A/N: This fic was written for the prompt "Starscream – inevitable" over at tf_prime on 's my first time writing Starscream (and sort of my first time writing Megatron, if you don't count the couple of lines in "Undead" where he's described, lol). If you catch any mistakes, please tell me – this is unbeta'd.

Defeat

In the end, his victory was inevitable. Starscream gazed out over the bridge of the Nemesis, over the Vehicons who worked endless shifts controlling every aspect of the warship. Megatron was gone – not really, a treacherous voice inside him whispered, a voice that had second-guessed his every move for eons, he's lying there in your medbay, lying there in stasis. He could wake up, no matter what that scout did to him in there. Starscream growled, low and soft, and clenched his servos into a fist. No. I am Lord Starscream, the most powerful Decepticon to ever live, and no obsolete corpse will – or can – ever change that. Never. I've already crushed one of those pathetic Autobots, and more will surely fall. In the end, their defeat is inevitable.

"After all, they are few, and we are many!" he hissed softly, seemingly oblivious to the glances the Vehicons nearest to him cast at each other. But Starscream had not gotten to be Second in Command – no, Leader - of the Decepticons without watching his and others' every move. He stepped closer to them, within arms' reach of their work station.

"Is there something wrong?" he said quietly, and their glances returned to their monitors, their postures returning to their drone-like default. Even those few, who still hesitated and questioned at his orders would soon be dead or obedient. My regime has no place for those who cling to the old ways, he thought as he turned to face the room once more, and settled his gaze on the ever-silent figure of Soundwave. Yes, something must be done about him. But not too quickly, he reminded himself, you still need him to determine the location of the Autobot base. Eventually, though, he must die – preferably sooner rather than later. To be truthful, since those Autobots came onboard, not even Megatron is a real threat – not now, with whatever they did to him. Those others times, he returned. But now, when he lies in stasis in my medbay, his death is inevitable.

"Lord Starscream," came the voice of a Vehicon. Starscream turned to face him expectantly. "The lens has been prepared. We can bring the ship into position in a matter of minutes now."

"Excellent." He smirked, visions of the energon that would now be within his grasp flying through his processor. With this much energy, he could simply destroy the Autobots from orbit! Starscream glanced back at the Vehicon, who hadn't moved. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get on with it!" he snapped.

"Yes, my Lord!" the Vehicon replied, quickly saluting him before turning heel and practically fleeing the bridge. Starscream laughed softly at the sight. Now there was a mech who knows that I should be feared!

Starscream rushed down to meet the Autobots, shrieking vengeance on them all. His ship – not Megatron's, not Soundwave's, his – was burning because of them. Their actions had stopped him, Lord Starscream, from capturing his rightful energon! But oh, they would fall, as that worthless red fool had fallen – in the end, his victory was inevitable!

When he was hit, his first wild thought was None of the Autobots have weapons that could do that! Then, Starscream saw the face, and the twisted grin, and felt recognition hit him harder than the blows.

Megatron snarled, and batted Starscream aside, like it was nothing, like Starscream was nothing. Starscream shrieked and pulled back, desperately trying to free himself, but Megatron stopped his struggles with fist and with claws. Oh, Starscream would keep fighting for a time, but in the end, his victory was inevitable.