Chapter Text
Starscream had a new coat of paint and a wing upgrade and should have felt fantastic about it. It was grey and red with black accents this time, and he'd paid good credits for the job. But no, he, the top (and only) Liberi Vos scientist, was being sorely offended instead.
The Liberi Vos had just left a major port they usually would avoid, so everyone had gotten salesmen that were only scamming a little bit and not the whole way through, and had all sorts of purchases more important than Starscream’s dignity, apparently!
His trinemates Skywarp and Thundercracker were too busy with their new card deck to do more than glance at the offending parchment. Skywarp had given him an ’aw, its not that bad, Screamer’, before ignoring him to take all of Thundercracker’s credits from across the table. Nightlight had just laughed from her seat between her parents, so they were probably about to lose all their credits to her by the end of the session.
Slipstream had told him to frag off and get over it, and Windline and Breezelift had actually complimented the drawing. So much for family. Ungrateful sister and ungrateful children. The closest he’d gotten to sympathy was from his only son, Galecrest, who noted the design was three paint jobs behind. At least someone noticed that.
He still had one last bot on the ship to bother. Starscream didn’t often go to Blitzwing’s part of the lab, but he was the only bot on the ship he hadn’t already shared his current plight with. The bot was more of a mechanic and doctor over having any direct interest in the sciences, so they didn’t interact professionally that often. And ever since they had…recovered him, even ‘doctor’ and ‘mechanic’ was…putting it kindly.
Blitzwing was hunched over his desk, humming to himself as he scrolled through a datapad. He was clearly happy if a bit over stimulated by whatever thing he was working on, if the way his wings fluttered was any indication.
“I have terrible news!” Starcream announced his presence without even a hello.
Blitzwing regarded him with a weary look. “You’re not sparked again, are you?” He got a wicked grin just as suddenly. “Little bitty seekers eating the local wildlife! Crunch munch!” Blitzwing emphasized the nonsense with a giggle. “We can’t afford anymore planetary incidents!”
“No?! Look at this.” Starscream shoved the offending parchment in his face.
It was a wanted poster. Of Starcream’s glorious self. He collected them. It was fun tracking his own increasing bounty. But this one? This one?! “They got my enstril all wrong! I should sue-”
Blitzwing’s tone cooled. “You should try not caring.”
Starscream rolled his optics, crushing the paper in his hands. “I should have left you to die as an egg.”
“Oh, I would have gotten scrambled for sure!” Blitzwing sniffed, his wings dropping. “Now, I have very important work to show. TC said I could take a box of free scraps! So many goodies!”
Blitzwing stood up and dramatically pulled down a curtain. When had he even gotten a curtain? Starscream decided he could question it later.
Especially since. Well. Starscream looked back at Blitzwing, bewildered and mildly disgusted. “What the frag. Why are you doing this on my ship.”
“It was my ship first!” Blitzwing supplied ‘helpfully’ Which was true. Back before this whole…mess of being a part time wanted fugitive and bounty hunter, the original ship was Blitzwing’s for his exploratory expeditions. It had gone through many many many expansions since then. A necessity once their needs increased and it was clear that Starscream’s sparklings would take after their sire in height.
Still didn’t given Blitzwing rank to do this where just anyone could see it.
The thing hung from cables suspended from the ceiling, and it almost resembles a bot. A cracked chassis, and a few stray wires dangling from places where the limbs could go. Headless, and Starcream wasn’t sure if that was better or worse. Blizwing had already attached one arm and on a work table nearby had a second. None of it was particularly big.
“Surely there are more interesting interfacebot models than something resembling a minibot.” Starscream flicked his digits a bit at the little project. It swung a little in its cables.
“Not! An Interface Bot!” Blitzwing punctuated, spreading out his arms and doing a little dance. “It's my greatest masterpiece!”
Starscream didn’t believe him. “It’s unbecoming. I can talk to Swindle about getting something more suitable for you as long as I never have to look at it.”
Blitzwing’s anger flared. “I am not going to frag him.” And Starcream side stepped out of Blitzwing’s attempt to hit him. “I haven’t even found all the parts for- Oh.” The seriousness returned. “Speaking of the box of scraps, I’ve already been working on something else. Come with me.”
“This better be good after making me see that.”
“You’re the one with such a dirty mind.”
The other thing turned out to be further into the lab, and even before Blitzwing could introduce it, Starscream had already scooped out the object. “An autobot insignia!” It was a neat trick, that the Autobots and Decepticons were able to use their insigia as IDs. It got them into secure places. It helped them identify their own. It was just here, in Starscream’s hands. “Oh you’re forgiven now Blitzwing. Think of all the extra high grade and energon we can access with this, with I, your leader-”
Blitzwing cut him off. The nerve, but Starscream was in a good enough mood now to allow it. “I have even taken the opportunity to wipe its credentials of the specific bot so they will have a harder time tracking our movements.”
“Perfect. For this I’ll even pretend that I never saw you making an interface bot out of scrap.”
“HE’S NOT AN INTERFACE BOT, YOU SLAG.”
At least there was never a dull day on The Liberi Vos.