A/N: I'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out. The moments between Screamer and my OC are honestly one of my favourite things to write. That and the trine bromance. Who doesn't love a tsundere Starscream? Besides, what I have written below is not entirely OOC in my opinion since he's been portrayed this way before in TF: Armada and as recently as TF: Earthspark. :P
The room Starscream carried her into was the complete opposite to that of Thundercracker and Skywarp's. This room was spacious and very neatly kept. Luxurious even.
Though the walls were still mostly quite plain, certain areas within the space were draped in rich purple tapestries adorned with gold accents, an impressive sized window adjacent to the doors revealing the moon high above with countless stars scattered among it.
A large table was sat within its centre, extending most of the length of the room. A huge desk was positioned at the far back, a multi-display vid screen sat above it along with two large shelves exhibiting tools of a scientific nature either side.
Craning her neck, she peered out from between his fingers and noted that unlike Skywarp and Thundercracker's room, this room appeared to be sectioned off toward the back. His private sleeping area perhaps?
Sure enough, he continued on past the large table and desk toward a secondary set of doors situated there.
Placing his palm on the access panel, the doors whooshed open, and she peered around the dimly lit confines with genuine interest. This was Teegan's first experience of being in his private quarters, and she definitely had the impression the jet preferred the finer things in life.
This slightly smaller area did in fact house his "bed" which was identical in shape to Skywarp's and Thundercracker's, but slightly larger in size. A smaller desk area was set up opposite. One that held a string of further scientific instruments, as well as a number of neatly stacked datapads.
Setting his hand down upon this desk, he waited as she gingerly stepped off and turned about to face him. Weaving her arms around her torso, she shivered slightly, watching in silence as he opened his subspace.
Quickly retrieving something from it, she immediately recognized it as one of the containers of water from Skywarp's and Thundercracker's room as he set it down beside her.
Though Starscream had said very few words during their time together, the air around them lacked the usual thick tension she often associated with the fearsome jet. He seemed calm, relaxed even.
"Remove your outer covering." He commented quietly, indicating to her jacket with a nod as he seated himself and drew up to the desktop.
"Huh?" For the briefest moment, confusion creased her brow, but quickly gave way to sheepishness when he spoke again.
"You're bleeding, are you not?"
So, he had noticed after all.
Almost immediately, her mind sprang to the fresh cuts she had inflicted upon her forearms a couple of nights prior, and she bit her lip hesitantly. Meeting his eye apprehensively, she blanched when he quirked an expectant brow at her in evident impatience.
Releasing a soft sigh, she relented, grimacing in pain as she shrugged off her jacket and quickly turned her slashed arms inward, away from his gaze. Looking down and to her left, she frowned at the mess her shoulder presented.
The strap and neckline of her grey top were now stained a dark red, the crusted remnants of blood streaked and smeared heavily along her collar bone and down her upper arm. She grimaced again when her eyes wandered to the source of the mess.
That was definitely going to leave a scar.
"As I expected," Starscream rasped, leaning back again slightly as he studied the damage, "you'd best clean that up a bit before I can take a proper look."
Again, she hesitated, her eyes drawn down to the container of water he had provided, and she wound her arms tighter around herself despite the pain that twinged insistently in her shoulder again. Cleaning this mess up would require her to remove her top...
Quirking a knowing optic ridge at her reluctant expression Starscream scoffed as realization dawned on him.
"Don't worry femme," he grabbed a datapad and powered it on before adding, "I assure you I won't look."
Hesitantly, she studied him a brief moment more before turning her back to him. Wincing again, she raised both arms and hastily rolled the sticky remnants of her top upwards over her head before tossing it aside. Casting a look over her shoulder again now her torso was bared, she ensured that he was indeed still keeping his eyes averted.
The jet was. His large frame turned away from the desk slightly as he scrutinized the datapad with mild interest.
The frigid air caressing her skin made her shiver again, and as quickly as she could, she approached the container and angled her shoulder into the water. She noted that the wound had begun bleeding again slightly and put it down to being too vigorous with her actions.
A sharp exhale left her lips as the freezing liquid enveloped her flesh, that, combined with the cold metal of the tub pressed against her bare breasts making her teeth chatter.
It was far colder than she had expected, but all the same, she sucked in a sharp breath and plunged the last of her appendage in until the water reached her injury. It stung sharply upon contact, but she ignored it as she set about rinsing the blood from her skin.
By the time she had finished the water in the container was tinged a light red.
Drawing back from the edge, she jumped as Starscream readily shoved what appeared to be a large polishing shammy before her nose. Holding it between thumb and forefinger whilst his attention remained on the datapad, he waited for her to take it.
Ensuring her chest was covered with one hand, she reached up with the other and did so, turning away before quickly wrapping it around her torso and tucking it in beneath both armpits. Though it appeared he had cut it down for her, it was still much too large and balled up heavily around her legs. She didn't complain though, in fact, she was extremely grateful.
Offering him a murmur of thanks as the welcoming warmth of the fabric engulfed her, she busied herself by grabbing her clothes and folded them into a neat pile at her feet before stilling and waiting.
"Now, let me see." Starscream murmured at length as he returned the datapad to the stack of others, switched on a lamp and drew closer to her once more.
Gently, he used his fingertips to guide her into position, so the wound was directly beneath the bright light. Though not suggestive in nature, their presence made her skin bristle, his lingering touch leaving a strange heat in its wake.
Goosebumps rose and prickled across the surface of her flushed skin, the uncomfortable sensation of butterflies in her stomach ever growing. The feel of his fingertips on her bare skin was odd, unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome.
In fact, she had to admit that she kind of liked it...
Biting the inside of her lip, she tried to think of something else. Anything else.
Glancing up tentatively, she noted then that his eyes were doing something strange.
The two separate parts that made up his pupils and irises were revolving around one another beneath the protective barrier of glass, dilating then constricting as they zoomed in on the gruesome injury.
Ceasing their rotating, a red light then sprang forth from within his iris's making her jump slightly as it engulfed her, passing through her from head to toe.
Once it vanished, he finally spoke.
"Well, the good news is that it only appears to be a flesh wound. A scan also indicates that there is no stray debris present."
He had scanned her? Her mind was immediately taken back to that day on the wastelands when he had checked her poor vitals before declaring her work was therefore insufficient. Rather ironic considering this current scan had arisen from a place of concern...
Starscream's voice snapped her back to reality again.
"The bad news is that with such limited access to your human medicine and tools, I will have to cauterize the wound to ensure sufficient healing."
Teegan gulped. But before she could protest, his hand had already formed a fist, the laser affixed to his forearm aimed squarely at her injury.
"W-wait! Hold on!" She cried, nearly dropping her "towel" in her panic. "Is there anything else we can do? Anything at all?"
"Well, if you'd rather leave it to chance and risk an infection setting in," he huffed with a hint of impatience as he lowered his arm, "then by all means, be my guest."
"F-fine, let's just get it over with." She replied, attempting to sound braver than she felt but failing miserably. Quickly gathering her hair in one hand, she bundled it over the opposite shoulder so that the injury was fully accessible and squeezed her eyes closed.
"Right, brace yourself femme." He warned, readying the laser again and taking aim, "This will sting a bit."
A sharp zap and the awful aroma of sizzling flesh filled the air as he unleashed his laser power, a shrill pained cry leaving her lips as she clutched tightly at the towel, so tightly that her knuckles whitened.
Agonized tears sprang to her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. Though it took mere seconds, it felt like an eternity, the searing heat so unbearable and intense that she thought she might very well collapse where she stood.
And she did.
Falling to her knees as the laser powered down and he lowered his arm, she hunched over, white-faced and trembling. Blinking several times, she attempted to force back the tears that stung, soaking her eyelashes until they felt heavy, immovable.
"You did well small one." Starscream commended quietly, watching as she let out a trembling breath and drew her limbs together shakily before setting her forehead atop her knees. Delirious with pain, her mind seemed detached from reality as she remained that way for a long moment.
As the pain began to slowly ebb, her comprehension started to finally catch up to her senses.
It was strange. Strange to consider that he had once used that very weapon in an attempt to take her life. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined he'd someday be using it to save it...
"You were very brave today, Teegan." Starscream added when he noted some of the colour was beginning to return to her skin and her breathing had calmed. "And for that, I owe you my life."
Slowly, she raised her head and looked up at him through half-lidded eyes, mouth slightly open, a thin perspiration beading her forehead. A weak watery smile found its way onto her lips as she met his eye, and she nodded up at him softly.
Stretching her legs out, she looked to her left, observing his handiwork. To her surprise, she found that the wound had already improved significantly in appearance. Forgetting herself for a moment, she lifted an arm to run curious fingertips along it, learning its texture. It was very smooth. Probably better than anything a top human surgeon could have achieved.
With every intention of thanking him, she turns to look at him again but faltered as she realized he was studying the injuries to her arm. Scrutinizing them just like he had that night in the hall.
Reaching for her jacket, she hastily made to throw it on in order to hide them again, but his voice halted her in her tracks.
"Teegan, let me see." His voice was soft but commanding and she dared not disobey his direct orders. No matter how uncomfortable they made her.
Hesitant at first, her eyes searched his for any hint of anger or judgement, but she found none. It was impossible to fully discern what she saw there but it certainly wasn't that.
Very slowly, she turned both arms outward, looking away in shame as his eyes scanned over them fully, taking in the extent of the damage there.
Finally, after a minute of agonizing silence in which she wished the ground would swallow her up, he spoke.
"From now on, whenever difficult feelings arise, I want you to talk to Thundercracker." The jet rasped quietly, "I can modify your cuff and set up a communications channel directly to him. It has been an earth week already since its construction was commenced, so some extra time spent modifying it won't hurt."
"Why Thundercracker?" Teegan asked, her face reddening at such a suggestion, though she felt a tiny stab of hurt that he hadn't suggested himself. She highly doubted she was worth Thundercracker's valuable time anyway. She was just a human after all. One insignificant human among many. Besides, he surely had more pressing matters to deal with than her mental well-being.
"Because, admittedly, he is better at handling these kinds of things than myself." Starscream informed her. Noting her expression and easily reading into the underlying disappointment there he added, "or me I suppose. If it makes you feel more comfortable."
As much as the idea of spending more quality time with Starscream and Thundercracker was greatly appealing (a crazy notion considering she wanted nothing more than to be as far away from them as possible not so long ago) she again couldn't help but feel she wasn't worth either of their time.
It felt like some twisted joke. Like this was all some crazy dream that she would wake from at any second. How had things gone from him having such murderous intent, such hatred and disdain for her, to him cleaning up her wounds and offering her his metaphorical ear when it came to her feelings?
"It-it doesn't matter." She stuttered, lowering her head in growing embarrassment and wishing he would drop the subject. Reaching out, the tip of his index finger slipped beneath her chin, tilting her head up so she was forced to meet his eye again.
"It matters to me." His gaze was keen, focused, and she shivered slightly at its intensity. "I want honest communication from you from now on." He added, "whenever you feel lonely, angry, or scared, you are to speak with me or TC. Promise?"
"I..." She hesitated again but continued quickly when she noticed his eye twitch ever so slightly, "I promise."
Nodding sternly, he slipped his finger out from beneath her chin, her head resuming its prior position as he rose from the desk and approached the nearby doors before disappearing through them.
Returning swiftly with what she recognized as a cube of energon in hand, he seated himself within the chair once more, facing her.
"Your injury," He questioned after taking a lengthy sip, "How did it happen?"
"One of those morons blasted at the vent as I crawled through. I'm guessing whatever the blast hit sent some of it into the shaft and it caught me on my shoulder."
"So, what's the reason for your...," His eyes swept over her tattered grease-covered clothing, "appearance?"
"There was some crazy metal machine in there." She replied quietly, grimacing as she recollected the horrible memory, "I narrowly missed being diced into pieces by all its bloody arms."
"A cleaner," He informed her passively, "they run routine maintenance in the service tunnels, clearing any potential hazards or blockages."
"That was a cleaner!?" She fell silent, the gruff snide voice of Demolisher filling her head again as she recalled what he'd shouted down the shaft at her, "Well, I thought I was a goner because it came at me so fast. Somehow, I luckily got away with just a few nasty scratches. It definitely did a number on my clothes though. I managed to confuse it and it got all its arms caught up in a grate. I finished it off by kicking it over and stamping on its front-most part where I guessed its CPU would be. As I did though, it spewed all this... black gunk over me."
Starscream looked rather impressed. He regarded her in silence for a moment, seeming to ponder something before taking another sip from his cube.
Subconsciously, her eyes were drawn downward to his fingers as he lowered it back onto the table, the vivid image of that blue liquid violently spattered across them earlier forcing its way into her mind's eye.
"So, um," She spoke up timidly, fiddling with the cloth bundled heavily in her lap, "going back to those two bots that were planning on killing you... did you manage to catch them? What happened?"
"They've been taken care of." Starscream replied ambiguously. Deliberating his words for a moment, she offered him a nod of understanding. She figured his vagueness on the matter was owed to wanting to spare her any unpleasant details. That suited her perfectly fine. She was just glad the whole affair was over with, and no one was seriously hurt.
"How many have you killed?"
This blunt question caught him off guard, his hand pausing where it was with his drink halfway to his lips as he eyed her curiously. He lowered it to the table again.
"Countless," He replied dismissively with a wave of his hand, "But you never forget your first." That last part was said rather sombrely, and something tightened in her stomach. Indeed, you don't forget your first. A strange swirl of emotions passed behind her gaze as she nodded in silent agreement.
"And... who was your first?" She asked, voice quiet and timid as she drew herself from her own morbid thoughts and studied him inquiringly. At her question, he merely smiled at her, surveying her from over his drink he had grabbed again before throwing his head back and downing the last of it in one go.
"What?" She asked hesitantly as he set the now empty cube aside and scrutinized her with a bemused expression.
"I just find it amusing that you want to know such things."
"Well, you are..." She swallowed coyly after an awkward drawn-out silence, attempting to seek the right word, "interesting."
Starscream barked out a laugh.
"Interesting. Me? Really?"
"Of course," she replied with growing indignation, "You're a giant alien robot from outer space, of course I find you interesting."
"Are they the only reasons?" He asked then, eyeing her with a knowing twinkle in his eye. Blushing, furiously, she looked away before stammering incoherently, pretending she had an itch on her neck that needed scratching.
Enjoying her embarrassment a brief moment more, he cleared his throat pointedly before answering her earlier question.
"A defector from the cause." He paused, looking past her, staring into space as though thinking back to such memories, "That was my first." A silence fell between them again, and then his flaming red eyes fixed hers, boring into her as he posed the same question, "How about you? How many lives have you taken, if any?"
"Three," she replied quietly, expression hardening and eyes seeming to glaze over as she allowed those terrible memories to resurface, "since the war began."
"Hmm."
At this sound of acknowledgement her head lowered, her eyes unseen as she fiddled absently with the cloth again. Opening and closing her mouth, a small frown surfaced as she seemed to contemplate something for a moment. When she next spoke, her voice was quiet. Dark and bitter, "And if given the chance, I would do it all over again for what they each did to me."
The violent image of a man's throat ripped out as he clutched at it desperately, taking in garbled laboured breaths flickered to the forefront of her thoughts, but she forced it away with a purposeful blink. Recollecting where she was, she looked up to find the jet studying her again.
The look he was presently giving her was something that looked very much like intrigue. A silence fell, and when it became evident that she no longer wanted to discuss the current subject, preferring to sit in sullen silence, he shifted.
"You know," he commented dryly, sitting back, and surveying her with the slightest hint of a smirk, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had Decepticon blood flowing through those tiny insignificant veins of yours."
Teegan scoffed at this remark, a fleeting wry smile lifting her lips before another more pressing matter occurred to her.
"Why did Megatron leave Nexus? Those two mechs... when I overheard them talking, they were saying something about a... conversion. What's your real plan for my planet and its people? Please, just be honest with me." He quirked a brow at that last comment in particular but didn't pick her up on it. Instead, he drew in a deep weary intake before answering her.
"Megatron is currently located a considerable distance from here to the East of your capital. He left on account of a great deal of energy being discovered and has set up a secondary base there in order to obtain it. I am not certain at which point he will return. As for your planet, his newest ambition is to 'Cyberform' it, meaning it will eventually resemble something like our own."
A sharp silence followed, louder than any before it, and she frowned, processing everything she had just been told before her eyes, wide and glistening with alarm, lifted to his.
"But... if he does that, wouldn't that kill everything on Earth."
"Yes, it would." Starscream, sensing the immediate shift in her mood, prepared himself for the onslaught of outrage that would follow and sure enough, she rose to her feet, hands fisted at her sides.
"You can't let him do that! You can't!" she cried, face reddening with anger, "And you can't just let me sit by and do nothing knowing this either!"
"I don't intend on allowing him," Starscream replied curtly, "I intend on taking him down and putting a stop to his tyranny once and for all. And once I accomplish that, I will rally the remaining troops and leave your planet. You will never have to see me, or any other Decepticon ever again."
Teegan felt the odd stirrings of something unidentifiable within the pit of her stomach at that last sentence but dismissed it with a purposeful blink. This was her planet. Her home. How could he expect her to simply sit by and do nothing knowing what she did now? Just allow everyone and everything to die. Her brother wouldn't have. No, Danny would have done the right thing and helped. No matter the risk.
"You have to let me h—"
Starscream held up a hand in a gesture of silence before speaking calmly.
"Teegan, I have decided to let you help. Properly this time." Blinking away tears, she faltered, frowning up at him as though struggling to quite believe what she had just heard.
"R-really?"
"Yes," He replied solemnly, "though I loathe to admit, you have proven me wrong tonight. Clearly you are far more capable than I gave you credit for. Your actions have proven your mettle, as well as your allegiance to me. So, I am going to ask something of you. Something important. But you can decline if you so wish."
"Of course," she replied, hurriedly wiping her face on the cloth draped around her, "what is it?"
"There is a sword. One I believe to exist here on your planet. It is said to be so powerful that it can cleave a mountain in half and destroy stars with a single swipe. It is called the Dark Star Sabre. Legend has it, it was transported here by the ancient Decepticon Jhiaxus, eons ago when he was exiled from Cybertron for war crimes. I believe that before his demise, he concealed the sword and other relics he had stolen in an unknown location whilst here, on earth. Jhiaxus' last known location was what is now known in modern day as Senovia. By my estimations, the sword should be located somewhere there. I have recently completed work on a scanner. One designed to detect the sword's energy signature, thus making it easier to locate. With such a sword, and the ancient power it possesses, I can bring down Megatron."
"Are... are you sure you trust me with finding something as important as this? You said that my size was a weakness not long ago, remember?" A slight upward quirk of her lips followed as she placed a hand on her hip and studied him with derisiveness, but her tone grew serious again when she added, "I'm assuming this sword is huge, given how huge your kind are. How would I lift a sword that size alone?"
"Firstly, yes, I trust you." Starscream replied simply, "I wouldn't be appointing you this task if I didn't. As for your size, well, I suppose that was just another thing I was wrong about, hmm?" He smirked down at her with dry amusement before adding, "but not to worry about that. Frenzy and Rumble will be there to assist you."
Teegan visibly sagged at this unwelcome news. It was no secret that Rumble had some sort of grudge against her for reasons she wasn't quite clear of. Maybe it was simply the fact she was a human. Thankfully, Nexus was a vast place, meaning it had so far been fairly easy to avoid him. But the prospect of now being forced to be alone with him for a prolonged period whilst hunting down this sword filled her with utmost dread.
"Don't worry, I will keep Rumble in check." Starscream stated when he noted her body language and concluded Rumble was likely the reason for her reservations, "He won't step out of line as long as I'm around."
Nodding appreciatively with a small smile, Teegan dusted off her hands before placing them on her hips.
"When do we start?" She asked eagerly, beaming up at him, but Starscream shook his head.
"You need to rest."
"I feel fine," she replied quickly, "honestly, I do. Besides, this sword could be anywhere. The sooner we start looking the better."
"You are stubborn, you know that?" The jet grumbled, shaking his head again as she grinned, though a small smirk was lifting the corner of his own mouth, "Right, well, if you're sure?" She nodded eagerly, "I was going to commence the search tomorrow at dawn." Pausing in order to gauge her reaction, one which could only be described as thrilled, his expression grew serious again before he continued sternly, "This mission may be dangerous, Teegan. I want you to promise me that you will heed my every instruction, obey my every command. If something is too risky, I am forbidding your part in it and there will be no arguing the matter. Understood?"
Nodding mutely, she placed one hand solemnly across her heart.
"Understood."
The next day, Thundercracker had come to collect her bright and early, briefing her as they had headed to the main hall together.
Upon entering the huge hall, Teegan caught sight of the back of Starscream, as well as Rumble and Frenzy whom were stood at his feet with their arms folded as they listened to him with rapt attention.
Catching a glimpse of the sky through the many arching windows as her and the blue seeker approached the others, she noted that it was still quite dark outside with the sun yet to make an appearance. If she were to guess, it would have to currently be around the 6am mark.
It was strange to see the hall so quiet and empty. Herself, Rumble, Frenzy and the two jets were the only ones in there but there was no missing the excitement and anticipation coating the air.
"Scream?" Thundercracker greeted as they neared, and the towering red jet turned to face him before catching sight of Teegan and grinning. Nodding to both of them in turn, he approached a nearby table.
The two casseticons on the other hand had very different reactions to her arrival. Frenzy nodded and offered her a small smile, one she returned in kind, whilst Rumble merely huffed, his face hardening with a scowl. Rolling her eyes, she instead focused her attention on the Air Commander again.
"Here, put this around your wrist." Starscream commanded as he retrieved something from the table and passed an item reminiscent of a futuristic watch down to her between thumb and forefinger. Taking it, she studied it for a few seconds before obeying.
"What is it?" She asked as she affixed it to her wrist with a puzzled expression.
"A communications device. It will allow us to keep in contact with one another during the mission. I understand TC has briefed you before your arrival here?" She nodded in affirmation, "Good. Then let us all head to the ground bridge."
It must have been a very odd sight to see two huge Decepticon jets, two casseticons and a human walking through the vast halls of the citadel together.
A drone that was on guard within one of the hallways did a double take, another one some way down actually stopping in its tracks to gawp at them all, but thankfully neither questioned it. Teegan quickly got the sense that the Seeker could do whatever he desired without much challenge - well, whilst Megatron wasn't around at least.
Arriving at the ground bridge finally, Teegan's breath caught in her throat at the sheer size and scale of it. It was something reminiscent of a moon gate that you would find in a very grand garden, easily able to swallow a double decker bus whole.
Starscream nodded to Thundercracker, arms positioned behind his back as he stood before it and waited. The blue jet approached a large console located nearby and rapidly pressed some buttons, the screen leaping to life and bathing him in a green glow as he entered some code.
"I've input the coordinates, Scream." Thundercracker informed him after a moment.
"Excellent." The red jet stated smoothly over his shoulder, "Power up the bridge."
Obeying, Thundercracker pulled on a huge lever attached to the console, a dazzling swirl of blue and green light springing to life from within the centre of the ground bridge and engulfing the five of them instantaneously.
Forced to shield her eyes for a moment, she lowered her arm again to find the red jet looking back at her.
Offering her a reassuring nod, he returned his attention back to the blinding portal and stepped through, vanishing within a whirl of brilliant light.
Giggling, the two casseticons followed on, barrelling past her, Rumble proceeding to skip through whilst Frenzy chose to do it at a run.
Drawing in a deep, anxious breath, Teegan approached the vortex, Thundercracker bringing up the rear as she squeezed her eyes closed.
Holding in said breath, she braced herself and stepped forward.
