[ti]Ep 3.5[/ti]Opportunities as they come [ Closed | Starscream ]

[Starscream]

Starscream had lost count of how many Cybertronians he'd seen die. That was the trouble with war and all that came with it, in that, there was more than enough death to go around. Plenty of those who'd succumbed had been at his own hand, either directly or not. He was no stranger to it, to the point it truly no longer phased him.

But having someone die right in front of him on the other side of a desk - and through attrition, no less? It was certainly a first. Oh, he'd entered a room with others before now, being the only one to leave alive - but with Breakdown, it would not be his doing.

Yet he couldn't help but watch. The other mech had run out of time. That optic that'd stared directly at him only moments earlier seemed to now instead peer right through him. Systems slowed, to the point the silver Seeker knew without a doubt that should a decision not be made in the next second or two, Breakdown would lose to a rather cruel and twisted punishment.

It seemed sitting down, stopping moving - had finally given his frame the permission it so desperately craved to simply cease.

Breakdown had failed. Knock Out was gone, and now had been missing for well over a week. At this point there was no sign nor sound of him – and all they could do was wonder, and bet on which outcome would be worse. MECH taking him apart piece by piece, learning more of their anatomy and how they functioned, or the Autobots - picking at him for crucial intelligence. Information such as what'd happened to the Nemesis, or the location of Blackridge Hold and their numbers.

Both were equally dangerous.

His optics narrowed some, keeping his attention on the other mech in this momentary lull. A decision should've been made by now, though he wondered – if only for a moment – if Breakdown even had the energy to speak.

Ah, but then a word. A confirmation, an agreement to the terms.

Starscream's lip twitched, though it wasn't quite a smile.

Perhaps it was unfair, knowing the other mech simply had no choice in the matter – after all, it was this or death. But pride was a stubborn thing, and he was sure that deep down, Breakdown knew he was making the right decision.

"Good."

A single word of his own was spoken as he leaned forward to push the cube of Energon closer to the other mech with his index digit.

"Now take that before you no longer have the energy to do so and die anyway."

[Breakdown]

Breakdown sat there, lost to the fog he found himself trying to wade through. He had given the Seeker his answer. Had it been one he would have made had the situation been different? If it were not so dire as it was? He wasn't really sure if it had been made entirely on his own, either. The taunts within the deep recesses of his processor had been far more prominent than they had been in a long while. Even if the answer had left his mouth, a decision that seemed- to save sounding like Shockwave- logical, of all things, he wondered how much of it had been made just be inflluences that were neither due to Starscream, Knockout, or is own starvation. 

Yet the word had been spoken, Starscream had heard it, and he knew he had just entered another contract of loyalty he never expected he ever would have. His prior intentions had been clear. Were they all dead in the water?

Time would tell. 

For now, the Energon reward was waiting for him, offered once more now that the arrangement had been made. His frame felt like it weighed far more than it should, as if every piston, rivet, metal and otherwise carried their own. It reminded him when he was first given this frame, upgraded from his original lighter one. He needed to relearn how to walk and operate, with everything feeliing like he was fighting through sticky tar against himself.

Just as he did then, he used his drive and stubbornness to get him through. This situation called for the same need, only this time it was the call of his systems needing that Energon just within reach. It took every ounce of strength he had to lift his arm even slightly, which then heavily laid on the top of the desk just beside the cube. The servo turned to the side, digits opening as the arm moved closer, only to close around the cube like a claw game that weekly held onto the prize. A moment more and the arm slid back to the edge of the desk, a breath, and then the heave up. Breakdown managed to bring the cube up to drink, somehow, and took a full gulp of that liquid that he so desperately needed. As it ran down his intake it left a trail of ache behind. As much as he wanted to drink it down, he knew better than to, aware that would only risk a total purge of his tanks to leave him far worse off than before. 

So he waited until that first drink finished traveling, then he took another, and another, silently savoring it. For now it was only he and this cube until the last bit of it was finished. It took far less effort to slam the empty cube back down on the desk, probably because it was a downward tragectory rather than upward against gravity, but he was thankful for it none the less. He needed more- wanted more- but he would wait. Would Starscream allow it? 

His yellow optic looked at the Seeker, acknowledging him alas, waiting.

[Starscream]

Despite the fact he had assisted somewhat in pushing the cube closer toward the starving mech, no further motions were made to help him actually drink. Pulling his arm back to rest gently on the edge of the desk, Starscream could only sit and watch as the struggle began.

He wondered, as he watched, just how hard it was right now for Breakdown to even lift his arm. It certainly seemed like it was taking almost every ounce of his remaining strength to do so, to the point he wondered if such a meager amount of fuel would even help.

There was certainly more where that came from, though that ran the risk of his frame rejecting it all at once, purging the fluid from his systems after going without for so long.

He wouldn't say anything as the other mech took his moment to drink - there were no knowing smirks, nor looks of concern. A simple silence, expression remaining neutral, even as Breakdown finished and slammed the now empty cube back onto the desk.

Only then would Starscream nod, before breaking the silence with words.

"Hopefully that helped."

His optics narrowed some, glancing momentarily to the cube that he had drank out of moments earlier. It wasn't quite as full as the one Breakdown had just finished, nor did it look quite as fresh – no doubt from either far earlier this day, or last night's ration. However, it was still edible, as evidenced by the fact he had consumed some without issue.

"You can have that one, too, if you'd like. A single cube won't last you long, given how much energy you are no doubt expending in your search for Knock Out."

He wouldn't move to push the second cube over, though his attention eased back to the other mech.

"I meant what I said in that there's more where that one came from. Each day, you are to report to me here, where a ration will be waiting. If anyone grows suspicious and asks what you are doing-" and by that he no doubt meant Soundwave. "-you are informing me of your progress in the search for the missing Medic. Given the no-fuel order from Megatron, I assume you understand that you are not to speak of this new arrangement to anyone."

It would no doubt come to light before long that Breakdown was eating - if only because he wasn't about to drop dead in a corridor, though the silver Seeker showed no signs of worry.

[Breakdown]

Starscream didn't have to tell him twice to take the other cube. That one took a little less effort to lift, though it was still no easy task. With how depleted his tanks were, how much his frame burned doing even the most minor tasks, it would take more than a couple cubes to sustain him for any extended period of time. Even so, his systems were quite happy to get what they could, no matter how minor.

Breakdown understood the order given to him in regards to keeping all this quiet. Even if he hadn't been directly told he wouldn't have spoken a word. In a strange way they were both in it pretty deep together, with Breakdown breaking Megatron's order that he was not to receive Energon unless Knock Out was found, while Starscream was going around the order to do just that. But even without Breakdown saying anything, it would only be a matter of time before someone realized that the bruiser wasn't keeling over. And if Breakdown knew it, so did Starscream.

There was going to be a constant fear of being found out, not just from their Leader. Of course Megatron was the main concern, but Breakdown could probably avoid him should he really put his mind to it. No, it was Soundwave that he was far more worried about trying to keep away from. The silent shadow lurked around with eyes and ears everywhere. How long could the pair keep up this charade should the suspicions come up?

Not long. 

That would have to be Starscream's problem. Breakdown just needed to located Knock Out, that was his end goal. The rest would be the Seeker's cross to bear.

Once he finished off the energon, Breakdown lowered the cube and set it down on the desk, but his grip remained around it. His optic focused on it, the mechanisms behind the yellow shield whirling as they adjusted the focus in and out. 

"What sort of reporting are you looking for? You can't just be curious about Knock Out's well-being..."