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Starscream doesn't think he'd be able to stop churring, even if he wanted to. His spark is filled with so much warmth he feels as if he needs to shake and shiver and blast off into the sky just to burn off some of the energy. Despite this, he stays as still as possible as his little one paws at his faceplates, attempting to climb up the nearly smooth proto mesh.
He tries not to think about how the last time he felt this happy was when he still had SkyFire, soaring the galaxy as they surveyed new planets. He tries not to think about how he has never fallen into Vosian vocals for his trine, not even during a relaxing preening session. He tries not to think about just how many dangers sit just outside his door, waiting for the chance to take his new found happiness away from him.
Funke finally finds grip on the edge of some proto kibble and hauls herself up just a little bit more, just enough to give one of his glowing optics a curious lick.
Starscream can't help the sparkling like giggle that escapes him, pulling his derma up in a half smile and squinting his optics as another wave of pure love pulses through his field. He knows his field is felt when Funke attempts to rest on his nasal ridge, relaxing under the familiar aura.
This moment of peace however, is broken by the sound of heavy footsteps headed in their direction.
Starscream freezes as he takes stock of the situation, optics flicking and calculating the time it would take to cross the distance of the room and return his child to her little home. He knows the weight of those steps anywhere, and if the pace is anything to go by then his master isn't happy.
Those footsteps stop right outside the door to his quarters and, in a moment of panic, Star makes his decision.
Carefully, he scoops up his little organic, opens his cockpit, and places her safely inside, closing it back up just as the door slides open.
Megatron steps through the doorway with his usual confidence, his bright red optics zeroing in on Starscream's position. When he speaks it's with a sneer.
"Soundwave has found a possible energon deposit. You are to scout the area immediately. If it is a reliable source we must secure it before those blasted Autobots catch a tic of its presence."
Starscream hesitates, half focused on the feeling of his little one wandering around his cockpit. He is washed with a feeling of dread when his leader continues to stare him down, distrust clear on his features.
"Of course master, I just need a moment to prepare."
Megatron's sneer quickly evolves into a full snarl, dentae barred in an obvious threat display and EM field whipping at the edges of Star's like the slice of a knife.
"You will leave immediately."
Starscream only hesitates a moment longer before standing up, forcing his instincts down so as to not rise to the challenge. A scuffle would endanger his little Funke.
"Yes Lord Megatron."
He doesn't try too hard to stamp down the resentment in his tone as he walks past the Deception leader and into the hall, wings raised and sensors primed for detection of a possible attack.
He dully registers the ping of a location notification in his hub as he heads for the docking bay.
His transformation is excruciatingly slow, making sure to tilt his cockpit ever so slowly as to not toss the little gecko around, plating moving around her with gentle instinct. It thankfully doesn't seem to spook her, but it doesn't make him any more comfortable as he stares out at the open sky.
Carefully, he kicks in his thrusters and builds up speed, making the transition from ground to sky as smooth as he possibly can as he flies. His engine creaks under the effort, lines pumping fuel harder to keep him in the air despite going no faster than the max speed of a grounder.
It takes him much longer than it should to reach the destination, his spark pounding and plating shivering in anxiety. Despite a slightly elevated heart beat, his little one is doing surprisingly well, likely due to having been flown when he had first acquired her.
His landing is just as, if not more, careful than his take off. His wheels touch the ground with an elegance that would likely make any experienced human pilot cream their pants. His transformation is the same.
Before he's even fully transformed, he can pick up the strong signal of energon as it glides across his wings in greeting. The crystal almost seems to welcome him with its EM field as he scratches at the rocky outcrop, his talons easily burrowing through the organic deposits and finding a familiar blue glow. A chunk is broken off and shoved in his intake, strong dentae grinding it down. His oral fluids mix with the powder to further break it down until it is refined into a pink, liquidy paste.
He sends a quick confirmation ping to Soundwave, as well as a chemical breakdown of the purity and mineral composition of said energon, helpfully supplied by his hub. This deposit seemed to be more sulfur heavy, something that would be good for their surplus of vehicons.
The sound of a ground bridge makes Starscream's spark sink into his tanks. He turns just in time to see the Prime himself, Bulkhead, Arcee, and Bumblebee walk through the portal. The Autobots pause as they spot him, readying their weapons as they prepare for a fight.
The seeker's processor is spinning, panic coloring his EM field as he realizes just what situation he's in.
A fight will surely kill his precious cargo, no matter how much he'd try to cushion her. His little one would die because Megatron is a paranoid bastard and refused to leave him alone for a second. She'd die because he can't protect her.
Some type of deeply ingrained instinct takes root in his spark with a ferocity he's never felt before.
His lines pump harder and his plates pull tighter. His wings raise, so stiff they visibly quiver with the effort. Derma pull back, exposing sharp dentae. Spinal struts constrict so that he's hunched, pushing his wings up high and visible. Plating raise and shake in time with a deep rooted, Vosian hiss. He looks like the purest definition of a severely pissed off seeker.
The Autobots pause at the uncharacteristic display of pure wrath, but are quick to recover. Arcee takes a shot at the seeker as he begins to step backwards in retreat, expecting him to dodge with his usual grace. For a second it looks like he's about to lunge away, only to stop himself and instead block the shot with a wing, hissing out in obvious pain.
Starscream tilts his body sideways, wrapping his servos around his cockpit in a protective hug, using his wings as a barrier between the glass and the Autobots. He hastens his retreat, chirping gentle apologies to his slightly panicked cargo as he does.
The Prime gives a signal and Bulkhead starts rushing towards him, weapon ready but not raised.
Energon rushes through Star's audio receptors as he lets out a fearful squawk, attempting to transform at a slightly quicker pace than he had when traveling before, only to find himself unable to do it fast enough without damaging Funke.
Bulkhead roughly shoves him to the rocky ground mid transformation, causing something in one of his wings to snap painfully, drawing a panicked wail from the seeker.
He struggles, his other wing jolting upward and landing a good whack on the wrecker before it is pinned down. Talons scratch pathetically along organic rock, leaving deep lacerations that would be near deadly if in armour. His screeching turns into desperate screaming as Arcee decides to help by stepping his skull into the ground with her heel and aiming a blaster at him.
The knock of his helm against the rock leaves him disoriented long enough for the wrecker to lift him up, exposing his cockpit to the femme.
His screeching takes on an unholy quality, renewed vigor and desperation to protect making him almost break out of the larger bot's hold.
It only takes a moment of confused yelling between the Autobots for Arcee to land a roundhouse kick right to Starscream's helm, forcing his frame into emergency stasis. His frame goes abruptly limp in Bulkhead's hold, nearly causing him to fall over at the sudden weight.
The sudden silence is nearly unnerving, and the bots take a moment to process exactly what happened.
Optimus recovers first, pinging Ratchet for a ground bridge and giving him a simple message.
"Prepare the med bay and a holding cell, we have a guest."