What-If Starscream didn't mention Cliff and Optimus let him join?

[Short fic delving a little deeper into how Megatron's treatment of Starscream may have messed him up]

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Starscream trudged through the ground-bridge, posture slouched and a slight scowl fixed upon his helm.

He was in trouble for sure.

His first real mission with the Autobots had been a disaster.

But how was he supposed to know that the human was there?! It wasn't just his fault that the puny little scientist was hiding under a desk and therefore got a little bit crushed when Starscream fell on it during the fight! And the human didn't even die!

"Starscream, we need to discuss the matter of what happened during this mission." Optimus stood across from him in the main room of the Autobot base, arms crossed across his chassis as he leveled a disappointed gaze in the ex-Decepticons direction.

Starscream sighed, and nodded.

"Starscream!" Megatron bellowed at his Second in Command, who rushed to be before him, kneeling at the ground by his pedes, helm bowed.

"Master! It wasn't my fault! The Autobots-" Starscream tilted his helm up, optics meeting Megaton's as the Second in Command attempted to explain the situation.

"I don't recall asking you to speak, Starscream." Megatron held up a servo, lazily inspecting the sharp and lethal digits he had under his control. "You know the punishment for disobeying your leader, yes?"

"Master! Please, it was an accident, I swea-"

Starscream shrieked as a heavily armoured pede slammed into his side, throwing the lightly built seeker into the far wall of the room, the impact denting his highly sensitive wings, which caused the seeker to let out a shriek of pain.

Megatron stalked over to tower above the cowering form of his Second, who lay on the ground in pain.

"You think that hurt, Starscream?" Megatron chuckled as he reached down to place a servo around the Decepticons thin neck. "Then you will not li-"

"Starscream?"

Starscream shook his helm, optics taking in the small Autobot base that surrounded him. He wasn't on the Nemesis, he wasn't with Megatron.

"Starscream are you with us? We were just discussing what your punishment should be for your actions during this mission." Optimus stepped closer, and Starscream nodded slowly.

I knew the niceness wouldn't last.

Starscream stepped forward, neatly dropping to his knees before Optimus, helm bowed and body tensed, waiting for the punishment that he would receive.

Starscream waited, but nothing happened as silence fell, before a servo landed upon his shoulder, causing the seeker to violently flinch, helm tilting up to stare into the questioning optics of Optimus Prime, who had knelt down to speak with Starscream at eye level.

Megatron had never done that...

"Starscream, what are you doing..?" Optimus rumbled

Starscream shrugged, optics drifting to look at the wall behind Optimus. "Well, aren't you going to do it?"

"Do what, Starscream?" Optimus's tone was one of concern.

"Punch me, kick me, throw me, choke me? You know, punishment?" Starscream rolled his optics as his sarcastic tone left him.

Optimus's optics narrowed, before he reached out a servo and grabbed ahold of Starscreams, pulling him to his pedes and resting a servo upon his shoulder.

"Megatron may have, but I will never treat my fellow Autobots like that. And that includes you Starscream." Optimus reassured him. "Your punishment will be restricted-duty for a deca-cycle."

As Optimus turned to walk away, Starscream could only stand there, optical ridge dipping over his optics as he stared after him in confusion.

It seems that there were even more differences between the Decepticons and the Autobots than Starscream had originally realized.