Being Human (Transformers Prime)

Chapter Thirty One | Trust and Mistrust

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them."

~Ernest Hemingway

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Starscream approached the fallen carefully, his wings down in a submissive stance, shoulders hunched as he tried to make himself as small as possible.

"Ah . . . L-lord . . . Jack-"

"Don't refer to me by that name." The boy growled, turning from his place at the monitors to glare at the Decepticon. "I've been thinking of adopting a new one, one more fitting for my position of power."

"And, ah, have you thought of one?" Starscream asked, trying his hardest to not make his voice crack.

"No." Jack turned back to the monitors, reading each one. He had set course for the Autobot base, and he was anticipating reaching it within the next hour. There, he would decimate it, and be rid of the Autobots in one fell swoop. And then, once they were taken care of . . . "But I have been considering one."

Starscream took the bait, knowing all too well that Jack was doing this just to keep himself oriented in a position of authority. "Oh? May I hear what it is? My lord?" He added the last part quickly.

"Considering I defeated Megatron, it only makes sense that I should take on a name holding more power than his. I read his file; he used to also have a pathetic name. D-16. And I think I will follow in his footsteps. But I will not make the mistake of lowering myself like he did. No, I will adopt the name Megatronus, and I will keep it as such."

"Popular name these days." Starscream muttered under his breath, but then straightened as Jack- Megatronus growled, clearly having either heard him or at least sensed that he had said something. "It is a fitting name indeed!" He showered him with praise, knowing he probably looked as pathetic as he felt. "You, more powerful than Megatron, harbinger of power! Megatronus himself would tremble before you-"

"That's enough grovelling." The new warlord snapped. "I can't believe Megatron kept you alive after all these years. I heard about Dreadwing; what a terrible mistake he made."

"Ah . . ." Starscream let out a nervous laugh, but said nothing else.

"I assume you have a report for me?" Jack- Megatronus questioned. "Otherwise you'd have no reason to approach me."

"Well . . . The new Omega Lock is almost complete. W-we just need a few more parts-"

"What?" Came the resulting hiss, Stascream cowering as Megatronus turned to glare at him. "There is a new Omega Lock under construction?!" Anger made the young Cybertronian's energon boil. "And what exactly were you planning to do with it, hmm? Try to form my planet once again?!"

"N-no!" Starscream lied, scampering back. "It was going to be used to reanimate our planet-"

"Do not take me for a fool, Starscream." His red optics blazed. "I know that Megatron had always been obsessed with taking over Earth. Halt all operations on that accursed Omega Lock! In fact, I want you to start deconstruction of it, this instant!"

The Seeker's wings drooped again. "But, my lord," he spoke reluctantly. "What about our planet?"

"I could care less for your scrapyard of a planet." Megatronus snarled, stalking towards the cowering second. "Deconstruct the Omega Lock, or I will have your spark!"

"U-understood. I will send out the message right away." Starscream scampered off, leaving the fallen Cybertronian in the bridge.

Megatronus straightened, returning to the monitors to check the progress of the Nemesis' course. He gasped in pain as his spark throbbed, grunting and clutching his chest plates as he waited for the episode to pass, gritting his denta. He was lucky Starscream had left when he did, he didn't need that particular Decepticon to know of any weaknesses of his.