gay robot problems

[thanksoptimus]

Who: Orion Pax and Starscream, and later Megatron.
Where: The space boat.
When: While Megatron is out talking to Baelhaet.
What: Orion is getting restless and Starscream is getting annoyed.
Warnings: Robots.

Normally, Orion would be extremely hesitant to wander the ship without explicit permission. After all, he's been the one locking himself in his room lately, more than anybody else. But with Megatron off on other business...he feels like this may be an opportunity to speak of his issues covertly.

With Megatron out, he suspects that Commander Starscream must still be in. He isn't in any of the obvious places, and so he finds himself approaching some of the more obscure storage locations.

He considers calling, but the idea is nebulously off putting. So, instead he just moves in closer, listening for sounds of other robotic life.

Comments

[bigfuckinggun]

As it turns out, Megatron doesn't find him immediately. But while he seems more subdued than he was before, it quickly becomes clear he's no less angry – merely angry in a different way.

"Starscream..."

It's not the furious roar he was working up to when he landed, but a low, dangerous growl; whatever he's intending to take out on his second in command is, it would seem, deeper than the simple incensed frustration he was nurturing on his flight back from Mintaka Industries.

[starscheme]

Starscream tries not to wilt underneath that furious gaze, with mixed success. As Megatron enters he has his back to the door, and he turns around and does his level best to stand at attention as if he isn't fully aware of the warlord's dangerously foul mood. His hands wring nervously though, and he can't stop blinking, optics flitting about nervously.

"Lord Megatron! You have returned! I, ah... I'm assuming that your journey wasn't quite as successful as either of us had hoped it would be..."

[bigfuckinggun]

While Starscream can't look straight at him, Megatron's gaze is fixed on him, unrelenting.

"You traded the formula to the humans," he says, incredulous, "in exchange for emergency surgery?"

[starscheme]

"I-- Ah. Yes." He instinctively takes one half step back, optics wide in what he hopes is an innocent expression. "Did I forget to mention that part, it really must have slipped my mind while I was trying to fill you in on the important details of who exactly you were dealing with, which seemed a great deal more important than the circumstances of the trade itself..."

[bigfuckinggun]

"You gave this treacherous human scientist," Megatron continues, paying no attention to what Starscream's saying and if anything speaking over him, "the opportunity not only to synthesise artificial energon – a precious resource he now refuses share – but to intimately familiarise himself with Cybertronian anatomy? Breakdown's failure was bad enough, but at least, given the choice, he would have prevented it! Do you think at all before you act, Starscream?"

[starscheme]

"Lord Megatron, please, I would have never taken such an action if I thought there had been any other choice! Consider the situation from my point of view at the time," he whines, positively shrinking with fear. "Alone, stranded on an alien planet, trapped in vehicular mode? I had no idea at the time that there were any other Cybertronians on the planet, let alone a medic! My hand was forced by circumstance!"

[bigfuckinggun]

"Your hand was forced by your own self-interest!" Megatron snarls, leaning aggressively over his cowering lieutenant. "Was it really necessary to offer this worthless organic life form a limitless energon supply in addition to a valuable, dangerous insight into the inner workings of an alien species?" He doesn't wait for a reply, as he early considers the answer self-evident – he just grabs Starscream in one hand and lifts him to eye level, and says in a quiet growl, "Give me one reason I should allow you to live."

[starscheme]

"You wouldn't-- You can't--" Starscream's voice cracks, his body completely rigid with fear. "Mercy, Lord Megatron, I beg you, you can't condemn me for simply doing what was necessary to survive!! I... I can still correct my mistake, help you retrieve the completed formula!"

It was a helpless and vague shot in the dark, but it was the only service of value he really had left to offer at this point. He certainly could help do that, but whether Megatron deemed his assistance at all necessary or useful was, at this point, out of his hands.

[bigfuckinggun]

"Correcting your mistake is the least I expect," snaps Megatron, fangs bared. "Coincidentally, I also expect you to keep an eye on our prisoner, rather than allowing him to wander the corridors of my battleship unchecked to harass me with petty questions!"

[starscheme]

Starscream thinks that maybe if Megatron didn't want the prisoner wandering around, he should have just put him in stasis to begin with and not even given him the chance. However, bringing that up at the moment doesn't exactly seem prudent.

He's also notably curious about how that conversation must have gone, but inquiring about that isn't a smart idea either.

At any rate, if Megatron was giving him further orders, perhaps he wasn't about to die after all. Probably. "O-of course Lord Megatron, I am yours to command!" he stutters out, making a meager attempt at a placating smile. Distressed as he is though, brows knit together with concern and the corners of his mouth twitching, it just looks pained.

[bigfuckinggun]

His lip curls in disgust – while Starscream's open terror is somewhat cathartic, his pathetic grovelling only makes Megatron angrier. His grip briefly tightens, and then he lets him go with a growl. This isn't what he wants, and he doesn't know what is.

Trashing Starscream would probably help, but both supplies and troops are too limited to put him in the medical bay – especially when an assault on Baelheit needs to be launched at the earliest convenience, Megatron can't afford to go without the two out of three underlings he'd be missing with Starscream recovering and Knock Out having to work harder than usual to repair him with substandard equipment and supplies.

But, frustrating as it is, the situation lets him tell himself that he'd be fine if he could just beat the shit out of someone. And for now that's better than having to face up to any deeper discomfort.

He takes a step forward, bringing one foot down, heavily, just shy of crushing Starscream as he leans over him.

"Count yourself lucky that I need this mistake corrected as swiftly as possible," he growls, "and do not fail me – if you do manage to prove your worthlessness once and for all, I would welcome the opportunity to destroy you."

[starscheme]

He hits the floor with a grunt, followed by a pathetic squeak of pain as that uncomfortable amount of pressure is applied. His hands dart out and scrabble at the floor, clawing at the surface frantically, though his focus is 100% on Megatron. He stares back up at him, helpless, too scared stiff to even blink and hanging off every threatening word as though his life depends on it.

Which, well... technically, it does. Starscream has no doubt that Megatron is serious this time. When his master had initially arrived on Earth, Starscream had been confident in his immunity because he was well aware that his already well established presence on this planet was of a great enough value to balance out any insolence he felt like dishing out. But this was a different situation entirely. That status of usefulness had been blown away as more and more of the truth of his prior time here came to light, to the point where it wasn't even a threat to say that if he didn't prove himself to Megatron this time that he would be terminated... it was a promise.

When Megatron finishes speaking, Starscream manages to muster up a weak little nod, eventually followed by a well practiced response: "I will not fail you, my liege, I promise," he just barely wheezes out.

[bigfuckinggun]

Megatron kicks him a little way across the floor as he straightens up. "Your promises mean little to me, Starscream – convince me with your actions, and I will spare you the full force of my wrath."

[starscheme]

Starscream slowly rolls onto his side and tries to sit himself up, pushing off the floor with both hands. His venting is heavy, trying to catch up now that the pressure on his systems has been removed. "You need only tell me where to begin, Master," he says with a slightly prickly touch of stubborn pride. "I will not fail this time."

He pointedly continues to stare at the floor between his hands as he speaks. Having to look up at Megatron from an even lower stand point than usual was too humiliating to even consider...