[Fic] Chaos: Pride 4
Chapter 4
Summary: Sometimes Starscream's pride isn't at all good for him...
Warning: actually just a bit of fallout, this chapter has no new abuse :)
A/N: Surprise! Yes, I'm posting early - couldn't be avoided, but I'll assume no-one's complaining ^_^
Skywarp looked up as the door opened, then back down again when he saw it was just Scavenger. It was nearly a full orn now since Thundercracker had woken him, frantically demanding that Skywarp grab the converter cell he had found and meet him down at Hook's office urgently. The Constructicon was already willing to help - Megatron would not like his favourite punching bag to die of neglect - but the cell had ensured that the job would be done with proper anaesthesia and painblockers. Not that it was initially a concern, since Starscream had worn himself down so far that none of his physical sensors were functioning correctly.
Then, just as he had started to respond to the emergency energon boost Hook had given him - a temporary fix at best - Megatron had arrived and sent them out. He was only in there for a breem, but when Hook returned to see what had happened he re-emerged with a furious look on his faceplates and summoned his gestalt mates then locked the door.
When it became clear that there was not going to be any quick answer to what was going on, Skywarp had reluctantly followed Thundercracker to complete the cleaning work that they had been unfairly assigned. Yet even when that was done, they could still not enter the repair bay and there was no news. So they had done their shifts, and taken turns recharging while the other sat guard. Occasionally Long Haul or Scavenger would emerge to find parts, but neither had any news they were willing to share.
This time, though, Scavenger stopped in front of him.
"You can go in now, if you want."
The offer caught him by surprise, but Thundercracker was immediately on his feet.
"We can take him home?"
Scavenger shrugged.
"Better ask Hook first. All I got told was to let you in."
Skywarp rose and the two of them went in together, moving cautiously. Inside, the other Constructicons were tidying up after what must have been intensive surgery. Starscream was laid out on one of the repair benches, still offline, hooked up to several lines of fluid of varying colours. Before they could go to him, though, Hook spotted them.
"There you are." he grunted, wiping his hands with a cloth. "Still waiting outside, huh? Didn't expect it with him."
"He's trine." Skywarp blurted, and Hook nodded grudgingly.
"True. Well then, you better tell him never to do anything so slagging stupid again. We had to extract, clean out and reinstall most of his internals, everything'd seized up from lack of energon. His primary systems were actually running on coolant. Looks like he'd been drinking it, stupid slagger."
"We can take him home, then?" Thundercracker asked.
"Not yet. He needs about four joors recharge time and he isn't gonna get that back on those timelock berths. Leave him here. We'll keep him offline til he's better charged, then we'll call you."
Skywarp shifted uneasily.
"Can we stay?"
Hook shook his head, then paused and motioned them through to his office and shut the door.
"He's just going to rest. No-one's going to get to him while he's here."
"There're plenty angry at him right now." Thundercracker warned. "I'm surprised you're not."
Hook shrugged.
"He's an easier target than Megatron, but only when I don't have to patch him up. Besides, even Crusher thought this was a bit sick, so don't worry - he's safe here."
"Except from Megatron." Skywarp mumbled.
"No." Hook frowned. "Even from him, right now. So long as you two don't go blabbing that he's functional again, I can even keep Lord Megatron away from him. He already got what he wanted, anyway."
The last was only muttered, but Skywarp looked up in startlement.
"You mean he...!"
Thundercracker kicked him viciously.
"Shut up." he growled. "And come on. We're due on duty in three breems - lets see if we can scrounge up some energon first. Thanks, Hook."
Skywarp held his silence until they were out in the corridor, then pulled away.
"He knows!"
"Of course he knows!" Thundercracker hissed back. "You think he wouldn't've noticed when he repaired him?"
"But..."
"But what? There's nothing he can do. Except now he knows that we know. Which he's not supposed to. Don't you ever think before you talk?"
As predicted, most of the Decepticon contingent was intensely unhappy with the work they had been forced to do. The news that the Air Commander had required a full orn's surgery had garnered only sour comments that it was not enough, and Thundercracker suspected that the only thing saving him and Skywarp from retaliation was the fact that they had been pushed harder than anyone and everyone had seen it. It seemed that Hook's offer was probably the only thing that saved Starscream from being back down there within a joor, too, since no-one would dare enter the Constructicon lab without permission, and certainly never to start trouble.
So, Starscream got to fully charge - something Thundercracker himself was very envious of - and then was escorted back to his quarters by the gestalt team who made loud threats about what they would do to anyone who put him back in their care in the next orn. After that he would be on his own, but by that stage he would not need their protection.
Skywarp had spent most of a groon re-painting him while Thundercracker briefed him on the upcoming mission to a power generation plant near the Autobot base. And both of them had ignored how he had trembled and keened while they worked and talked. They had seen this before - the emotional toll of the abuse he suffered could not always be kept hidden, and it was best that he got over it before he went back out in public. He had finally dropped back into an exhausted recharge, and Skywarp had gone to collect his energon ration, and when he returned Thundercracker had had to go on duty in the command centre. He hated leaving them alone, but that was the way it was. The worst was over now, anyway, so long as there was no fallout with the Constructicons.
Why had the medic had to tell Skywarp what Megatron had done? It had been obvious enough to Thundercracker when he had seen Hook's expression, but Skywarp had thought Starscream too ill. Did he not understand that Megatron did not care? That Megatron would probably find it thrilling if Starscream were to actually die while he was raping him? It was not the first time Thundercracker had contemplated such dark thoughts, but he knew his trinemate was still remarkably unimaginative. It was one of the things that stopped Skywarp from doing something really stupid like confronting Megatron over all of this. Him knowing more detail would not help any of them.
"What?" Megatron barked suddenly, drawing Thundercracker's attention.
Hook was frowning at the gunmech.
"I am giving you my medical opinion. Now if you want to risk him falling out of the sky on the way out there, that's up to you."
"You told me he was fixed!" Megatron bellowed.
Hook, remarkably, did not even flinch.
"Repaired, yes. Recovered, no. He needs at least another orn for that."
"Bah. Ridiculous."
"If you say so, Lord Megatron."
"Thundercracker!" Megatron snapped. "Go and get Starscream and bring him here now!"
Worried both by Megatron's tone and Hook's warnings, Thundercracker hurried back to his quarters where he found Skywarp putting away his paints, and Starscream still offline though the charge from the cable had long since ceased.
"What's up, TC?"
"Megatron wants him. Now."
Skywarp looked up anxiously.
"Now? But... it's too soon..."
Thundercracker shook his head, stepping forward and tapping at Starscream's wrist gently.
"Star? Time to wake up."
In a nanoclick, Starscream went from offline to fully online with weapons charging, and Thundercracker backed off.
He knew from long experience that if he had touched anywhere else, the reaction would have been more violent - this was their agreed and practiced technique. Even so, Starscream never trusted that it would definitely be them and not someone else who had learned the trick. Seeing only him and Skywarp, the wing leader just sighed and powered down his lasers.
"Haven't I just been online?" he whined. "And weren't you going on duty?"
"Megatron wants you."
Starscream did not react for a couple of clicks, then straightened.
"Fine."
"We're coming too." Skywarp said abruptly.
Thundercracker expected him to argue, but he simply looked at them and nodded.
"Fine." he repeated. "Lets go."
Megatron wanted him.
Well, that much was obvious from the number of times the warlord had assaulted and violated him, but was that what he wanted this time? Or was this just preparation for that mission that Thundercracker had been blathering about? Or was it something else entirely? Whatever it was, he hoped he could hold out for however long was needed. His entire body ached, and the energon he had drunk was sloshing about unpleasantly in his tank. A bad batch? No. Skywarp would have been expecting someone to try that - he would have tested it first.
His trinemates might believe he had no idea how unpopular he currently was, but that was only because they let his outer facade fool them. He knew exactly how dangerous it was for him to be out on his own right now, and while he had wanted to do this as a show of strength he knew it was too early for that. So. An escort was just fine. And who better than his own trinemates, who may not care for him but who had a vested interest in keeping him alive.
Drawing his wings up tightly, he strode along the corridors - the very clean corridors, he noted in bemusement - looking neither left nor right and let them follow behind him. Motormaster stepped into his path, clearly intending to block the way, but Starscream merely snorted derisively and flared his wings as though he were about to use his null ray. The Stunticon fell back a step into a defensive position, and Starscream simply walked around him.
By the time he reached the command centre, he could hear at least a dozen sets of steps behind him, probably more. He did not bother to turn, but he knew he had an audience. The question was, would Megatron permit the audience to remain - in which case it was work-related - or would he be separated from them and taken into privacy for matters that he did not want to think about? Either was dangerous, and he almost burst out giggling. Perhaps he was insane after all? Megatron in front, an infuriated Decepticon army behind, and he had hoped he had completely cornered himself?
"So, Starscream." Megatron rumbled, looking up from where he was talking to Soundwave. "There you are. I've been waiting."
"Well do forgive me." he huffed, feeling a strange sensation in his tank when he spoke but electing to ignore it. "I only worked myself to near deactivation on your orders. Next time I'll just disobey, shall I?"
He was quite pleased with the twist he had gotten out of that, but the feeling in his tank was getting worse and robbing him of his pleasure. Just what was wrong with him?
"A bit of menial work too much for you, hmm?" Megatron sneered. "Well then, a good thing that I have a mission for you next or I imagine you would simply fade away like..."
"W-wait!" Starscream yelped, staggering over to a chair, grabbing at it to balance himself.
What the slag was wrong with him? He heard someone say something, but then his tank purged itself and left him shaking weakly. Immediately Skywarp and Thundercracker were there supporting him, and then he heard Hook talking.
"You see? I told you he was not ready."
"Oh fine." Megatron snapped. "Get him back to quarters. I don't want to see him again until he's functional. Soundwave, you can take these two with you as support - go and get the parts you need and be quick about it. The rest of you, get to the surface, we've got a mission to complete. Go!"
Starscream raised his head dazedly. What had just happened?
"That worked better than I expected." Hook muttered as everyone else left the room. "Your timing's exquisate, Starscream."
"W-what?"
"I knew your idiot trinemates would try to charge you up too fast and give you high-grade on top of all that coolant you drank. Of course you'd purge. Never thought you'd do it right in front of Megatron, though."
"Y-you... used me..." Starscream stammered, then lurched as another wave of nausea hit him and he lost another quart of half-processed energon.
"Well, that makes us even." Hook shrugged. "Scrapper didn't want to lose half our team to Soundwave's little scavenging mission, and that was your fault anyway."
"What?"
"Frenzy's still in pieces after what you did to him the other orn. Megatron wanted to send Scavenger and Long Haul with him to find replacement parts on Cybertron - he won't let us manufacture them, oh no, the stupid slagger - but we're not going to be split up like that during a sortie. We're going to attack the Ark, confuse the Autobots a bit so they won't send so many mechs to defend the power plant so that Megatron can finally have a decisive win and will stop beating you into scrap so that my team can have a break and everyone'll be happy."
"And you're telling me all this because...?" Starscream asked weakly.
"Because you're going to tell me how to do the attack on the Ark so my team walks away without too many hits."
Starscream snorted.
"Form Devastator."
"Funny. Come on - everyone knows you're the best tactician here. Not that that's saying much."
Starscream swayed, still feeling queasy, then shook his head.
"You're only taking your team? Then form Devastator. Arrive like that. Then they'll think you're just the vanguard and they'll dig in. Their auto-defences are hopeless. All you'll have to do is dodge a few lasers unless you get unlucky and some of the heavy-hitters are there. Of course..." He paused, then smirked. "Of course, if you deliberately time your arrival so it occurs after the Auto-scum head out for the power plant, you'll be left with the weaklings, and it'll still confuse them into sending some back, and you might even walk away without a scratch."
And it would irritate Megatron. Not quite the outcome Hook was after, but then the Constructicon should have considered that when he asked. Just a shame, really, that he could not be there to see it. Now the only piece missing was to ensure that communications were down in the area in question so that Megatron couldn't check in with Devastator. And he knew just how to do it. It would destroy one of their only functional satellites, but all for a good cause. Yes, Megatron was going to regret leaving him alone here.
Assuming he could make it around the base on his own without falling over, at least.
Epilogue - one orn later
Starscream sauntered into the planning room, ignoring Soundwave's looming presence and focusing on Megatron.
"You wanted to see me?"
Megatron looked up from where he was looking over schematics for some new device.
"You're functional again."
"Of course."
The warlord stared at him for a moment, then turned back to his schematics.
"Good. Then leave me in peace."
Starscream bit back his frustration at the dismissal and spun on his heel to leave the room.
"Oh, Starscream?"
He stopped but did not turn around.
"Yes, oh glorious leader?"
"Take your trine out for flying practice. I think they could use it."
He stiffened.
"My trine flies better than any other in the universe."
"Then they'll understand the need for practice." Megatron spat back. "Go. And don't come back here until you've gotten some proper practice in. At least an orn."
Starscream hesitated, caught by surprise. These on duty vacations were rare, usually the result of Megatron being particularly pleased with him. The last one had been after he had led the raid that had taken out Prime's third in command, Curveball, nearly a megavorn ago. But this was the first time he had been instructed to take his trinemates with him - in the past he had been expected to go alone.
Drawing himself up, he sneered.
"As you command, Lord Megatron."
Striding out, he smirked. Just like that, things were back to normal.
Everything was under control.
The end.
A/N: The good news is, this isn't the end of this series, not by a long shot. Bad news is, the next installment isn't anywhere near ready. So there'll be a little gap before we get back here. But never fear, this story is far from being told - too many mechs with too many secrets... Lots more to tell!