Let Me Rest - Knockout X Starscream one-shot

Let Me Rest

Megatron circled the wounded seeker, much like a cyberwolf would circle prey. Starscream struggled to stand, but inside he knew he couldn't. His ped was twisted badly, he flinched remembering the screeching of metal that still rang in his audio receptors.

"Scream for me. You have failed me AGAIN! You had better scream, beg for my mercy on your worthless spark!" Megatron growled, kicking the broken down seeker in the side. Starscream was low on energon and lower on spirit, but he didn't scream or beg. Why would he? What's the point in surviving if your not living? Starscream reached out and grabbed a shard of his own broken wing, sharp and jagged it stayed clutched in his servo. Once a part of his own silver frame, now a jagged piece of metal to be disposed of. Starscream grit his teeth and tightened his grip of the sharp, the sharp metal digging into his servo. Energon dripped down his hand as the metal ruthlessly cut into him. His expression remained stoic.

Kick after kick, slash after slash. The scars and bruises marred his shaking frame. No, he was not shaking of fear or desperation, he was shaking of relief. Maybe he could finally be free. Sure, he felt guilty for such thoughts, but not much. His sire, his carrier, his trine, they were gone. He was alone, an enemy to both sides.

Suddenly Megatron stopped, and grabbed the seekers arm. Dragging the wounded seeker behind him he proceeded to the med-bay, snarling about the thick coat of energon now lining the hallway behind his limp Second in Command. So much energon. Megatron was focused ahead of him, he did not see Starscream fiddling with the shard of metal in his servos. He did not see the flurry of movement, hear the stranded cries, or realize just how much energon was pouring from the soldier.

Once he reached the med-bay he threw starscream to the floor in front of him as if he was trash, ignoring the growing puddle of energon covering the med-bays floors. Starscream had survived worse. Starscream could survive worse, his frame could anyway. A frame is nothing more that that though, a vessel. His processor on the other servo was something that not even the most skilled medic could fix. His mind was broken, and wounds didn't need to be visible to tell.

What was the first sign? Starscream himself didn't know. Maybe the rash decisions, or when he started to spend his time simply staring at the wall? It could have been when he started to purposely disobey orders because he felt he deserved some form of pain for surviving. Many had noticed the change if they had known Starscream before the war, a young prince who was as free and wild as all seekers are born to be, but of the many very few cared. He was nothing more than the SIC on the Nemesis, not somebot to be pitied.

"Knockout, please fix up starscream for me. Don't put to much into him though, he WILL be back." Megatron said calmly, exiting the room. Starscream did not doubt his leader would return. He knew that this punishment of his wasn't over, but he had a plan. Maybe is was the loss of energon circulation, or it was just the final break in Starscream's fragile mind. He had made his choice already, and he was happy. Yes, finally during this war, after watching his kingdom be destroyed and his family die, Starscream had found his way out. He had finally decided that he wouldn't take Megatrons slag about rebuilding their home. No, he was going home today.

Starscream used the wall and dragged himself up, "H-hey knockout, ya miss me?" He said, his voice tired and weak. Somehow he managed to smile at the medic, even as his legs shook in protest of his weight. Knockout finally saw all the different wounds covering the commander. His red optics widened before narrowing at the seeker. "What the frag did you do this time?" He asked as he walked over and helped his friend to the berth, practically carrying him.

Starscream propped himself up so he was sitting against the wall behind the berth, "I failed to check on an energon mining operation. Naturally the Autobots chose that exact MINE to raid today." He told his usually vain friend, shutting his tired optics. Knockout was shocked "Only that? Hm, normally you did something much worse. Ep, ep, ep, don't close your optics."