i could be just like you.

[Deleted]

CHARACTERS: Megatron and Starscream.
LOCATION: Center of operations, Nemesis.
CONTENT WARNINGS: n/a
PLOT SUMMARY: Starscream, second-in-command, reporting for patrol duty!

[Deleted]

Starscream carries himself highly, crest pointing slightly upwards as he continues down the hall towards the bridge. His wings are held perpendicular to his spinal struts, flat and even and perfect, the relatively thin metal polished immaculately (if there is anything the seeker goes above and beyond with, it would be his care of his wings).

Without shuttering an optic, he brings up the request ping that he had just received from his master, one requiring his presence for—Starscream let his vents release quietly, to himself in his exasperation—patrolling together.

Why Megatron is having not only Starscream but himself on a task that is most clearly meant for a vehicon is beyond what he can comprehend at the moment. Doesn’t that brute know he has better things to do than patrolling some worthless rock for energon and/or signs of Autobot activity? The temptation to argue upon his arrival vibrates like quick, little electrons, his agitated charge building. He would need to stall his vocaliser from it, however, and maybe give the warlord what he is never given: a chance.

Besides, maybe Megatron knows something he doesn’t; the jet could shudder at that notion, not quite sure whether that’s necessarily a good thing (historically not).

Passing through the main corridor en route to the bridge, the SIC views his leader with his posterior turned to him, and his earlier air of confidence begins to fade into apprehension. For a moment, though he is sure that Megatron heard him enter, Starscream hesitates to say anything at all. He traces the other’s back plating with his optics, processor wandering with abandon, searching and cross-referencing for what this little patrol could be about.

He has about a million inquiries but instead of voicing any, he reboots his vocaliser to announce his arrival: “You called me, Master?” Starscream tries to keep the impudence from his inflection.

[Deleted]

What a boring day. Or maybe not. Megatron was standing here, watching the horizon since few hours now. Everything was calm, quiet. Only the computer and the sound of the soldier working on it. They was silent, not stupid. The leader don't like noises and they know it. However, one of the vehicons came and gave him a datapad. Interesting. If he have enough courage to come, it is that this information is important. Taking it, he looked at it. Well, the last new was not surprising at first. A mine collapsed, the Autobots attacked the other one (not under the responsibility of Starstream, fortunately for him) and… The thing. A rumor? About him? About Starscream?… And about Knock out? What the…? He looked at the bot, who instantly leaved the place, trying to save his live probably, thinking the chef would kill him for it, but he wont. Because… this one is… funny. It was a long time since the Decepticon was amused by something. His gaze fell again on the pad. He need to speak with Starscream about this.

So he summoned his second. Waiting for it, he looked at the others soldiers here. They was aware about everything too, it was certain, as always almost everyone in this ship know about this kind of silly things, but he noted that they seemed surprise that Megatron said nothing. Yes. Absolutly nothing. Usually, he start to grow, hit someone and go away. Today he don't.

Starscream finally came. The leader know him. He won't speak if he others are here. But about what? At his last sleep in the medibay, he talked in his sleep about Megatron. Knock Out noted or recorded everything and said it to everyone/ Probably revenge for something SS had done and displeased him. What had he said? “Please, master, don't touche me ! … I like it!” … Yes. Just this. But you know him… The doctor loves making the things tendentious. So know the vehicons and other soldier imagine things and the worst is… that he make Megatron internally laugh!

- Indeed.

He turned at his second and walked up to him. He was just frond him and… He had a little smile at the corner of his mouth. The need to go somewhere to speak in private. Megs don't care about if all of this is true or not. He just makes joke of it. He wants to make fun of Starscream. He loves to do that.

- We need to speak. In private.

The vehicons listened at this carefully, of course. Is the second in command will be afraid? As usual ?


[Sorry for the time. o/]

[Deleted]

No amount of coolant could have made his tubes fill with coldness like the way Lord Megatron’s lip plates quirking in a smirk could.

Uh-oh.

Starscream visibly pickles with unease at the statement, if not metaphorically then quite definitely in his electromagnetic field and with a faint shuddering of his wings. He eyes the littering eradicons suspiciously, wondering if they have an inkling of what is to come. Though, they seem content to mind their own business, tacking away at whatever menial task their processors are programmed for.

The sound of him rebooting his vocaliser yet again, twice over since his fans stalled briefly in the process, is the predecessor to a gnawing question: “Master, be it not my place to question your wisdom, but—I thought you said we were going on a patrol?”

I don’t need one of your infamous pep talks, my liege. Starscream muses internally, keeping the edge of annoyance out of his face with rare self-control.

Megatron

[Megatron]

It came as absolutely no surprise to the Decepticon Warlord that Starscream was now a quivering mess as he is addressed. Starscream was quite notorious for his groveling, even if he had his moments of distrust. It was an interesting combination if Megatron did say so himself, but Starscream did have his uses, and he had to admit that the sight of him right now? It amused him greatly.

As the Vehicons left the room, some more in a hurry than others, he listened as Starscream spoke of his question in regards to what they were doing. "Oh, you will be going on patrol, but I have further business with you that I cannot leave unattended."

Rumors or not, Megatron had no intention of giving away those details just so easily. It would be much more fun to watch his second squirm and admit to any truths or lies himself. Rumors were simply just that of course, and they held no baring on anything.. unless proven true of course. Moving his arms behind his back, he gripped them tightly as he turned back towards the screen.

"There are many things being said about you on this ship as of this very moment, and you and I both know that I very much dislike false claims." The tyrant glanced behind him, still as ever, as his crimson optics glared down at Starscream. "Perhaps you would like the chance to speak up about these.. tall tales, unless of course.. you would rather explain your actions."

[Deleted]

He feels his spark tighten without warning, coiling like a spring ready to snap. It doesn’t particularly matter whether or not these supposed rumors are true or false, his inherent paranoia grips him like a vice and holds him captive to his own imaginings, a thousand hypotheticals processed one after the other. What could he be speaking of?

Starscream’s had millennia of steeling himself, although it remains frighteningly easy for the warlord to detect a change in his behavior. If he didn’t know better, he would venture to say that he and Megatron share a very close bond. The process, however, also makes him like to retch at the notion. Whatever bond they have certainly has no bearing on him being the subject of his master’s twisted amusement.

His wings flag slightly, lip plates squirming in effort to figure out what expression he should be wearing. Surprise? Outrage? That comes readily to him, a hot surge brightening the luminary function in his optics. How dare anyone speak of him in such a way. Taking the fall is something he has done for not only his own transgressions but others’ too. Megatron frequently sees fit to dig for reasons to punish him, and it makes him burn with an indescribable fire.

Searing holes into the mech’s intricate back plating, Starscream glares as he listens. Incredulity may not do him any good as Megatron certainly has an optic for his empty theatrics. The welling panic in his chassis is borne from the fact that he is hiding something, a particular relic that both Decepticon and Autobot seek. It isn’t like the jet, however, to leave himself without an advantage, if applicable.

He would play innocent until proven guilty and maybe even continue to play innocent when proven guilty.

The seeker shies his stare away with a jolt when Megatron views him in scrutiny, wringing his servos slightly. “I’m afraid, my liege, keeping an audial to the ground has been difficult given the—chaos of the relic hunt.” He says, brow plates furrowing slightly. “This would be my first hearing of such falsehoods.” His following ex-vent titters with nervous laughter that falls quiet when he meets his leader’s unwavering gaze.

Starscream gestures hurriedly. “It would be appreciated if I could know what these rumors are… I can assure you that I will defend myself to your satisfaction, Lord Megatron.” He looks up again, hoping that his plea is enough to stop the insufferable leverage from being held above his helm.

Megatron

[Megatron]

Naturally Starscream didn't know what it was that he had been talking about, which was exactly as he had hoped.  Either that, or he was playing coy, hiding something and pretending that he wasn't.  It would take a bit more effort to pry any hidden information out of his Second in Command, but that was fine.  So long as Starscream remained loyal, then there would be nothing to worry about.

For now..

"Then it would appear that the rumors were in fact.. not true.  Word around the ship is that you have been hiding something from me.  Information of some kind that could be beneficial to our cause."

Megatron smirked, looking to the flustered Seeker.  Maybe he was telling the truth, but he wasn't going to resort to drastic measures such as the cortical psychic patch.  There was no need to use it, nor was there need to trouble Knock Out with such a tedious task when there wasn't proof that the mech was hiding anything anyway.

"I suppose that if you aren't hiding something from me, then you have nothing to worry about."

[Deleted]

What Megatron didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Just that, it could potentially hurt Starscream. The seeker fidgets a bit, considering; it’s frustrating to think how many times his master had figured him out before he even had the chance to turn the situation to his advantage. His EM field fluctuates in a dangerous revelation of the mood he’s desperately trying to hide, but eventually he manages to calm himself with a decisive flick of his wings.

“Of course, Master.” he replies, feeling the pressure lift from his chassis as Megatron appears to finally veer from the topic. “I know where my loyalties lie.” Starscream adds with a bit more acid than he intends, but, then again, Megatron had wanted honesty.

Who cares what he wants, his processor quips bitterly, I know what he needs. The jet would guess that the great, silver mech might have just wanted to see him squirm beneath the blazing stare of his optics. It makes his back struts prickle with an uneasy static at the process, an uneasiness that would surely ferment into sharp annoyance in due time. In fact, Starscream can already feel its edge cutting against him. Trying to keep himself out of a huff, he ex-vents steadily, trying desperately to just—forget it, Starscream, it’s no use arguing with the glitch.

Straightening himself, the polished, silvery seeker wills himself to move on. He would keep his cool for the time being; he needs to if he’s to keep his possession of the Terminus Blade a well-guarded secret. He crosses his servos beneath the positioning of his wing joints, a mirror image of how his master usually positions himself. He lifts his chin plate and raises an optical ridge.



“Was the order for patrol a simple pry to potentially expose me,” Starscream begins, “or are we going to head out?”

Megatron

[Megatron]

What Megatron didn't know might not hurt him, but it would hurt Starscream in many ways if Megatron ever did find out.  It was a dangerous game he was playing by not telling him about the Terminus Blade.  Thankfully, the tyrant had no reason to believe the SIC was hiding any relics from him.

"A wise choice of words, Starscream."

He watched as his second straightened himself, the tyrant not making a single move.  "By no means was it a ploy to find an ulterior motive.  However, I do believe that I ordered to have the Autobot base found.  If Steeljaw is to be trusted, then we know the location of the base in Crown City.  While we could use this to our advantage, I would also prefer to keep the upper hand by learning the location of Optimus Prime's base."

Determination filled the warlord as he clenched a fist.

"Rally your troops.  Have them scout to find what I seek.. but I want you with them as well."