Decepticon Island (TF Aligned continuity AU)

CHAAR

"Hello, Shockwave," Dead End greeted. "Have a good recharge?"

"Short, as I had work to attend to, but yes," Shockwave replied.

"Of course you were working. Anyway, I was hoping I could borrow Starscream."

Shockwave didn't respond, most likely caught off-guard by the request.

"He is here, isn't he? I doubt it would have been easy detaching him when he looked so comfortable, so I assumed you had no choice but to bring him back to your room."

The sound of something moving caused both mechs to look inside the room. A winged, silver frame can be seen shifting on the berth in the far corner.

"Whoever's there, I will shoot you for interrupting my beauty sleep," Starscream threatened, voice muffled by the extremely comfortable blanket Shockwave found and gave to him...

Out of consideration for himself.

Starscream wouldn't stop complaining about something being wrong with Shockwave's berth unless he did something non-violent about it.

"And risk your sister's fury? I don't think so," Dead End retorted, crossing his arms.

"Ugh, fine!" Starscream groaned. He rolled out of bed and stretched before striding over to Dead End and Shockwave. "So, what do you want?"

.

.

.

.

.

"SANDSTORM!"

The small flight-frame and his medics were startled by Starscream careening into the med-bay.

"By the Allspark, Starscream, are you trying to give us spark-attacks?" Knockout snapped.

"I heard Sandstorm's awake! Is he okay?" Starscream persisted.

"You mean aside from being scared half to death?"

Starscream ignored Knockout and looked to Sandstorm.

"I didn't scare you that bad, did I?"

"I... It's fine," Sandstorm vented, loosening-up a little. "I just thought you were Thundertron or one of the others barging in to attack me, again."

Starscream's spark sank, the weight of what would normally be considered a harmless, out of the blue scare, falling upon him.

"I'm sorry," Starscream apologized, walking over to the smaller flight-frame. "I should have known what I just did would have triggered you to react in such a way, since I, too, had to suffer at the servos of a monster."

"I know," Sandstorm said. He shook his helm and locked optics with Starscream. "Anyway, can you tell me what happened after you rescued me?"

– one story recounted later –

"Then Shockwave dragged me out of here and I was forced to recharge somewhere else until you sent for me..."

"Bringing us here," Sandstorm finished. "Thank you, Starscream."

The silver Seeker fidgeted and stumbled over his words, not used to receiving positive reinforcement of any kind.

"It was the least any of us could do after you helped us," Knockout spoke in his friend's stead.

"Anything to stick it to Thundertron..."

Sandstorm smiled a sad smile and hugged himself.

"And to remind me of who I used to be."