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He sometimes wished he could understand what was going on in that cruel head of a mech. How the leader of the Decepticons insisted that two beings who’d exchange mutually annoyed glares should be in each other’s company.
A passing thought comes that the leader merely enjoys seeing the two who had the misfortune of being eye candy for him bickering about under the delusional assumption that were doing it for him. Neither actually interested in the leader himself and rather the title he held.
“What task do you have for me this time, oh gracious Megatron?” Starscream asked with clear sarcasm in his tone. All the while the leader of the Decepticons’ optics were laser focused on the fembot currently scrubbing through digital documents. Unaware (or simply ignoring) of the effect she has on the leader. Which again, was not something she was particularly happy about.
It always felt like her skills and desires to be taken as one of them was undermined by his constant waxing of her appearance. Sly remarks comparing her physique to the annoying seeker he still allows to retain the second in command title. It was frankly embarrassing and disrespectful. It even got to the point that some of the other cons would make remarks to her as Megatron’s “pretty little bird”.
It was one of the few issues she and Starscream could come to an agreement on, as before her it was the seeker who would get tossed to derogatory and disrespectful comments about his looks as opposed to his skills.
“Huh?? What are you blabbering on about Starscream?” Megatron sneered when he finally snapped his attention back to the bot who spoke to him. “Can’t you see I’m busy?” He gestures to the monitor, which has been stuck on a very blurry static surveillance footage. Starscream crossed his arms and tsked.
“I was blabbering about if there was anything you have for me to do? It’s getting stuffy in here and I think-”
“Ah who cares what you think!” Megatron slammed his fist against the console, startling the few who were in the room with them. Starscream huffed before starting to just pace around.
There were few times he’d do what he was told. He listens patiently for orders and tries his best to carry them out. He’d even admit his own ego would lead to him tripping over his own pedes on several occasions. But now was not one of them.
He aimlessly looks in Nightbird’s direction again and he lets out a startled yelp to see that not only was she no longer in her spot but she was now inches from his face.
He falls over himself, landing with a hard thud to the ground.
“You idiot!” Starscream yelped. “Make yourself known before sneaking up on someone like that!”
Had she been like any other con, perhaps her response would be to tease him and then laugh at his misfortune. Instead, she stood curiously, tilting her head. Isn’t being covert part of their whole ordeal? Why was he acting as though that wasn’t the point?
However, it seems Megatron would give the usual response. Cackling at Starscream’s clumsy demeanor in place of Nightbird.
“That, or you’re so blinded by your ego you missed her movements,” Megatron cackles, much to Nightbird’s annoyance. She cringes as she feels his servo land on her shoulder. One of the few instances of an emotion that seemed to have no reason to exist other than for minor inconveniences like these.
“I’d like to think my abilities could catch any mech off guard,” She retorts, not in an effort to spare Starscream of ridicule but to get Megatron off of her shoulder. His presence overall made her desire to inquiry the seeker about more pressing matters. Despite his shortcomings, she had to admit that there was something impressive about him on a tactical level.
It takes entirely too long for him to finally move away from her and back to ogling at his screen with nothing but unimportant surveillance footage. Dusting off her shoulder, she approached Starscream again, who had begun mumbling to himself while trying to find something else to do. Leaving the room after an embarrassment wasn’t exactly an option for the second in command.
“Starscream.” She spoke, her voice at an even tone. Emotion is barely evident. The seeker rolls his optics and places his fist on his hips.
“What now? Trying to frighten me again?” His annoyance echoed.
“Not at all,” She replied. “I was coming to ask if you could give me some training. I feel underutilized and believe it is best to learn to make sure I am earning my spot among you all.”
Another booming laughter from the head mech himself. Clearly he was eavesdropping on the conversation between his two pieces of optic candy. Lingering just enough in case, she assumes, either spoke anything worthy of treason.
She wished he wasn’t there.
Starscream huffed, crossing his arms and tilting his head. “I suppose so.”
“Yes?”
“Yes,” The seeker added, turning and gesturing for her to follow. “Come with me, there’s a perfect training session we can do-”
“Now Starscream!”
Both groaned again. Will Megatron let them be? How is Nightbird supposed to advance if he keeps stunting her development? How is Starscream to improve if he feels the harsh breath of Lord Megatron against the back of his neck?
He pushes past the fembot, poking the seeker in the chest with an accusatory digit. Pressing it so hard that it felt as though he was aiming for his spark. Starscream frowned deeply.
“If you any funny business-”
“Trust me, Lord Megatron, there is nothing funny that will happen,” Starscream retorts, swiping the Decepticon leader’s servo away from him. “She asked to be trained, and therefore she will be trained. Nothing more. Nothing else.”
He turns, waving his servo about. “Your precious little bird shall be fine.”
Without much more prompting, Nightbird followed the seeker through the sliding doors. She briefly glanced behind her, seeing Megatron standing there with something akin to an immature scowl.
After a while, Starscream had to raise his servo to catch his “breath”. His plating showed signs of impacts. Scratches and dents that needed to be buffed out once they returned. The walls behind them also showed signs of the battle.
Nightbird proved herself to still be a competent fighter, but even she stood with a couple of battle scars. It seems it never hit her that she should actually dodge some of Starscream’s blasts. While she was stumbling about like Starscream, she certainly seemed to struggle to stand in her usual robust fashion.
“Pause.” Starscream swallowed, licking off the small bit of energon from his lip. “I need you to pause.”
“There is no pausing in battle.” Nightbird tilted her head, but something clicked in her knee joint and she buckled, falling forward. She braced herself just in time to make sure her face didn’t impact the hard floor. She feels her processors and internal fans going off. What was happening?
For the first time that day, Starscream laughs.
“Hah, there it is,” He says with a cheeky grin. “You’ve finally overworked yourself.”
“I did not-” She stops as a small cloud begins to emit from her. This has never happened before. Especially not due to fighting. She’s done more before. Unless?
“I’m normally not so generous, but when I warned you that tanking blows wouldn’t work, I meant it.” Starscream grimaced. “You’re lucky I was holding back. I’d hate to have to endure Megatron’s whining because you decided that dodging wasn’t a part of training today.”
He was right, she had to admit. Perhaps being somewhat impressed by Starscream’s own ability to swallow blows like it was nothing, she had foolishly assumed that she too could prove herself by taking those blasts as well. Dodging was her speciality, as was her speed and sneaking. She had been so occupied in trying to mimic Starscream she had forgotten what had made her so special in the first place.
He stood, approaching her with a limp in his step. “Get up. We better get you to the lab so I can path you up some before Megatron blows a fuse.”
“Ugh,” A sound she never heard herself make. Starscream smirks a little before throwing his head back into a laugh again.
“You’re still an annoying little brat, but at least we can have solace in the torment of our lord megatron,” He points to the doors. “Do I need to carry you or can you walk?”
“I can walk,” She replied, struggling to stand but overall she was able to get to her feet. Starscream tsked and nodded towards the door. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” Starscream frowned. “Like I said, you’re Megatron’s pretty bird for now. I’m only doing this to save my own mesh.”
Nightbird wanted to respond, but she couldn’t think of anything. As they both limped towards the lab, both silently hoped Starscream could do a decent enough repair job to ensure neither are pestered by the annoying Decepticon leader.