Domestic Disturbance

Chapter 18 : Alone

Megatron had been unusually silent during the short fly back towards base. A strange and hostel energy was thick in the air and the other Decepticons seemed to take notice. All avoided being within reach of the tyrant for fear that he could break into a violent fit any moment. Starscream, especially, hung back far away from the mech. Choosing to focus on nursing his injury, rather then whatever was waiting for him back at base.

There was no doubt that Megatron had seen his reaction to Prime. If he didn't, there was still the nasty little fact that he completely wrecked the Con's chances of winning that battle. Megatron was sure to have noticed that.

It was pointless to curse himself for his error now. He should be focused on thinking up an excuse. A simple one. Like, he had seen Prime moving towards his gun and took the opportunity to knock the Autobot down. That he was only doing his Decepticon duty and wished to help defeat their enemies. His hesitation for striking the semi could have been because he didn't want to kill him for fear of Megatron's wrath. Prime was injured. A sudden blow to the head could have taken him off line permanently. If Megatron had nearly scrapped him for merely mentioning Prime in a dishonorable manor, imagine his reaction if the Autobot had been deactivated?

It was surprisingly easy to lie to Megatron. Much harder to lie to himself. Over the days, since his rescue, Starscream was trying to convince himself that what had passed between him and Optimus was only a clever ploy to escape. That his lust for the mech was based on desire for touch with no pain.

But that didn't last long. He couldn't get the Autobot out of his head. No matter how numb he made himself feel. No matter how much he focused on the pain Megatron had inflicted, the rage that he should have building in him for the bastard's trespasses. Prime always shone through like a beacon of hopeful light. A chance to get out of this Hell that he had been trapped in for far too long. Of course he had to protect him. He couldn't stand to think of the Autobot captured and forced to live just like he was forced to live. Starscream knew he had to intervene, even if it meant he would be punished for it. Optimus would have done the same for him.

Letting his mind wander back to that moment he had spent with Optimus made his spark flutter contently. Just feeling the Autobot cease his thrashing had made his very core twist sweetly for a brief moment. The sensation of those rough servos sliding up his sides as the semi finally recognized him through the haze of his battle frenzy. Bright blue optics alight with rage, smoldering into pleasant surprise, gazing up at him fondly. It made his spark beat with a happiness that he thought he could never have again.

It was maddening how that Autobot had managed to get under his skin.

Lost in his thoughts, Starscream didn't realize that they had already reached the base. The large bay doors opening to allow them entrance to the Nemesis. The seeker transformed and landed lightly on his pedes, following the others to repair bay. Clutching his bleeding shoulder, he didn't noticed Megatron approach him until the tyrant grasped him by his wing and dragged him backwards and away from the group.

"Starscream. You and I are going to have a little talk." The larger Con growled in a chilling way that made the oil and energon in the seeker's circulatory system run cold.

A few of the Decepticons glanced towards the pair curiously as Megatron pulled the stiff and stunned seeker out of line and attempted to lead him away. The murder that shone in his crimson optics was enough to make them shudder and keep silent. Unfortunately, Starscream, shocked that the tyrant was doing this in public, could barely comprehend how to walk, let alone keep the frightened whimper bit back as the impatient mech tugged him along like a rusty shopping cart with a broken wheel. However, the silver bot wanted compliance and was not in the mood to coax the seeker away gently. He twisted the wing in his grasp sharply, digging his fingers deeply into the white plating. The other Decepticons all stopped dead in their tracks, alarmed by the shriek of pain that suddenly split their audios, and spun around to see what all the commotion was about. They could only watch helplessly as their air commander flailed against the silver mech in a desperate attempt to escape what was sure to be his punishment for earlier actions. Skywarp and Thundercracker stared with wide, horrified expressions as their brother's arms where forced behind his back. Wrecked shoulder tearing apart with new fountains of purple energon under the strain. After a few agonizing moments, Megatron managed to haul the red and white mech away. The broken sobs fading into the halls of the large ship.

The purple seeker took a few unconscious steps after them, only to be snagged by several bots, including his wing mate.

"Skywarp. Don't." Thundercracker emphasized his request with a firm squeeze.

"Yeah. You really don't want to get involved do you?" Blitzwing muttered just to his left.

"But it's not right!" Skywarp tugged himself free from the others and turned to face his brother.

"Better him than you." Mix Master offered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Shut up, you defect!" The jet snarled, turning his attention back to the blue bot as the others finally lost interest and continued on their way towards the med bay. "We can't just let him do this! It's not right! It's not fair! Something's changed! Something that Starscream can't handle anymore!"

"I know, Skywarp." Thundercracker spoke calmly. "But we cannot get involved. It would only make things worse."

"How could things possibly get worse!?" Skywarp threw his hands up in dismay. "It's bad enough the son of a glitch broke our brother's heart, but now he's-"

The blue seeker slapped his hand over the other jet's mouth, cutting him off mid sentence. He glanced over his shoulder as he shushed the fuming bot.

"Do you want the entire base to hear what you were about to say?"

Skywarp wrenched his mouth free from his wing mate's servo, hissing poisonously for his mistreatment. "They already know. How could they not! Starscream's been wailing like a protoform for weeks now every time Megatron drags him away!"

"All the more reason to spare him being humiliated further."

"I'm not going to stand by and let this go on!" He shoved passed his brother and stormed towards his quarters, Thundercracker following to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. "It was fine when he was able to stand up on his own, but just look at him now! He's falling apart! Megatron's never made such a spectacle of this before! I'm telling you, something happened! Something's changed! Ever since Starscream came back from the Autobot's base, Megatron's made it his personal mission to fuck him to death!"

"Skywarp." The blue jet growled, glancing around nervously incase someone heard. "Watch your mouth."

"Well he is! Starscream's never had that much trouble keeping quiet before!"

"Skywarp, I don't want to hear anymore of this." The seeker's tone was firm. An older brother scolding his younger sibling. "Try to understand. I've already spoken to Starscream about this, and he only confirmed that he does not want us involved."

"He wouldn't be kicking up such a fuss if he didn't."

"Not true." Thundercracker continued. "I approached him twice on the subject. He warned me to leave it be."

"Or what?" Skywarp rolled his optics. "He'll beat you up?"

"No. Or Megatron would make good on his threat."

"What threat?"

"He didn't tell me."

"Great." The purple plated mech sighed as they reached their quarters. "But I'm just warning you now, TC. If I have to see that fragger pull my brother out of the group like that again, I'm gonna scrap him."

~~~

Megatron was deeply disturbed by what he had witnessed that day. Just when victory seemed to be within his grasp, Starscream literally came falling from the sky and ruined it. Not only did he fail to capture Optimus Prime, but he had hesitated to do it.

He knew Starscream's desires were far from trying to please his leader. But to openly and out right sabotage his plans were another thing. Megatron was used to dealing with the seeker's bouts of childish tantrums and power grabbing ploys. He allowed it and even looked forward to it. However, getting in the way of his capturing Prime was not to be tolerated.

That, and there was something in the way the two mech's had interacted on the battle field that aroused suspicion.

He had often wondered what it would be like to actually own Prime as a slave. Having the beautiful seeker on one arm, and the handsome Autobot semi on the other was truly a fascinating look into his desired future. Having the two together on his berth was even more fascinating. It was quite possibly one of the more arousing little fantasies that played through his processor on the odd occasion. Picturing the way Prime's navy blue servos would slide along the white plating of the jet's perfect wings made his dark spark clench sweetly.

When he saw those same navy servos fall on Starscream's narrow waist during their scuffle, Megatron's spark skipped a pulse. The way the two practically melted into one another, with a relief that only intimacy could rival, felt odd and foreign in the setting of smoke and dust when he was so used to picturing it on his plush berth.

There was no way it could be real and yet it was. Add that to the odd way Starscream had been acting of late and it only added more suspicion.

He couldn't overlook what he had seen, nor could he wrap his processor around what had caused it. It wasn't possible that Starscream and Prime had any sort of tryst going on behind the scenes. Optimus could never bring himself to consider interfacing a Deception. It was against his very nature. And Starscream would never do anything so foolish.

However, Starscream was undoubtedly desirable. Everything that Megatron had found attractive in the seeker Prime was sure to notice as well. Not to mention that anyone who had the jet on their side had a great advantage over their enemy. And Optimus was powerful and charming enough that Starscream would no doubt find him fascinating. The seeker always did have a thing for mech's in a position of power.

In fact, Megatron wouldn't be opposed at all to the idea of the two bots 'facing. Only, of course, if it were on his terms. This was definitely not on his terms.

Starscream had ceased his petty attempts to break free. His injured shoulder bleeding down his arm and dripping heavily on the floor in gushes that would soon lead to stasis if not properly taken care of. Megatron quickly shuffled the slowly fading mech into his quarters knowing he didn't have a lot of time until the jet locked up. When the doors hissed close behind him, the seeker began squirming once more in his final show of disobedience. Grasping the smaller mech by the throat Megatron growled and shoved the injured bot against the door roughly, his other servo sought the tear in the dermal plating. A choked off cry was his reward when dark digits dug deeply into the exposure, seeking the energon vein buried deeply within gore. He twisted the torn ends in a makeshift patch would at least keep him from bleeding out but did not withdrawal his fingers from the wound.

"Starscream." Megatron drew a furious breath of air, breathing in his commander's fear and the sharp smell of the purple fluid that was now trickling down his own silver arm.

Through his haze of pain and fear, the jet stopped his squirming and locked his blurred optics with the piercing ones of his master. His injured arm hung limply at his side, twitching every so often with a stab of pain when the malicious digits dug deeper. His other free servo clutched tightly to the firm wrist that held him in his place.

"I have a few questions." The larger mech pressed closer until their helms brushed. "I think you know the answers."

"Y-you misunderstood my attempts today." Starscream managed to hiss, his vocals raspy from the nearly crushing force on his throat. "I o-only sought to help c-c-capture Prime."

The tyrant leaned in closer, hiking the jet up the wall further until his pedes left the floor.

"Oh? Is that so." He tilted his helm. "Then why did you ruin my perfectly good shot?"

"Please, Megatron." The red and white mech whimpered as his pedes scuffed against the wall, trying to seek some purchase. "I, I thought you were d-distracted by another A-autobot."

"You really give me so little credit?"

"No!"

"Then why did you get involved?" Megatron twisted his digits far deeper into the bloody wound, eliciting a strangled shriek from his seeker.

"Please!" Starscream begged as a new fount of blood spilled down his numbing arm. "Mercy! I'm going to bleed to death!"

"Than you'd better start answering my questions faster!"

The tyrant pulled his servo free from the gore, grasping the other's flushed face, digits slippery from the energon. Starscream, woozy with pain and sick from the scent, tried to tug his chin free from the biting grip, but only succeeded in smearing the life fluid over his lips. His dull optics fluttering as his surroundings began to spin. Audios hissing with static. He was slipping away faster now.

"I swear to you, Starscream, If you do not tell me the truth now I will strip you of your rank and discharge you from my army! You'll live the rest of your wretched life chained to my berth and the only acknowledgment I'll ever give you is when I'll fuck you until your processor scrambles! So tell me, why did you hesitate to strike Prime down when you had the chance?"

Sagging against the silver mech in defeat, Starscream drew a shaky breath of air, venting it though out his numbing systems. He lifted his servo from Megatron's wrist, and reached towards his master's face. The silver mech barely flinched as the trembling digits brushed his cheek, but he couldn't help but raise an optic ridge by the sudden smile that graced the other's stained mouth.

"I-it's simple, really." The jet continued letting his blue fingers trace over the other's confused expression. "You want me, so you just take me. A-and now you want Prime."

He chuckled, dry and humorless, merely to put on a show for the bastard. He wanted the truth. Starscream would give him the truth.

"I'm not going to l-let you have him. One slave is enough, and I-I won't give you a-another."

Megatron gazed back at the seeker unperturbed, but his optics did widen a fraction. Enough that Starscream had a little satisfaction in knowing the tyrant was jarred by his words. The only sound in the room was the shaky breath that the silver mech drew before venting slowly and unsure.

"That's the truth, than?" He asked with alarmingly calm vocals. "You sabotaged my clear target and than wasted my time until the Autobot reinforcements arrived?"

"Yes." Starscream croaked against the servo on his throat.

"All because you don't wish for me to capture Prime and make him my slave? Right?"

"Yes."

"For his sake, or because you don't wish to give me what I want?"

"Both."

"Starscream." Megatron sighed and leaned his helm back in exasperation, still eerily calm and collected. "Why would be so Primus damned stupid?"

He didn't give the seeker a chance to respond. In one violent lurch, he pulled the injured mech from the door he was pinned to and slammed him back hard enough to crack the back of his helm. Starscream's world burst into darkness, his optics off lining in one gush of static. His processor dazed as he was knocked senseless, most major systems shutting down with an audible whoosh. However he was still mercilessly online, aware that his body had slipped to the floor. He couldn't see, nor hear, but he could feel, through the bolts of mind shattering pain, what Megatron was doing. His spark chamber pried open a moment later and his very core filled to the brim with the dark hateful pulse of his master's.

Not a merge. Thank Primus, it wasn't a merge. But it was the most exposure his spark had had since the last time the tyrant invaded his mind.

Overload was fast and painful, but it did come swiftly and core jarring. Relief flooded his abused systems as he finally slipped into the oblivion of stasis. Dead to the world, Starscream was unaware that a small tracking device was planted within his cockpit, tucked neatly under the pilot's chair where the seeker wouldn't think to look.

Part one of his plan completed, Megatron hailed Hook on his comm once he had cleaned himself of any trace of Starscream's blood. The jet taken to repair bay in order to begin part two. There was no doubt in Megatron's mind that the seeker and the Autobot had some kind of secret. He would soon find out what it was.

Of course it would have been a lot easier to simply force a merge. Extracting the data straight from the commander's processor. However, Megatron disliked the invaded taste it left him with. He would feel the seeker course through his veins for months afterwards and it wasn't worth the risk. Not willing to use his trump card yet, Megatron would wait to see if the treacherous little creature gave him any more reasons to be concerned.

Starscream rebooted only a few hours later. His shoulder and helm patched back up, but the traces of his master's cruelty still marred his plating in the form of angry dents and deep scuffs of silver. His spark aching he dragged himself from the repair table. Of course those bastards didn't fully repair him. Leaving him weak and mangled was a clear message that he was alone in this base. Nobody to aid him except for his fellow wing mates. The only mech's he couldn't involve for fear of their safety.

Alone, hurting and humiliated, Starscream needed help. He could only think of one mech who would take him in. Knowing it was risky, he decided it was better to attempt contact with Prime than it was to remain here.

Later that night, when all were in recharge, the red and white mech snuck out of his chamber and off into the dark skies. Unaware that a monitored screen watched his every move.