Rung was grateful that Megatron didn’t even question his secondary armor. But then, if what Rung was guessing was correct, the larger mech had many more concerns than one old mech that was a relic of a bygone era. He smiled softly and did his best to keep Tacitus from skittering too far ahead of them, ever keeping an eye on their surroundings as he updated his HUD about the place he’d just raided; what he’d taken; what he’d seen was still in there that he might get back to; and the various Empties that had come down on them and from which directions. Rung was nothing if not serious about his attention to detail. It was really too bad his collection of model ships never made it from his original home to his last safe house. It would have been nice to have just one to hold onto.
He didn’t realize that he was lost in thought until he heard the seering tone and caught sight of the weapon being pointed at Megatron. Since the bigger mech wasn’t treating it as a serious threat he thought perhaps it was just a joke at first, but the comments lent it more of a cruel air than even dark humor could expect. And of course this was when his suspicions were solidified and Rung stood to the side to simply watch the play by play. Leaning on his staff, he looked up at Megatron, his gaze soft with compassion. This poor mech had to deal with this disease as well as his ‘friend’ taking an eager interest in offlining him. The orange bot frowned faintly when he was questioned and reached out to Tacitus, able to feel the ragged EM field that the Insecticon had, knowing without looking that the bug didn’t like Starscream at all.
““I would assume by your words that you intend to make his touch seem as though it’s some vicious thing, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Simply touching an Empty or an infected isn’t enough to spread the disease from one to another. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you have no medical training that you wouldn’t know this. Otherwise why would you say such a thing. Except perhaps to seek to wound a mech that’s suffering. To try to revile him when he’s been nothing but noble. You have a mech here that can do wonders to protect you, can carry heaps of supplies to you when you’re in need, a mech that obviously has a healthy amount of patience and your behavior towards him is – to say the least – unacceptable. Perhaps you’re simply too young to understand such civilities, although in my experience such matters are taught within the first orn of a younglings life. You should reflect upon your actions and I would hope that once you realize how detrimental you are being not just to the group you’re with but to yourself as a being, you will come to apologize for your behavior.”
Turning towards Megatron, Rung took Tactitus’ claws in his own and smiled gently. “I have some medication stashed away in case of emergencies, it should aid you for a little while yet. And the next time you need some, I’ll go out with you. If you’ll have me, and Tacitus at your side once more.”
Starscream’s expression shifted from sneering, to offended, to downright shocked, wings high and flared in indignation. He began to speak several times before managing a coherent sentence, optics burning in his barely-concealed rage. Megatron, however, seemed about to laugh.
“How dare you,” Starscream finally spat, pointing a talon in Rung’s face. “I only have the best interests of this clan at spark, and to have an infected still in charge of it is more of a danger to us all than any benefit he carries while sane! Our dear leader may seem civil and heroic now, but there is only so much of that solution in the world, and the moment he misses a dose he’d have no trouble tearing the lot of us apart!!” The entire encampment had paused to stare in the seeker’s direction, his voice echoing inside the walls of the hollowed-out ship. Starscream looked between the minibot and his growling Insecticon, then to Megatron, and finding none of them swayed, straightened his back and scoffed. “Fine! But don’t expect my help once he turns as savage as his con-” Megatron’s cannon whirring to life cut him off as he took aim.
“Mind who you call savage, Starscream. Leave us.” There was no mirth left in his face, only a deathly glare. The seeker flinched and backed away before attempting to regain his dignified stature. He scurried off with a final sneer in their general direction.
Only when he was out of sight did Megatron relax again, disarming himself to return to his guests’ side. “I find myself caught between the need to apologize for his behavior, and commending you for taking him to task.” The seeker’s digs at his sanity and ability had become so numerous they had become background noise, he would tune it out. It took Rung’s defense of him to remind the warrior that his value was in fact still worth defending. Megatron smiled. “Thank you for that, and for your offer. Perhaps after some rest.”
It wasn’t difficult to find a vacant lodging area. New arrivals never seemed to overbalance those who were lost when they ventured outside the hull. Megatron ensured the space was large enough for them both before he felt a twinge in his lines. He’d been losing track of time. Taking a seat, Megatron removed two of the pilfered injections from his subspace, but didn’t trust his claws not to break the delicate syringes. He’d cut it too close this time, and tried to remain calm. “Rung.. have you administered this before? I cannot seem to at the moment.”
Megatron's back up 