Domestic Disturbance

Chapter 2 : Diserved


Starscream's voice was irritating.

While this argument seemed a long time in coming, it was still an awful shock to those who simply, and innocently enough, strolled into the control room and into the chaotic mess that was Megatron's latest plan. Especially for Thundercracker and Skywarp who had been requested to join their leader and commander for their next assignments. Skywarp's first step into the Nemesis' bridge was a nearly full 180 to get the slag back out. Thundercracker unfortunately shoved him back through the door with a growl.

A month had gone by and all of them had cabin fever. It was unclear what Megatron had been planning during those agonizingly slow days, but every Deception aboard was anxious for some news. Any news. Any plan or course of action, no matter how small. And now Starscream's painfully loud protests were once again holding them back from blessed boredom alleviation. Damn him...

"I fail to understand your position here, Megatron." The seeker seethed and paced back and forth in his aggravation. "This travesty of plan of yours has far too much room for failure! Dividing our forces so thin is only asking for trouble when the Autobots catch wind!"

The larger mech watched as his commander wore a line in the floor. No real sign of irritation yet. Only a minor weariness that made the onlookers sparks sink. The argument had only just begun. Pit knew how long it would take to end!

"Only one more failure to add to your steadily growing list." He sighed and rubbed a digit to his temple as if it could relieve the stress.

"And several to add to your own astronomical file!" Starscream stopped his pacing long enough to glare daggers at the tyrant. "Do you really expect it to work!?"

"The Autobots won't risk the human's safety. The more locations around the globe that we convince them we are attacking, the more they will be forced to protect. They will send their soldiers out, even if it's to chase one stray Decepticon. Prime will stretch his forces thin while the bulk of our troops hit the real target. By the time they reach the true target, we would have collected enough energon to be worth our while, and catch Prime outnumbered."

"But what about the decoys!? You send some of our best men out there and they could be overwhelmed and slaughtered before they manage to escape!"

Megatron shook his head at his number two's inability to comprehend. "That's why we are sending out Skywarp and Thundercracker to the furthest decoys. They are fast and can escape easier. The rest will be sent to favorable regions where they too can retreat safely."

"I will not stand by as my men are made into sitting ducks!" The jet's shrill voice rose. "The seekers are under MY command and I will not risk their lives so recklessly!"

Skywarp tapped his foot impatiently while he waited for the end to come. What was the point in being summoned if there was to be no meeting? He glanced around at the other Decepticons, all waiting to hear what their jobs were to be. Some shuffled uneasy. Most glared as if they could make Starscream explode with sheer will alone. He looked to his wing mate Thundercracker, who grimaced and nodded his head back towards the argument in a silent plea for Skywarp to pay attention. When the purple plated jet looked back to source of the room's distress, he caught Megatron's optics. The silver tyrant was no longer paying attention to the rambling of his second in command, but to the Con's standing around the entrance. It was an acknowledgement of their presence. It was also a clear indication to come back later. The other's took the hint and quickly, and quietly, filed out of the control room. Aggravated that they were forced to wait, but relieved that they no longer had to stay.

Megatron watched with a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth while the spectators took their leave. He would call for them again when this delay was over. For now he turned his attention back to his still furiously pacing air commander. The sound of his voice bouncing off his audios as he focused on the shifting expressions of anger on the seeker's face. He waited silently for Starscream to catch on that his rant was going unheard.

"I swear sometimes, Megatron, that your helm is on too tight! The Autobots will surely figure this stunt out! They always do! And just like every other time, this will fail too! If you had only listened to me back on Cybertron, we wouldn't be in this mess! But no! You had to go chasing after Prime! We could be back on Cybertron while they still searched the universe in a hopeless...search...for.."

Starscream paused. The room had suddenly grown very quiet. And Megatron was no longer answering him. He froze in mid step, stealing a glance around the empty control room and finding it completely abandoned. Except for the presence just a few spans to his left. A presence that suddenly seemed very large as the room began to feel very small. Fear gripped him as he craned his head around to see the smirk that he so desperately did not want to see. Those bright crimson optics narrowing in that panic educing stare that made the smaller mech shudder.

"Oh...slag..."

The curse barely left his lips before he found himself slammed against the nearest control panel and the tyrant on him like a second coat of wax. A midnight black servo wrapping tightly around his neck and the other digging into the sensitive circuitry of his shoulder, pinning him.

Megatron made no excuses. They both knew what this was. Even before the tyrant's mouth sank against his and pushed in that sickening way that made his very core twist in revolt. Starscream could only flail against the stalwart frame that trapped him so helplessly, blue digits scrapping along silver in an attempt to shove the other off. Megatron parted from his terrified commander, malicious grin a hair's breath away as he watched panic in the jet's optics.

"I'll scream." The seeker barely croaked out from the iron grasp around his vocalizer.

Megatron only chuckled. It was an empty threat. Starscream would never call for help. He didn't wish to be caught in their current position any more then Megatron did. No, this would play through like it normally did. Barely a word passed between them and just enough struggling to make the victory that much more satisfying. He would allow the other to snap and snarl, holding back brute force until the stubborn little slagger got out of control. But he only used the force necessary to win. Starscream disserved to have a fighting chance after all. Even if there was a slight twinge of guilt at the beginning, Megatron would soon push it to the back of his mind and set to work wearing the seeker down until he was putty in his servos.

He always left Starscream with strength enough to walk away in the end. He needed to be strong. Strong enough to come back and fight another day. Megatron would never deny his second in command the chance for revenge. Not when he was the one who completely and utterly ruined him all those years ago.

"You never do." The tyrant mocked as he forced the other Con to his knees.