will they sing tho

[thanksoptimus]

Who: Orion Pax and Starscream
Where: In the desert somewhere near the Autobot camp.
When: After this, during music event.
What: Starscream is a treacherous fucker and he backstabs Orion real good.
Warnings: Seriously screw that guy.


Orion shows up at the coordinates ten minutes later, ideally giving himself a bit of a chance to survey his surroundings. He's being haunted by a dull sense of unease, like an ache in his spark. He doesn't want to fail everyone by screwing this up but...he's found himself believing Starscream's story. It lines up with everything Orion has seen of him.

More than anything, if there is some chance to turn the tides of the battle here...he wants to take it. For himself, and for Arcee and the others.

He tells himself this even as he makes up as many back up plans as he can in the back of his head, waiting in his alt mode in an empty patch of desert.

Comments

[bigfuckinggun]

"Won't he," rumbles a familiar voice from somewhere behind him. Megatron landed a few moments ago, it seems, but between the sound of the energon harvester and Starscream's energetic background music, it was a little easier to miss than usual. He'd suspected something might be up as soon as he'd noticed Starscream leave, and the energy spike from the harvester made him particularly easy to locate.

(Insert record scratching noise here)

[starscheme]

Starscream flinches, and then freezes. He doesn't even turn to face Megatron. The fear in him is too strong, and he is pretty certain he can probably imagine the look on his face anyway.

Then comes the inevitable question: "Ahaha... Lord Megatron..." Fuck. "H-how long... have you been there..."

[bigfuckinggun]

"Long enough," replies Megatron, walking forward at a leisurely pace. "Your singing voice leaves something to be desired."
He stops at Starscream's shoulder, looking down at him with narrowed optics, and then turns to stare at the fallen Orion Pax.

"I suppose I should congratulate you on luring him to his doom," he says, but he sounds a lot more angry and disdainful than impressed. "What were you intending to do with him, Starscream?"

[starscheme]

He's trying not to tremble now; Starscream can feel Megatron approach, feel his eyes on him. He does take some offense at that statement... He put his whole soul into that song just now, geez.

"Your critique is noted, my liege... not that I usually make a habit, of singing, as such, but..." he quirks his vocaliser nervously. "I was going to bring him back to you, naturally. What else would he be worth keeping around for?"

He knows that's a terrible lie, and one that Megatron won't believe for a second, but he's hoping that maybe if he's lucky, he might get let off the hook, seeing as he just did something incredibly useful here... even if his intentions for doing so weren't exactly innocent.

[bigfuckinggun]

Megatron narrows his optics. The camera zooms in on his face, slowly.

"Give me the harvester," is all he says.

[starscheme]

That makes the energon in his veins run ice cold. Oh, the irony of the situation.

He pointedly does not move to hand the harvester over, or even move at all, save for a slight trembling starting in his wings. "Lord Megatron, please--"

[bigfuckinggun]

Megatron holds his hand out, his demand becoming a growl, "The energon harvester, Starscream. Now."

[starscheme]

Starscream hesitates a moment longer, says a quick prayer to himself, and turns, painfully slow, to delicately place the harvester in Megatron's hand. He still keeps his eyes carefully averted, focusing instead on golden orb that he's fairly certain is going to be used to suck him dry of all his lifeblood in the next moment.

[bigfuckinggun]

Megatron closes his claws around the sphere with a soft clink, and lifts it up to look at it – after a moment his gaze settles back on Starscream, but he doesn't put it away. The possibility is still on the table. "What were you planning to do with Orion Pax?" he says again. "Did you hope to use the Forge for your own ends?"

[starscheme]

"Ah. Um... The thought had crossed my mind, of course, but then again who wouldn't jump at the possibility, considering he was available for it..." Starscream's now empty hands hover at chest height, fingers twitching now and then. He doesn't tear his eyes from the harvester. Every fiber of his being is tensed to head for the goddamn hills as soon as Megatron makes a move, if he needs to.

[thanksoptimus]

Orion has been slipping in and out of consciousness this entire time, even while mostly unable to move, but something about Megatron's presence draws him back to the surface for a moment. His optics flicker as they open, and he makes some of those weird Peter Cullen groaning sounds (you know the ones) as he's met again with the exhausted ache that cripples his whole body.

"Mega...tron..."

His vocalizers skips and stutters, desperate and pleading.

[bigfuckinggun]

Megatron opens his mouth to respond to Starscream, but the weird noise Orion makes catches his attention, and he looks over sharply. For a long moment he just stares at the fallen Autobot, and then Orion stutters out his name and an unfamiliar emotion twists through his spark, and his face contorts in a mixture of anger and disgust. There's the scrape of metal on metal as his claws clench around the spark extractor, and he turns abruptly back to his second in command, a fresh rage in his optics.

"I don't know what is more pathetic," he snarls; "your pitiful attempts to downplay your flagrant treachery, or the fact that you needed something this powerful to defeat a mere data clerk."

[starscheme]

Those words cut deep, and Starscream shrinks further in on himself, flinching when Megatron starts yelling again. He might have meekly taken what verbal abuse was due to be dished out to him if Megatron had merely kept his criticisms specific to Starscream's shitty lying, but man does he take offense to that last part. Though he remains on the defensive, keeping his posture as non-threatening as possible and his lips frozen in a nervous frown, his eyes still flash defiantly. When he responds, he still sounds panicked, antsy that Megtron may still turn the device on him.

"Need I remind you that 'mere data clerk' has the build and power of the Autobot that has been causing us grief for centuries? I had no idea what to expect from him, and using the harvester... The end result is the same, it just seemed like the safer and easier method!" And he means it, because he's no risk taker. The simpler and easier the route, the better.

[bigfuckinggun]

"The safer and easier method to plot my demise? You fool," Megatron spits. "If you were fit to lead the Decepticons, Starscream, you would never have given the energon harvester up. You should have turned it on me while you had the chance."

[starscheme]

Now Megatron was just needlessly twisting the knife around, as far as Starscream's opinion on the matter goes, and the crushing blow to his ego struck by those words reads clearly on his face.

"B-but that wouldn't- what good would that-That is an unfair assessment!" He whines. It's obvious that he desperately wants to argue, to defend himself and his decisions, but he's far too terrified to adequately do so, struck dumb by Megatron's biting criticism. He could try and justify why he chose to hand the harvester over instead of using it, but it would only serve to incriminate him further.

Ultimately he has no retort. He just glances down at Orion briefly and then back at Megatron, scowling miserably. Cybertronians may possess lengthy life cycles, and Starscream may be far from young, but right now he feels like a rookie scout back in basic training... a sentiment which only serves to fuel the resentment in his spark right now.

[bigfuckinggun]

"An unfair assessment?" he repeats incredulously. "Perhaps I could have stopped you before you used it to render me as helpless as poor Orion Pax – but you would have bought yourself an advantage. All you have now is the slim chance that you might hope to outrun me. I have endured enough of your foolishness, Starscream." Megatron takes a step towards him, hefting the harvester as though he's considering using it. "All those years," he snarls, "watching you grow arrogant –"

He's still just speaking, but as those words leave his vocaliser, more ... rhythmical ... than the way he'd usually say anything, they feel out of his control, and he breaks off in surprise with the realisation that he is starting to be accompanied by soft orchestral music. Ohhhh noooooooo

[starscheme]

Megatron's intentions towards him confirmed, Starscream is totally prepared to full on beg and plead for his life (seriously, it'd be physically impossible for him to look any more terrified than he is right now)... and then the music starts.

Not this shit again.

"All that time, serving at your side," Starscream corrects, seamlessly slipping into the same beat with the practice of someone who just did this shit less than a few minutes ago... all as he cringes back from Megatron, posture low and submissive.

[bigfuckinggun]

Megatron's eyebrows pull down in confusion and he looks around as though for a hidden enemy as the music builds. Where is it coming from? What is happening?

He can't resist the music. This is terrible.

"All that time," he replies, "convinced that it was worth it, to spare your wretched hide –"

He grimaces. He wants to demand an explanation from Starscream. But, to be fair, he also wants to let him know how completely done he is, and this does seem as good an opportunity as any.

And apparently that level of acceptance is all it takes to plunge Megatron straight first into Actually Singing territory: "Now I hear you plotting to dethrone me; now you’re outright planning my demise! Standing here, it’s sadly clear..." He puts the energon harvester away – this is actually kind of invigorating – to seize Starscream roughly by the arm, yanking him closer and finishing in a growl, "To spare you was unwise..."

[starscheme]

Starscream lets out a terrified squeal, stumbling as Megatron yanks him forward. The music keeps going in the background, which is completely and sort of hilariously at odds with the way Starscream is cowering. He's not quite singing at the moment, though he tries to put on a charming, placating smile. It just comes off as looking extremely forced.

"Alright, so I see the folly of my actions now, it's true- but did I not still you your prize? Orion Pax, I delivered him right to you!" He tugs back against Megatron's grip, taking on a sing-song tone once more: "Master, please, I beg you reconsider...!"

The worst part is, this is the point where he'd be hitting the skies by now, but something about the rhythm of the song has him glued to the spot. He's stuck for the duration, at least. If he survives that long.

[bigfuckinggun]

"Delivered him right to me?" Megatron repeats incredulously. His grip on Starscream's arm tightens painfully, and he throws him across the sand in time with a violin crescendo. "Do you expect me to simply pretend not to have overheard you gloating to yourself about my imminent defeat simply because your folly has yielded me something I want?" he demands, striding after him and bringing one of his massive feet down on Starscream's leg before he can make an attempt get away. "I do not need you functioning to claim my prize, Starscream."

[starscheme]

There's an audible crunch and a snap, swiftly followed by an ear-shattering howl of pain from Starscream. That definitely broke something attached to actual nerves, rather than just cracking the armored plating. He sits himself up with both hands and tries to squirm backwards, his other foot coming up at an awkward angle to kick weakly at Megatron's ankle.

There's a million excuses he can think to make, and a million more pleas to go along with them, and Starscream is all together terrified and remorseful... But the music compels him to perhaps put up a bit more of a fight than he usually might, like the only course of action that makes sense is for him to sing what he's really feeling instead of doing the smart thing and supplicating himself to Megatron.

This is perhaps not exactly the best moment to reach such a conclusion, but he can't really help himself. He stares back up at Megatron, eyes taking on an unusually steely glint, though he's still trembling with fear and pain. "Perhaps you don't need me to claim your prize, but you know you need me to help you bring the Decepticons to true glory!

He picks up the beat once more, this time actually singing. It helps that, now that he's heard Megatron belt out a tune, he's a bit more confident in his own abilities. Make fun of his singing voice, will you?

"All those years, living in your shadow..." he pauses to curse at the pain wracking his leg once before continuing. "All those years, believing you were wise. All that time, burying my feelings, and cultivating lies..."

He looks particularly taken back, concerned really, by his own words at the last part, what- Wait no he did not want to bring the question of their fucked up quasi-hatemance into this oh nooooooo