Title: Thrall

Verse: Transformers Prime

Rating: T

Warnings: Spoilers for Triangulation

Pairings/Characters: Megatron/Starscream

Notes: Partially inspired by The Walking Dead episode "Better Angels"

Prompt: Melee In March: #4 "Sometimes I wish I had never met you. Because then I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you out there."

Word Count: 694

OoOoOo

The retrieval of the Iacon relics had not gone to plan. Not in the slightest. Two of them had landed firmly in the hands of the Autobots. The third was theirs. The fourth... Dreadwing had assured him the relic, and the mech that wielded it, had both been lost to the ice. Megatron had not bothered to correct his assumption.

He knew, sparkdeep, Starscream had not perished. He could feel it in the small part of his own spark not corrupted by the flow of dark energon. He sent a pulse through the bond, expecting it to be blocked to him. It had not been fully opened in over a decade of this planet's years. Starscream had always considered it a distraction in battle. More likely that he clamped it down because was afraid Megatron would catch on to his latest bit of mischief.

To his great surprise the pulse flowed freely down the clearly open bond. After a moment the pulse was answered with one of Starscream's own. The pulse he received from the seeker was tinged in malicious amusement. He sent another one, stronger this time, questioning. He knew from past experience that if he pushed hard enough he would be able to gather a basic readout on Starscream's location. It had been one of his primary tools for retrieving his errant mate when he had wandered off in the past.

Instead of an answering ping he felt his internal comm system begin to buzz with an incoming message. Starscream's hailing frequency and location plain in the readouts. He was nearby, painfully so. He wondered what it said about him that he had been so close to his mate and had not been able to feel his spark's other half.

"Mighty Megatron," the words were a sarcastic purr through the comm the klik he accepted the hailing. "Are you so concerned that you resorted to utilizing your greatest mistake?"

"Clearly you overestimate your worth yet again, Starscream. I am simply trying to locate what is mine," Megatron sniped with no real acerbity.

This was welcome, familiar. Internally he was already preparing the brig for his mate's arrival. If the jetformer didn't put up too much struggle this time, he wouldn't make him stay there long. He was mech enough to admit he had missed the sleek silver form in his berth. Missed having someone around who challenged him in all ways.

He missed the only Cybertronian he had ever truly considered his equal.

"I believe the human saying is that possession is nine tenths of the law. The apex armor is in the hands of a mech who knows how to properly use it. Its one and true master. You are, of course, welcome to come here if you believe you can take it from me," Starscream's purr was full of dark promises, ones Megatron knew he would never fulfill. How long had they been at this game? There had been ample opportunity for both of them to be rid of each other. They had both held the other in moments of complete helplessness and neither had been able to land the killing blow.

"Few are those who are fit to lead, my little Seeker. You are master of nothing, not even yourself." He smiled as he leaned back in his chair, awaiting the indignant screeching that was sure to follow such a statement.

Silence. Empty air. He double checked that the line was still open, still functioning. Everything checked out, Starscream had not cut their conversation. He shifted in the chair, wanting to call out but unwilling to be the first to break this stalemate they were at.

"Come to me then," Starscream's voice finally cut through stillness. It was hollow, apathetic. "Find out for yourself what master I now serve. I trust you know the way."

Then he was gone, as if he'd never been. Megatron blinked at the abrupt departure. It was unlike his mate to not bluster and swagger when he was feeling sure of himself. Very unlike him indeed. It was something he could easily believe was ingrained in the smaller mech's very spark.

A challenge. Accepted.