The Broken Crown

[Three] Malice

The walk to his quarters felt like the end all be all. Even standing behind the closed metal door, Starscream could feel the impending doom that loomed and seeped through the cracks of the door. He knew what Megatron wanted, he knew what was going to happen, yet he still stood behind that door, waiting, hesitating.

He never questioned why it was his quarters. He had asked at one point, but then it was a different time, a different punishment. A different.. humiliation. He hoped this time it wasn't the same but knew that one can only hope so much. Starscream was familiar to useless hoping, useless wishing. He had been stuck in that spiral before.

Yet, he hoped the door wouldn't open when it did, sliding into the wall and revealing the dull quarters behind it. In the room, Megatron sat at the desk tucked to the side, close to the entrance but far enough away to feel like Starscream wasn't trapped.

Anywhere with him felt like a cage and Starscream felt it, the barred enclosure around his entire being. His room was suffocating to be in. It was only at times like these when he felt the most defiant that his thoughts ran rampant to reasons why he still responded to him with 'Master' or 'My Lord'. Megatron had become aware of his presence and had shifted his body to face him.

"Starscream. I will not repeat myself." Megatron's voice cut through the smog in his processor and he realized he didn't hear the first sentence that Megatron spoke. He kept his frame from rattling, though he never understood the unconscious nerves his body set in place without his consent. It was expected. Necessary. Just apart of his judgement.

It never is. You know this.

"Yes, sir?" He asked impishly, confused and cautious. Megatron motioned with his hand, a motion for him to come in. His expression was displeased and for a moment Starscream thought about turning around and leaving. He thought about walking away but his body was frozen and refused to listen to his silent commands. Although, he said nothing in response, Megatron patience was growing thin.

Still, he responded to Megatron like an obedient servant to his leader, walking in but kept a distance. He ignored the flinch he made as the door slid shut with a loud noise. He silently berated himself for allowing himself to be precarious around Megatron. As assumed, Megatron noticed most interesting things like that. He kept it in a log in his head and when things were discussed, Megatron would mention it, he would test Starscream's emotional status.

"You wanted to see me?" Starscream's hesitation was heard in his voice. He wanted to be more confident but confidence was not coming to him in that moment. "You failed, yet again Starscream. I expected much better from you." Megatron started, his digits tracing the edge of a cup that sat on his desk. The statements were minor insults, disappointment laced in the edge of his voice.

"Megatron, sir, I wasn't in direct correlation to the-" Starscream automatically defended his point, only for the cup to be crushed in a single hit. His fist collided with the metal in half than a second, crumbling the poor metal cup in a flat coaster. All of which cut him off. Megatron's anger fumed past his frame, flooding his overbearing EM Field. He wanted Starscream to know he was angry.

He flicked the crushed cup off the desk, watching it fall before meeting Starscream's gaze, "You are Second In Command, Starscream. I expect order and consequence, especially when I am not accompanying you on the expeditions. You. Failed." Megatron spoke with a heavy tone, loud and boisterous with each word before he leaned to stand. His last two words stung Starscreams core, he never wanted to fail, he tries not to. Megatron would never know the guilt Starscream feels watching Decepticons perish from failure knowing that he was the one commanding them and Starscream would never voice it.

He would rather die than to provide any semblance of information on his emotional regulation to Megatron. Especially Megatron.

Starscream didn't know when he started to back step, or when his wings became flat against the entry door that did not open on his whim, "Megatron, sir, I-" His words were stuck in his throat as Megatron loomed over the seeker with his approach and although Starscream was not ideally aware of his current expressions he held onto the idea to fight back against the brute. Just as before. He was not a coward, at least not in front of his leader.