Megatron stares between his chief engineer and his air commander, arms folded behind him. “Kenny, you have brought up the fact that you hold yet other grievances with Starscream. Why, in particular, do you want to kill him now?”
“Assault via lynch mob on my friend,” the vehicon growls, “orchestrated by him. …That enough for you, m’lord?”
“That is a lie,” Starscream snarls. “I didn’t orchestrate anything.
“THEY SAID THEY DID IT BECAUSE OF YOU!”
“Lynch mob?” The warlord inclines his helm.
“I didn’t TELL them to DO anything,” Starscream insists.
“A HOARD OF SOLDIERS,” Kenny answers their leader, “they mobbed, stormed the barracks, grabbed Steve, and started WAILING on him because, and I quote, ‘He insulted commander Starscream.’ How does THAT not point back to YOU!?”
Ah. He understands now. Megatron fixes his gaze knowingly on the seeker. “… This is what happens when you take the easy route to recognition, Starscream.”
Kenny, about to launch into another tirade, gives pause. “….say what?” The vehicon’s optic ridges furrow. “Come again, m’lord?”
Starscream cuts him off. “If they chose to attack Steve because of my recounting of what happened, that isn’t my fault.”
The eradicon continues to stare back and forth between them, suspicious. “What does he mean by ‘the easy road to recognition’?”
“They are under a spell,” his leader answers.
Kenny’s optics nearly bulge out of his helm.
“I KNEW it! I KNEW there was no way they’d worship you like they’re doing now!” A mixture of triumph in the revelation and fury color his vocals. “Put an END to it!”
“What of Steve,” Megatron cuts him off to inquire. “Is he in the medical bay?”
“Yes,” confirms his advocate.
Megatron glares at Starscream.
“You keep trying to defend yourself and yet don’t seem to show any remorse for what you’ve caused to happen to someone who you have told me is your mate.” The warlord’s glare is cold. Kenny’s, however, is scalding.
“…They did it,” Starscream insists, trying to keep all hint of misgiving out of his voice. “How was I supposed to know what they would do?
Unfiltered blue optics pierce through the commander like shards of ice. “What you have are fanatics, Starscream. Not followers. They are not rational, they are reactionary, they act on what they think is your whim even if they’ve never met you.” He looms threateningly over the smaller, silver frame. “Worship is dangerous.”
Starscream gulps in spite of himself. “Fine then… I can deal with them.”
There is silence as the two mechs stare one another down. Kenny, however, cannot keep the quiet.
“….M’lord. He can say what he likes, but the fact of the matter is that a mech was badly hurt today. Directly or indirectly because of him. I won’t stand to see him go unpunished.”
Starscream grits his own denta. Silently he inches a servo behind his backstrut.
“Death is not an effective punishment,” Megatron addresses them both. “It is final. And despite how creative one can get, in the long run, it is too quick.”
That’s more Kenny likes it. The vehicon outwardly grins. “By all means, m’lord. Let him suffer.”
Not planning to stand for that, Starscream tightens his servos. His magical riding crop—the weapon granted him by his powers—materializes in the flier’s grip.
The warlord pauses once more. Time seems to grind to a halt as he prepares to speak. Every nano under Megatron’s ancient blue optics are an eternity in and of themselves.
When he speaks his tone is level—completely neutral.
“… You are dismissed, Starscream. Clean up the mess you have made.”
Starscream, relieved, releases his crop. With no more than a quick incline of the helm to their leader he takes his leave. Despite the tension in his frame he is far from worried. If that was the result of a mere insult… imagine what would happen to anyone foolish enough to cause him physical harm. He chuckles on his way out of the door.
Back within the room Megatron wears his own small grin. He is calculating, dear Starscream. Your punishment will be psychological.
The only one not quietly pleased is Kenny. The vehicon stands stock still, staring after the spot where the air commander left. Megatron is anything but blind to the quiet fury he notices boiling under the surface.
“Kenny.”
“No. I don’t want to hear whatever you have to say,” he snaps, “Steve could have been killed. And you just let him go.”
“I want him to live with the knowledge that he’s the one who did this,” explains the warlord, “You saw what happened over a mere insult. If he dies, there is no guarantee this spell will wear off. Everyone could revolt and we would all be dead. We will wait until it has worn off.
A pause. Kenny quietly chuckles. It’s anything but sincere laughter. His leader raises an optic ridge, failing to understand the source of his feigned amusement.
“Huh. Never thought I’d see the day… Lord Megatron himself… afraid of the consequences of his actions.”
“I am not afraid,” Megatron growls. “I do not underestimate my opponints. That is how I win.”
“No,” Kenny counters, “I am not afraid. I’m willing to punish him the way he deserves, even if I’m harmed in the process.”
“ I will not let everything that all of us have fought for be destroyed.”
“You have a small legion of engineers now. You have Shockwave. You don’t need me.”
Megatron shakes his helm. “No one knows better than myself the drive for revenge, K13, but I know the cost. It is never just about you. If you want to throw your life away, go ahead, but it will accomplish nothing, the fanatics will continue to act on their martyr’s whim and your friends will be left to mourn you, at their mercy.”
That drives Kenny to silence again. The engineer’s brows furrow in frustration. If he tried to kill Starscream and failed, the repercussions would fall on Akiba… and Steve.
Kenny stares towards the door. When he speaks his voice is resigned, but dangerously quiet. “….You do something about this. Don’t you let him get away with it. If you’re still a winner then win. Crush him into the dirt. And defend the mechs that he’s harming.”
“If you think I would do any less,” Megatron scoffs, “then clearly you’re the one underestimating me.”
“No. I’m making a request. In exchange for your request that I lay low. Neither of us is obligated to honor those mutual requests if the other doesn’t.”
Kenny stalks towards the door.
Megatron’s optics follow him out of the room. “Your request is unnecessary.”
Megatron's back up 