no way I'm ever going to forget this! Mark my words Steve!" The taller mech pointed deviously with his free servo while he cradled his bleeding neck. He had been rejected by Steve plenty of times, but this time he went too far and really humiliated the Eradicon. This would not go unpunished. "I will get you for this! You will pay… So you watch your back!"

"Just leave!" The Vehicon had enough, and he made that very clear when he charged his weapon to fire. "I'm not going to give you another warning!"

There was a brief stalemate between the two were they just glared at each other, but Steve didn't flinch for a second. Cautiously, Antaeus backed away and slid his visor back into place, but before he disappeared around a corner he repeated his threat.

"Watch your back Steve… Because I will have my optic on it as well…"

Steve also backed away and once he came to an intersection in the corridors he bounded down the hall to his left. He ran for about thirty seconds before he found a small energon store room. He quickly entered the room and as a precaution he locked the door behind him. Steve couldn't control the fierce pulsing in his spark chamber, but he did his best to finally calm himself. When his air vents let out a drawn-out sigh, he slowly slid to the floor on his knees.

"Mistaking a drone for a symbiote… Angering a higher officer… And running into the most egotistical mech on this ship next to Megatron… What else can go wrong today…?"

No sooner had he said that, Steve heard some rustling in the crates behind him. With his running luck the Vehicon might've just stumbled upon an undiscovered scraplet trap. Then again, with the luck he's been having lately he was very close to just welcoming death.

"Oooh…" A voice wavered from behind the crates, which startled Steve back to his pedes. Scraplets don't make noises like that, and if they did the Vehicon didn't want to know what encouraged them to make it. "Ah-hah! Oh!"

At this point it was pretty obvious what was going on, and Steve wasn't sure what to do about it. Should he make his presence known and apologize for the intrusion or just try and slip out the door? But when he heard the voice again, he noticed something familiar about it. He was hearing someone he knew.

"Mmm… D-damn it…! Ah!"

Slowly Steve crept up to the tall stacks of crates, being lured by the sultry voice. He knew that this was perhaps the worst thing the Vehicon could do, but he couldn't help his curiosity… And that familiar voice was just so hypnotizing. He got closer and closer to the maze of crates. As he approached the source of the exaggerated vocals, Steve felt his faceplate begin to heat and his interfacing panel pinged a signal to his processor. This voice… Could it be whom he thought it was?

"H-hot…" The voice rasped. "Oh… So hot… It… It hurts…"

It was. With one more glance over a random stack of energon, he found the source of the voice. It was Commander Starscream. He was sprawled on his back across two crates, and propped up on one of his elbow joints, but with his free arm…

"Primus…" Steve gasped quietly. "The Commander is pleasing himself in front of me…!" In utter shock the Vehicon didn't even notice that his own spike cover had opened, but Starscream did.

"Who's there?" The flier sat upright and covered his exposed equipment. The atmosphere had turned so abruptly it startled Steve into tripping over his pedes. He landed on the floor so harshly his loose battle visor popped off, but he didn't allow himself to linger on the ground for too long. He knew he was in real trouble now, and he needed to make himself look as pathetic as possible then leave before his Commander had the chance to discipline him.

"F-f-f-forgive me Commander!" He groveled and backed away on his knees. "I didn't mean to intrude! I'll leave right away!"

"W-wait!" Starscream stretched out his arm and desperately beckoned the drone to move closer. "Please don't leave… I n-need your touch…"

"Uh…" Dumbfounded, Steve lingered on all fours and just stared blankly at the beautiful flier. "C-come again, Commander?"

"If your good…" The slim silver mech slid back onto the crates and spread his leg struts apart. "You can 'come' as many times as you like…"

Steve would've been more embarrassed by the rattling sounds of his revving engines if it wasn't completely over shadowed by how quickly his spike pressurized. He quickly stood and covered himself with his servos. His knees came together and his faceplate glowed blue under his wide open optics.

"Commander!" He gasped. "I-I-I'm not worthy to gaze upon you let alone touch you! I—!"

"Ah!" Starscream suddenly fell back flat onto the crates and arched his back almost painfully. "Please! Please do something! I'm having a horrible heat cycle and I can't find any release! If I have to order you—Hah!"

The Vehicon moved closer to his higher officer as if he were possessed, then stood in front of him to gently lift one of his leg struts. Steve placed the flat of the ped over his chassis and glanced down the length of the leg. Starscream returned the gaze and watched as the drone's servos slowly ghosted over his calf. He started at the top of the ankle and as his digits traveled downward towards the knee-joint, his digits teased the silver metal and wiring. While Steve reached further and further down he allowed the ped to slide past the crook of his neck. When the ankle was aligned with his lip-plates the Vehicon delicately kissed it. He kissed, caressed, and gently nipped with his dermas enjoying the texture, the taste, and sounds he emitted from the seeker.

"Primus… Strike me down now…" Steve heaved over the gorgeous leg and began to kneel in front of Starscream as he moved further up his thigh. "Because nothing will ever be as fulfilling in my function… How have I been so blessed with such a heavenly reward…?"

"Ohhh…" The seeker moaned and glided his servos over his chest and dermas. "S-say more sweet things like that… Serenade me… It has been so long since I've heard such sweet things…"

"Commander…" The over heated drone continued to leave a trail of enthusiastic kisses all the way to the flier's knee, then over his thigh. "What more is there to say? Shall I tell you, you are beautiful? You are a living dream? If I did that, I would just be stating the obvious, so for now I will just say this… And if it is the wrong thing to say then I will worry of the consequences later…"

Steve finally landed on his knees and his lip-plates reached the end of Starscream's thigh where they latched onto his pelvic plating. He was now mere inches away from his Commander's spike and the tension in the slimmer mech's frame was becoming agonizingly noticeable.

"Oh Commander…" He whispered over Starscream's erect member, and before he even touched it, he announced his promised statement. "For this moment… You are mine…"

"OH!" Starscream was already on the edge and he overloaded in front of Steve's optics. "Yes! Oh Primus! Yes!"

The drone watched in astonishment. He was amazed that he hardly even needed to touch the seeker, and it was a major ego boost for the lowly Vehicon. As transfluid trailed over Starscream's frame, Steve couldn't control his servo traveling down to his own spike. With a firm grip he began to pump up and down his length. He knew that when Starscream's processor cleared he would immediately be turned away. The higher up had gotten what he wanted from him, but if Steve wanted to find relief of his own he would have to be quick… Or at least he thought he did.

"S-slow down…" Starscream weakly wrapped his legs around Steve's frame. One was still dangling over his shoulder and the other caressed the back of the drone's side. "Do you not know anything about Seeker heat cycles? I need to have multiple overloads for this heat to dissipate… Can't you hold out for a little longer?"

Steve let go of his spike and glanced up to meet the gorgeous mech's glossed over gaze. "Do you still desire me…? Commander Starscream?"

"Lean over me drone…" The seeker gave his meek order and even helped guide the Vehicon to rest in the right spots over his frame, so they could both be comfortable. Once they were settled Starscream noticed he had rested one of his servo's over the drone's helm. He was able to look up at his temporary lover for the first time, and he had found himself, for a lack of a better word, impressed by the violet mech's features. Starscream smiled as his body began to heat again. "Tell me your designation… Your name…"

"I am called Steve, Commander." The drone replied over the idling of his engines.

"Mmm… Steve…" The flier purred his arousal. "You have very handsome optics… Such a lovely shade of gold."

"Thank you Commander." Steve blushed and was given quite a shock when Starscream opened his valve covering.

"Steve…" The silver mech kissed the befuddled Vehicon and gestured with his hips he was ready for much more. "If you want me… Claim me as yours… Steve… Steve…"

"Steve…" Starscream's voice seamed to echo this time and Steve's vision began to blur. He could no longer feel the seeker below his frame, but a warm sensation began to tingle up the back of his strut. "Steve… Steve…? Are you awake my soldier?"

"Hmm…" The violet mech groaned while his optics fluttered online. "Not yet… Such a good… Good flux…"

"Why settle for a flux when you can have the real thing?" His lover whispered over his audio receptor. It became apparent that warm feeling on his strut was actually Starscream's servo, and it traveled further up his waist and rested in the curve of his abdomen.

"Well…" It was obvious that some time during his recharge Steve had turned over to rest on his front, so he needed to twist his frame onto his side, and he smiled devilishly as he reached out for Starscream. "If you put it that way?"

They kissed and caressed each other lovingly, but nothing really escalated beyond that. Something was wrong in Starscream's EM field, and it was becoming very off putting. Steve was still registering his surroundings, and he couldn't really tell what was happening, but he became very alert when he felt the large dent in his lover's shoulder panel. He rushed to a seated position and with a worried expression he looked Starscream over. His shoulder was immensely damaged and there were large scuff marks over his chassis. Steve nearly wept when he saw the scratches over the side of Starscream's beautiful faceplate.

"Commander?!" He whispered in horror. "Starscream?! What happened?!"

"It's nothing…" The seeker smiled sheepishly and tried to sound reassuring, but the dull gleam in his optics gave away his resolve.

"Starscream…?"

"Please Steve…" Starscream begged sadly. "I know how this looks, but I promise it's not as bad as it appears. I just…" He paused and for a moment he lowered his optics. When he looked back up at his lover he softly cried. "I just need to be held a while… Please… Hold me Steve…"

"Of course." Steve wrapped his arms around the distraught flier. He rocked his frame from side to side, trying to comfort his lover as best he could. "Shhh… There, there… I have you… I have you now." He kissed the top of Starscream's helm, then waited until he was ready to talk about what had happened. But the drone's spark broke at the sight of the seeker's adorable wings drooping behind his back.

"I love you Starscream…" Steve said, showing his support. "Know that I love you…"

"I'm sorry…" His commander sobbed. "I am so sorry…"

"What do you have to be sorry for—GAAAHH!"

Without warning, Starscream pushed Steve away and with a hidden electrical prod he shocked the drone at the base of his chest. The Vehicon seethed with clenched dental plates and crashed backwards back onto the berth. It was only a brief shock, but Steve's body twisted and tensed in agony. When he finally began to settle he watched with wide optics as Starscream stood and loomed over him.

"C-Commander…" He choked on the taste of energon in his oral cavity. "Starscream… W-Why…?"

Steve reached out for his lover with his shivering servo desperately. Starscream took the servo in his own and knelt beside the berth. He was still crying, and he kissed the shaking limb with gusto, making it clear it would be the last time he ever would. With what little strength he had left Steve clung to Starscream, and he told himself if he just held onto it long enough, his lover wouldn't be able to slip away from him… And he fought so hard to stay conscious.

"Forgive me…" Those were the last words Steve heard before his optics finally betrayed him, and he was consumed by darkness.

-END-