Author's note. Starscream is spanked by someone other than Megatron but who could it be? Read on to find out.

Written as a story exchange for Transformers4eva.

Enjoy and please review.

Starscream sat on a ledge, leaning over a chunk of rock as he morosely gulped his ration cube of Energon. Megatron had taken his warship to an organic but rather barren planet to find new supplies and see if it was worth setting up a base here. There wasn't much strategic value but it was an option for mining and perhaps a refuelling station. Down below where Starscream reclined various bots were either refuelling or talking, everyone was on a break.

Starscream's optic lit upon his leader whose back was to him as he talked to a large bright yellow Seeker named Flasher. He did not get own with said Seeker who had already loudly told Megatron that he should be much stricter with his young pupil. Starscream scowled at the memory, what did that fool know?

"Stupid fragger," Starscream muttered, it was thanks to the Seeker below that Megatron had told him to keep from getting in the way.

Well, if Megatron wanted him out of the way that he would get himself out of the way. In fact, he would get as far away as it was physically possible to. Smirking slightly to himself, he got up and edged away from the ledge, heading towards a cave. This planet appeared to be littered with caves and tunnels; he decided he was going to go for a little flight. If Megatron caught him joy riding then he would be in trouble but it was worth the risk.

Besides, even if Flasher started going on loudly about discipline, it would be nice to know he was looked for.

Sometime later

"Brilliant," Starscream sighed happily, flopping down onto the ground.

He'd just spent almost an hour flying, mostly through canyon and various tunnels and it had been glorious. At times, it had been dangerous, he'd pulled a few risky manoeuvres but being a master of the sky, he'd never truly been in danger. A shame Megatron could not have seen his flight; it really had been one of his best considering this was territory he'd never gone through before. He could easily find his way back; his GPS would take care of that.

He debated about what he should do next, he would need to return soon but perhaps he could relax for a little bit. A little nap in the sun would be...

"Coldsteel, bring that here!"

Voices? But surely they were alone on this planet; he certainly didn't recognise the name or the voice. With a frown, Starscream sat up and crept towards a rocky outcrop, going cautiously as he had no idea who might be beyond, if they were friend or foe. As he peered over, what he saw made him gasp as he beheld the Mechs moving about beneath him.

"Primus, how did we miss them?" Starscream couldn't help but ask himself incredulously as the Autobots unloaded crates. Those Autobots weren't acting like they were in danger so he could only conclude that they, like the Decepticons, were completely unaware that their enemy was on the other side of the planet. It was unbelievable and it appeared that he was the only bot who was aware of this situation.

"If I tell Megatron and we ambush them," he murmured to himself. "I'll be a hero; he'll have to start treating me with a bit of respect then."

He beamed with pleasure as he imagined triumphantly leading all the Decepticons to this location, maybe they could actually destroy the Magnus? Or capture him and ransom him, this could be what they needed to finally take over Cybertron as rulers. His name would go down in history as a brave and clever Seeker who singlehandedly brought down the accursed Autobots.

"This is going to be brilliant," he whispered, about to fly off before thinking that Megatron might want some kind of proof.

He paused, what should he take as proof. Maybe one of their crates emblazoned with the Autobot crest? He was unlikely to get one off an actual Autobot and he didn't really fancy trying. It was a shame he didn't have any recording equipment, that really would be...

"Hey, who are you?"

Starscream squeaked at the sound of the voice and spun around to see a massive dark yellow Autobot looming over him. Primus, what was it with yellow bots today?

"Uh...nothing?" Starscream tried but unfortunately for him, his Decepticon insignia was stood out proudly on his armour and the Autobot easily spotted it.

"A Con," he growled, a large hand shooting forward and grabbing Starscream, lifting him bodily up. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing," Starscream repeated indignantly before yelping as his hands were captured and imprisoned in statis cuffs. "Hey!"

"You're coming with me," the yellow Autobot said with grim satisfaction and he dragged him down the incline, Starscream mentally cursing that he hadn't checked for sentries.

All the Autobots paused in their work as their comrade pulled the young Decepticon Seeker towards their leader. Said leader frowned when he saw what was happening.

"What are you doing here?" Ultra Magnus demanded. "Where you separated from your caretaker?"

"I am not a child!" Starscream declared, his wings fanning out in outrage. "I am an Elite Seeker."

"A child like you?" the Autobot leader said in disbelief as several others also expressed their doubt.

"I am no child," was the furious reply. "Just because you Autobots are incapable of releasing your spawn from their crèches until they're ready to retire, doesn't mean the Decepticons are. We are a far superior race and you know it!"

"I disagree," Ultra Magnus said coldly. "You are a cruel race led by a manic leader."

"You mean Megatron?" Starscream stated before saying. "Well he's certainly a better leader than you."

"Know him personally, do you?" another Mech said sarcastically, leaning against a bolder.

"As a matter of fact I do," Starscream said proudly. "I am one of his protégés."

There was silence and then Ultra Magnus got up and walked over to the Seeker, a distinctly unhappy expression on his face. Starscream might have taken a step back if his shoulder still wasn't being held by his guard. He stared up into the disapproving face of the Autobot leader who was now looming over him.

"You belong to Megatron?" he asked slowly and carefully.

"Yes," Starscream replied, wondering why the Autobot leader was so angry looking.

"Have you any idea Seeker, how many of my Autobots your master has tortured? Or the number of young ones he has personally beaten and tormented?"

"I don't know," Starscream said mulishly, he had yet to be present when a prisoner was interrogated which in his opinion was ridiculous.

"Then let me tell you that it is a lot," Ultra Magnus said grimly. "He appears to always personally deal with the younger ones and I do not like that. I want him to stop that."

"Well how are you going to do that?" Starcream scoffed, Megatron would never listen to his nemesis, especially on this issue.

The Magnus smiled tightly before raising forward to grasp Starscream's cuffed hands with one of his own. As Starscream started, Ultra Magnus called to his men.

"Carry on as before but keep a sharp optic out in case there are other Decepticons about. Call me if anything occurs."

"Yes sir," his Autobots chorused before moving off to carry out his commands.

"What are you doing?" Starscream exclaimed in alarm as the Magnus started to drag him into a nearby cave.

"I'm going to take a leaf out of your master's book," was the grim reply and Starscream's optics widened as he realised what that meant.

"No, you can't do that, I haven't done anything wrong," he yelled, struggling to free himself but one of Ultra Magnus's hands was more than sufficient to keep him under control.

"You'll do wrong soon enough," Ultra Magnus stated in a finite tone. "But perhaps this will make you think twice before you hurt a vulnerable Autobot."

"I wasn't going to," Starscream protested as he was dragged over to a slab of rock where the Autobot leader sat down and pulled him closer. "Let me go."

Ultra Magnus ignored him and with a suspiciously smooth movement, pulled the Seeker over his lap. The Seeker's wings fluttered fearfully, he knew what was coming and he didn't like it. However while the large blue Mech gripped the back of his neck, he didn't start spanking or even lecturing. Starscream turned to see what was happening and was shocked to see Ultra Magnus holding a flat instrument in his hand, something he must have pulled from sub space.

"In case you haven't seen this before, this is a paddle," Ultra Magnus told him. "It is an aid for punishment."

"Megatron doesn't use that," Starscream shrieked wildly although he didn't know for sure whether Megatron did or not.

"Oh I think you'll find he does," the Magnus stated grimly. "Maybe not that often but he still uses it on my soldiers."

"Well that's not my problem," Starscream sneered flippantly before remembering what position he was in.

"Is that so?" the older Mech replied coldly, his grip tightening on the back of the Seeker's neck.

"Wait, I didn't mean it like that," Starscream exclaimed in alarm as he felt his aft tapped by that dreaded paddle."

"I'm sure you didn't," the Magnus said dryly. "Now we'll see how resilient and superior you Decepticons really are."

"No!" Starscream yelped, struggling to get free but failing miserably. Just like he'd failed to get away from Megatron, sadly both faction leaders were more than capable when it came to restraining young Seekers. "Let me go!"

"Not until I'm through with you," Ultra Magnus replied before deciding that he'd wasted enough time talking and raised the paddle up.

Starscream hissed and struggled but it was utterly useless and soon enough he held the tell tale swish of a paddle being brought down a moment later, he heard a sharp smack. Barely any time had passed since the sound was heard before pain exploded across his entire aft. He gasped out in pain, his body jerking with the shock of it before trembling as he heard another swish.

"OW!" he yelped as the paddle cracked across his aft, more pain shooting through his body.

"Slag it," he cried when a third smack connected with his rear, this seemed much worse than when Megatron did it.

"Does Megatron allow such language?" Ultra Magnus demanded disapprovingly.

"No," Starscream snapped back making the large blue Mech smile coldly.

"So he does have some standards," he mused. "Very well, if he does not allow you to curse, then I won't either."

"You can't tell me what to do," Starscream practically howled as the paddle was raised again.

"I think you'll find I can," Ultra Magnus told him, giving him another smack. "Now Seeker, you will not curse but you do not have to be silent. But I would prefer that you do not scream as loud as you can, that will not make me cease but might spur me on."

With that, he raised the paddle once more and started to spank the Seeker in earnest. Starscream thrashed and wailed but nothing he did made any differences and his aft was quickly becoming an inferno of agony. He felt tears start to prick at his optics but he did not want to cry in front of this accursed Autobot so he determinedly tried to hold it in.

"This isn't fair!" the young Seeker yelped as another whack connected to his aft.

"Life is not fair, Seeker," Ultra Magnus told him, not even pausing in his smacking. "If it was, then my people would be safe from your master and Cybertron would never be under threat. And I would not be currently disciplining you."

"I hate you!" Starscream screamed at him, banging his fists up and down upon the lap he was on.

Ultra Magnus chuckled at this; this Seeker really was a child although he doubted the young one had liked him much before they'd met. While the young Seeker continued thrashing and wailing, the Autobot leader mused that it would take a lot of discipline to bring this bot into line. No doubt the same was true of his peers, what a task it would be rehabilitating them to Autobot values instead of their warmongering Decepticon ones. It would be timely, frustrating and costly but if he was ever given the chance, he would do it.

Setting this aside, he set to work on thoroughly smacking the pit out of the aft before him. The Seeker was steadily getting louder in his yelps of pain but he was also starting to hiccup and gasp. It wouldn't be long until he started bawling and Ultra Magnus decided to set that as his target. Once the Seeker began to cry, he could cease the spanking and let him go.

"Stop it," Starscream begged. "Please, I'm sorry for spying on you!"

"I'm glad to hear it," Ultra Magnus said, not stopping.

"Please, it hurts too much," Starscream now tried in the most pitiful voice he could muster. "I can't take it."

"You underestimate yourself," was the wry reply. "I think you can take a bit more."

"NO!" the grey and magenta Seeker wailed making his assailant wince a little, Primus but that Seeker had a voice on him. Thank goodness he did not have to deal with it on a regular basis.

"Tone that volume down," Ultra Magnus ordered. "Or I'll strip back your armour plating."

Starscream gasped in horror, he was sure the cruel Autobot leader meant it. So not only did he lower the volume, he tried to stop shrieking all together in case Ultra Magnus decided to carry out his threat. It wasn't easy; he had to stuff his cuffed fists into his mouth to stifle the sounds of pain.

Hearing the Seeker's whimpers, Ultra Magnus knew the young Con was close to the end of his punishment but he needed just a little bit more. So he set to work at a slightly harder pace, musing that if he'd been using his hand, then he would have had a stinging palm by now. That was the advantage of using a paddle although when he was forced to discipline a bot, he did not always use it, some situations simply did not call for it.

Perhaps he was being a trifle over harsh with this young Seeker since he'd only been spying on them, nothing worse. However, he wanted to make an impression on the young Seeker and to teach him that it was not wise to mess with Autobots who were not the weak beings this Seeker had no doubt been raised to believe. If there was any goodness within the Seeker, he might stop to think when he tried to hurt an Autobot.

Starscream was whimpering in earnest and he could feel coolant forming at his optics before dribbling down. His face burned with humiliation, Megatron had always spanked him in private where Starscream could bawl as much as he liked but without others watching and hearing. Even though none of the Autobots were standing around gawking, they were surely listening or at least sneaking peeks at their leader punishing him. It was crazy but he was really starting to wish that it was Megatron punishing him, at least there he knew the score and it wasn't so demeaning.

As the tears started to flow in earnest, Ultra Magnus suddenly ceased his spanking. Starscream's aft was so ablaze with pain that he didn't even notice until a few breems had passed and the Autobot leader was clearing his throat.

"It is over now Seeker."

When Starscream just lay there limply, Ultra Magnus took it upon himself to lift the Seeker up, set him on his feet and remove the statis cuff. He actually felt a tiny amount of regret seeing how upset the Seeker looked, especially as he appeared younger than ever. He was almost tempted to keep the youngster, to comfort him, to teach him that he didn't have to be a violent bot whose only goal was to enslave Cybertron.

However, he knew it wasn't right to take the Seeker away from his people, plus, there was no guarantee that he could change the Mechling. In fact, this Seeker could easily end up acting as a spy or saboteur, Ultra Magnus simply could not risk it. So again with a touch of regret, he told the Seeker sternly.

"Go back to your master and make sure he knows what will happen if he continues to abuse my people. Understand."

"Y-yes," Starscream mumbled, avoiding the older Mech's optics which softened slightly.

"Off you go now," he encouraged, turning Starscream around and giving him a light push.

Starscream stood there for a moment before taking a few steps forward. Feeling the sudden stares of the other Autobots, Starscream transformed and shot up into the air and away from them all. Ultra Magnus wondered what would become of the young Seeker and perhaps more importantly, how would Megatron react?

Starscream soared through the air as he had previously but this time without a feeling of euphoria. Instead he internally cried at the unfairness of it all, what right had that Autobot to spank him like that and with a paddle. He was beyond cruel and Starscream vowed revenge but he could barely focus on this thought, he just felt so miserable.

It took him a little while but he finally landed near the Decepticon camp and transformed. Scrubbing at his face, he did his best to look neutral before walking into the camp, wincing at the pain in his aft.

"Where have you been?" Megatron barked as soon as he spotted Starscream who was walking forlornly over. "I gave you a break to consume Energon and rest for a short while, not take a holiday."

"I just went for a flight," Starscream said in a flat tone. "I...lost track of time."

Megatron growled before snapping. "Go to your quarters, you're grounded. Next time, I will reconsider letting you come on any sort of mission you can be sure of that."

Starscream's wings drooped as he trailed away to the ship, barely hearing Flasher's self satisfied opinion of the younger Seeker. The Seeker didn't stop until he reached his room and flopped down on his berth. What a horrible day he'd had, captured and spanked by the Autobots and Megatron was angry with him. He supposed he was lucky Megatron hadn't punished him further but the disappointment in his leader's optics had been enough.

He was never going to be able to impress his master.

Author's note. Starscream hasn't told Megatron what happened but will his master ever discover the truth. Find out next time, until then.