Chapter Text
This was the stupidest argument he'd had with Megatron so far.
"You haven't tested the ray?" Starscream asked.
Megatron crossed his arms. "I trust its construction."
"But it hasn't been tested," Starscream said.
"Are you volunteering?"
Starscream took a step back. "No, Lord Megatron, but we should definitely—"
A large hand came down on his shoulders. "Thank you for offering to test the ray, Starscream."
Megatron pushed Starscream in front of the ray. Starscream lost his balance, tumbling to the floor. As he scrambled to his pedes, the ray hummed. Leaping would be a better idea, he decided, just as the ray fired. It hit him dead-on.
Maybe that processor damage hadn't healed after all.
A buzzing spread throughout his body, locking his joints in place. Starscream attempted to move and the buzz quickly grew from a tingle to searing pain. He hissed, finding that his lips and vocalizer were also paralyzed.
"The immobilizer appears to be working well enough," Megatron said. "Though we did waste precious fuel on this test."
Starscream stared up at Megatron, his optics the only thing he could move. Despite knowing his brows and lips were paralyzed, Starscream summoned as much ire as he could onto his face. Perhaps if he stared long enough, Megatron would spontaneously combust.
The door slid open. Two sets of pedesteps sounded through the room.
"Skywarp, Thundercracker," Megatron said. "You arrived faster than I anticipated. Starscream volunteered to test the immobilizer. Take him to his quarters."
Skywarp and Thundercracker exchanged glances before bending down to pick Starscream up. Internally, Starscream seethed. Did they have no way to reverse this? Why would they construct an immobilization ray and not consider what would happen if it was used on their own soldiers? Either Megatron was intentionally letting him stay immobile, or he was truly that foolish. Both options were plausible.
The group arrived in their quarters. Thundercracker and Skywarp wasted no time placing Starscream on the berth.
"I'm gonna hope this wears off," Skywarp said, backing away.
Thundercracker nodded. He added in a whisper, "Star is gonna be mad when he can move again. I really don't think he volunteered for this."
Of course he didn't! But he couldn't say anything, on account of being paralyzed.
Skywarp settled on the side of the berth. "He probably told Megatron off again."
"He needs to stop making him angry," Thundercracker said. "He should know better by now. We're always stuck fixing it."
Then why stick around? Why hide behind the fact he was paralyzed to speak? Or did they really think he couldn't hear? It seemed like they did.
Skywarp hummed quietly, glancing at Starscream. "I… guess so."
Was it really his fault? Megatron was the one making the bad decisions!
"Not a single one of their confrontations has started without us hearing Starscream yell, Skywarp," Thundercracker said. "He's the one initiating."
Was he?
☆☆☆
The paralysis was—luckily—temporary. When he returned to his duties, Megatron barely spared him a glance. It was as if the entire incident never happened. Starscream was completely fine with that. Such an embarrassing thing was best left forgotten.
But Thundercracker's words could not be. If Starscream was the one initiating, then he should just be able to stop. He could keep quiet during meetings—avoid voicing his concerns—and then Megatron wouldn't keep… doing whatever this was. He could behave.
So, when the next meeting came and Megatron explained the plan, Starscream remained silent. Even as Megatron stated that the fliers—His fliers—would be entering a cave to retrieve some sort of supposedly powerful relic, and the very idea made Starscream want to yell, he stayed silent. Even when Megatron finished and…
"Any comments, Starscream?"
"No, Lord Megatron."
…Starscream stayed silent. Megatron stared at him for a moment, brow furrowing. Then, he called an end to the meeting. Starscream stood, mentally planning ways to give his mecha the news, when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Stay," Megatron said. "I wish to speak with you."
Starscream jerked his shoulder away, fighting back a hiss at the contact. "Yes, Lord Megatron."
"Do you really have nothing to say?"
"I have no thoughts on the plan."
None that he wanted to share, anyway.
Megatron's optics narrowed. "Forgive me if I don't believe you."
"You are forgiven," Starscream said with a huff. "May I leave?"
When Megatron didn't respond, Starscream turned away. But a hand on his arm stopped him. With a quiet hiss, Starscream turned toward his assailant, baring his dentae. He would—
Oh. Right.
"Let go of me."
"I didn't dismiss you," Megatron said.
Starscream jerked backward. Megatron's grip tightened.
"Stop touching me!" Starscream yelled, pulling away.
"I didn't dismiss you," Megatron said again, pulling Starscream closer. He stared at Starscream, optics burning. "You're planning something. What is it?"
"I'm not! What would even—"
Megatron's face nearly touched his.
"You're quiet. Too quiet. Obviously, something is wrong."
"Maybe I'm just tired of you," Starscream said. "Ever think of that?"
Megatron's grip tightened further, on the verge of making Starscream's plating creak.
"Now, I need to go talk to my Seekers—"
"I didn't dismiss you. Tell me what you're planning."
"I'm not planning anything. Let me go—"
"Tell me."
"No—"
"Tell me."
Starscream struggled against Megatron's grip, pedes slipping on the floor.
"Tell me."
Megatron's optics seared holes into his body.
"Tell me."
"Fine!" Starscream screeched, throwing his helm backward. He rammed it into Megatron's face, stunning the mech. "You want me to be planning something so badly, then here it is!"
Starscream threw himself at Megatron, aiming a fist at his face. Megatron blocked it, but left himself open. Seizing the opportunity, Starscream swept his feet from beneath him. He readied a pede above Megatron, excitement pulsing through his spark to see that fool crushed beneath it—
His helm crashed to the floor. Megatron glared at him, a giant servo gripping his ankle. With a grunt, Megatron sent him flying across the room. Starscream's spark pulsed erratically, beating against his chest. His energeon lines burned.
Megatron stalked closer, upon him before he could rise. A large hand curled around Starscream's throat. His pedes dragged against the ground as he was lifted.
"I'm disappointed," Megatron said. "For all you complain about my plans, this was a pathetic assassination attempt."
That was because it wasn't one, Starscream tried to say, but all that escaped from his vocalizer was static. Megatron dropped him. Starscream landed on his knees, palms on the floor.
As the door slid closed behind Megatron, Starscream added a new rule to the list: No matter the truth, Starscream was a liar.
Though, did Megatron truly deserve to lead? If he was going to call Starscream a traitor, why shouldn't he earn that title?
Hands were on him. He tried to shake them off, but they persisted.
"It's us."
Thundercracker's quiet voice. Starscream let the hands guide him back to their room. They pushed him onto the berth, which he sat on the edge of.
"What happened?" Skywarp asked.
All three Seekers flinched at the static Starscream's vocalizer emitted when he attempted to speak.
"That'll need to be replaced," Thundercracker said.
Starscream rolled his eyes and sent a comm message.
[Megatron again. He thought I was planning something.]
"Were you?"
[No.]
The key being 'were.' They didn't need to know that answer had changed.
Thundercracker sighed. "Let's go to the medbay."
☆☆☆
Setting a trap didn't work. Shooting close to him in battle and hoping it happened to hit without being obvious didn't work. Stabbing him didn't work. What was next?
Poison, obviously.
Starscream held two cubes of energeon in his hands. Only one was poisoned, but it would be impossible to tell which. The poison was flavorless, odorless, colorless, and undetectable unless it was already known. A perfect selection.
It was a stunning plan, save for one thing—Starscream tripped on the way there. Right before he reached Megatron, his pede caught on something. He fell to the ground, barely managing to catch the cubes. He was fairly certain they stayed in the same hands, but…
There was no time to doubt himself. He had the antidote in his room, anyway.
"Starscream," Megatron said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Starscream offered Megatron the cube he was fairly certain was poisoned. Completely certain. Totally certain.
"I figured we could chat over our morning fuel," Starscream said.
Megatron took the offered cube. "Sounds fine to me."
The two sat in silence for a moment. Starscream fought not to fidget, fearing it would give him away. But would being eerily still not also give him away?
"Though," Megatron said, watching his cube as he swirled it in front of him. "Maybe I should worry about your schemes. This is one of them, isn't it?"
Starscream's denial did not come quickly enough. Megatron glanced at him with a raised brow and handed the cube back to him.
"Here," Megatron said. "Let's switch."
They switched cubes. It did not improve Starscream's confidence. He reminded himself that he had the antidote in his quarters. If he got the poisoned cube, all he would need to do was make it back there.
Megatron watched him with burning optics. Trying not to think of the poison, Starscream took a sip of his cube. After seeing him drink, Megatron took a sip of his.
The two shared a tense silence, optics glancing between their cubes. Which one was the poisoned one? Starscream would have to leave after they finished, since the poison acted quickly. He didn't want to be there when it hit, no matter how satisfying watching Megatron go down would be. Especially since the alternative was much worse.
"One of the mines uncovered a set of strangely colored crystals," Megatron said. "A kind not already cataloged. I'm having Shockwave run some tests."
Starscream took another sip of his cube. "What color?"
"Some sort of purple."
Starscream hummed. Unfamiliar indeed. The topic didn't have much to it beyond that, but they still managed to stretch it until both of their cubes were gone. Starscream seized the opportunity to flee.
"I can take your cube back if you'd like."
Megatron shook his head, rising from his throne. "We can walk and talk at the same time."
Slag.
"Hmm… yes, we can."
So, they walked and talked. Starscream set an alarm through his chronometer. He couldn't have drank the poisoned cube, but just in case…
They placed their empty cubes in the receptacle. Starscream's hand shook as he let go of his. Heat coursed through his lines. His fans clicked on. Megatron glanced at him. Starscream shut them off manually, but they automatically turned back on a moment later. The damage was already done, so he didn't bother trying again.
He checked the chronometer. His alarm hadn't gone off. That couldn't be right, could it?
"Starscream."
Starscream took a step. His spark pulsed in his chest, a testament to the panic he was failing to stifle. The antidote was in his quarters, but he'd failed to consider a very important issue.
Megatron was much larger than him. The dose was calculated for Megatron, not him.
"Starscream."
Starscream turned to Megatron slowly. "Yes?"
"Are you alright?"
Megatron's face was stern, but not angry. Starscream was nowhere near in the clear, but that was a good sign regardless.
"I— I'm fine," Starscream said, cringing at the stutter. "But I have something urgent to attend to. I nearly forgot until my alarm went off."
Starscream turned away, hoping for just this once that the brute would take him at his word. Why was walking so difficult? Right, the poison, it was overloading his systems—
"Do you?" Megatron asked. How did he get so close?
Starscream stepped away, fighting not to curl in on himself as his systems protested the movement. The poisoned fuel sat heavy in his tank. Megatron closed the gap and curled a hand around his arm.
"You seem unwell."
Starscream shuddered at the tone. It was mocking, surely, but he couldn't process how.
"It's probably just a virus," Starscream said. The words lagged, catching on the vowels. "I must've picked something up somewhere. Just… take me back to my quarters, please."
"It came on quickly," Megatron said, slinging an arm around Starscream's waist.
Starscream leaned into Megatron, fighting another shudder. Was the giant brute… supporting him? They walked through the halls, somehow only attracting disinterested glances on the way. There was no way Starscream would trust Megatron to actually listen to him and take him to his room, but…
Pain coursed through Starscream's core. On impulse, his arms curled around the source. Megatron pulled him forward. When they finally reached Starscream's quarters, the pain had spread across his body. With a gentle grip, Megatron steered Starscream toward his berth.
Starscream pushed back weakly. The antidote wasn't that way.
Megatron grunted, dentae bared. "If you're so determined not to go to the medbay, then you're going into recharge."
"No."
Starscream pushed. Megatron shoved. The impact of his back against the berth made Starscream's world spin.
"I need—" Starscream's vocalizer cut off.
Megatron's hand forced him down. "Need what? Lay down."
"I—"
He couldn't die today. Megatron already expected this from him. Sure, it'd anger him anyway, but he wouldn't kill him for it.
"It's poison. The antidote is on my shelf."
Megatron went to the other side of the room and searched the shelf, plucking a small vial from the edge of it. He offered the vial to Starscream, who took it with shaking hands.
"Was that so hard?" Megatron asked.
Starscream was too busy downing the antidote to respond. The vial fell from his fingers when he finished.
"You can leave now," Starscream said, curling in on himself.
Megatron sat beside him. "I want to make sure my Air Commander doesn't offline."
Starscream readied a retort, but it never left his vocalizer. A wave of pain washed over him, drawing an embarrassing whine out. Megatron sighed and placed a hand behind Starscream's back, stroking the edge of his wing. Starscream, humiliatingly, leaned into the touch. When another, even more intense wave washed over him, he threw himself into Megatron, who responded by pulling the Seeker flush with his chest.
"Hurts," Starscream hissed.
"I can tell," Megatron said.
The two stayed like that, Starscream occasionally whining in pain, until the door opened. Thundercracker and Skywarp spilled in. Starscream mewled as Megatron left the berth, leaving him in the arms of his wingmates.
"He poisoned himself," Megatron told Thundercracker and Skywarp, his voice stern. "Then took the antidote. Make sure he visits the medbay in the morning."
Thundercracker nodded. Skywarp pulled Starscream toward her. The door shut behind Megatron.
Added to the list was a new, perplexing rule: Megatron cared.
☆☆☆
A crushing grip. A soft caress.
"Can't have my second in command out of commission for too long."
A harsh, booming yell. A gentle whisper.
"I'm never surprised, but I'm always disappointed."
Another failed scheme. He swore someone in the crowd laughed.
"He's delusional!"
He kept trying. There had to be a way. Another failure. Another hand around his neck. A gentler one as he was dragged to the medbay.
"I don't think this is going to stop."
"He should know better."
Megatron was Megatron. Starscream was Starscream.
That would never change.