Chapter Text
Starscream really didn't know what he'd done to deserve this. Running away like some low class mech.
He'd tried it all. Flying until his systems gave up, changing directions, literally walking like some Grounder… and they always caught up to him.
He never got close to actually getting caught, but he heard them. Or saw them without them seeing him.
He'd barely recharged, had refueled on scraps he found and felt like scrap.
And all of that because of this stupid night when he'd decided to work a little overtime to finish his current project.
If only he'd known what kind of scrap Jetfire had been doing behind his back. They'd been friends, working together quite well… until Jetfire had gotten the bright idea of selling weapon prototype blueprints to the highest bidder.
Which was some terrorist group that decided to cut any loose ends.
Starscream hadn't even seen much. He'd heard a commotion when he'd gotten them some Energon from the dispenser down the hallway, their lab being the only room that was still lit.
He'd walked faster, only to see Jetfire in a puddle of his own Energon, dead.
Across the room stood another mech, a Grounder, who noticed Starscream who had been frozen to the spot until dropping the cubes to run.
And that had been what he'd been doing ever since. For five cycles.
He was exhausted, but couldn't stop. Someone had seen him witness a murder and now wanted him gone.
He did have the logical idea of running to the police. But he'd seen them around every police station he crossed so far. They knew the areas he was in and made sure he could never call for help.
Calling someone actually would be a good idea, if only Starscream wasn't too paranoid. What if they possessed the technology to listen in on his calls? Or locate him? He'd be dead before help arrived.
Primus knew Starscream definitely didn't want to die.
But very slowly he ran out of options. He couldn't run forever, at some point they'd find him.
So he'd come to the conclusion of finding help in the less legal sector.
He hated just thinking about it, but he had no better option left.
Finding the right place hadn't even been hard.
He'd made it to Kaon, where he knew the lower class lived and where he was more likely to find someone to help him for a few Shanix. At least all the Shanix he still had on him, because he had no way of accessing his funds without risking detection.
He'd found the shadiest bar in this sector that made his plating bristle.
Rust stains everywhere, liquids on the ground whose origin he didn't even want to know…
A nightmare for him, but perfect for the purpose of finding someone who could need a few Shanix.
As he entered the bar, he noticed a flickering light above the entrance and grimaced. Why would no one bother changing that?
The door slid open slowly, definitely in need of repairs and revealed a large room with several tables to each side, a bar at the far wall and patrons who had the most serious expressions.
Perfect. Not really perfect in the sense of what he'd usually prefer, but perfect for his goal.
He scanned the whole room. Six mechs were there. Four occupied their own tables, watching him with hostility because he clearly didn't belong here, while two very large and very intimidating mechs sat together at one, each looking into their own cube of Energon.
One of them was even a Seeker, which immediately sold it to Starscream.
Perking up his wings in confidence, he approached the table and sat uninvited.
Both mechs instantly narrowed their optics.
The Seeker was easily double his size, one of those types who were often military. His plating was blue and grey with a few gold accents.
The second mech looked like one of those Kaonite brutes who were either military, workers or gladiators.
He was fully silver and the cannon on his right arm was definitely impressive.
Starscream knew a good weapon when he saw it.
“Do the two of you need a few Shanix?”
Both mechs exchanged a look that was confused at best.
The silver one frowned and looked back at Starscream.
“What do you want?”
“I need help. Protection to be exact. Someone wants me dead but I don't want to die. I can pay you. I don't have much with me right now, but I really need help.” Starscream sighed. He didn't want to beg these two, but they looked more dangerous than the mechs who kept following him.
They exchanged another glance, before the silver mech spoke again. “For how long? Because we usually don't do these long term jobs.”
“I don't know! I hate this, really. I've been hiding for five cycles now, I've run and flown across half the planet, I just need someone able to protect me until they either give up or I get a chance to report it to the police.” Starscream lowered his wings. He'd imagined it to be easier to convince someone to help him with a few Shanix. But these two seemed to do this professionally. Which was good, because that meant they knew what they did, but bad because they would have their price and usual range of things they agreed on.
“Please…”
Now the Seeker spoke. “Who's following you?”
“Some terrorist group I believe. Not many, I've seen the same ten mechs several times. Might be more, actually. But they always know the area I'm in and they always manage to come closer and closer and I didn't even recharge properly because I feared they'd find me then!” Starscream didn't want to complain, but it did sound like complaining, mixed with desperation.
The two exchanged yet another look until the silver one sighed.
“Fine. We've got nothing better to do anyways and we're feeling generous right now.”
Starscream sighed with pure relief.
“Primus… thank you. I was already expecting to have to crawl to some of the others around here for help. Nothing against your kind of mechs, but they look like they'd rather kill me.” He lowered his voice conspiratorially and chuckled. His joke wasn't being received well. The two just gave him a look of annoyance.
“I'm Starscream, by the way,” he then decided to change the topic.
“Megatron. That's Dreadwing." The silver one introduced the two, clearly being the one in charge here.
“Nice to meet you two.” Starscream smiled and it was entirely fake, because he realized he'd have to spend his time with these two brutes now.
“You're going to do exactly as we say. If we tell you to go and hide, you go and hide and don't complain. If we tell you to shut up, you shut up your vocalizer.” Megatron obviously had some very hard rules, to which Dreadwing only nodded.
Starscream merely narrowed his optics at that. He understood the logical reason behind it. They were the professionals, he was their client. Or something similar, since he wouldn't be able to properly pay them.
So they naturally knew how this would go and he'd have no other choice but to obey. Which he hated.
But he could complain later. Right now he needed them as his protectors.
“Fine. I'll do what you say.”
“Good.” Megatron finished his cube, as did Dreadwing.
“Come.”
Starscream quietly growled at the order, but swallowed it when he followed them out of the bar.
“What's your plan?” he asked just to make sure he wasn't about to run into an even worse trap.
“We have a few locations that are safe. We're going to hide you there, see how long the enemy needs to catch up.” Megatron watched the sky, exchanging a look with Dreadwing.
“We'll be flying low between the buildings, you stay between us.”
Starscream rolled his optics, but nodded. A secure hiding space was better than continuing to run aimlessly.
And when they both leapt up and transformed, he was pleasantly surprised that Megatron could fly too. He quickly followed, flying between the two much larger mechs who were hopefully capable of keeping him alive long enough.
Starscream wasn't quite sure yet how successful they'd be, but as his last option, he didn't have much choice but to trust them for now.