![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
niyazi-a.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
shadow_vector2010-12-11 05:49 pm
Wings
Bayverse
Barricade, Starscream
refs to past torture.
this is a hurt/comfort fic do not read if the genre offends
He did not want to be found like this. Yet he had no choice, and it was doubtless part of Megatron’s plan that he suffer this humiliation. Possibly Megatron had even selected Barricade as the one to find him: at this point, Starscream would put nothing beyond Megatron’s planning. He had no choice but to hang in bound agony until released.
Barricade stopped, taking a moment to gawp at what was probably, Starscream thought, a delicious spectacle. For one who had no love for Starscream, and Barricade fell neatly into that category. He debated saying something snappish, but…found he lacked the energy. And no sharp retort could lessen the humiliation.
Barricade unhooked the cables, gingerly, almost reluctant to touch the jet. Afraid to hurt him. You cannot hurt me, Starscream thought dully, more than I have already been hurt. He kept his optics focused on his task, on his talons working to loosen where one cable had cut into the joint, compressing one of Starscream’s forearm control cables. Starscream hissed as sensation flooded back into that arm, firing with pain. Barricade twitched back.
Starscream’s optics narrowed. “I suspect you are savoring this spectacle,” he hissed, trying to do anything with his vocalizer other than whimper at the pain and shame clogging his processor.
“’M not,” Barricade said, simply. “Had my turn at it. From lesser hands than him.” Him. As if the name itself would be a punishment. Perhaps it would. And Starscream felt pitiful gratitude at that omission of the name.
Barricade returned to the task of freeing Starscream from the net of chains Megatron had created. It was chaos, pure and simple, improvisational bindings, inelegant. Undoing it was slow and tedious work, and Starscream endured as best he could Barricade’s labors, recognizing that the smaller mech was trying his best not to cause more pain.
Another gratitude he did not enjoy.
“Gonna drop,” Barricade warned, releasing one chain. He nodded. Starscream’s overbalanced weight lurched, and he swung groundward, catching himself hard on the palms of his barbed hands. He kicked his legs, trying to untangle them. The barbs on his feet caught in the chains, and he flailed, helplessly.
Wordlessly the smaller mech crossed over, reaching over his head to untangle the chains. Starscream collapsed to the floor, his overheated systems sinking gratefully against the cool plating.
He dimmed his optics in relief, barely hearing Barricade approach until he felt cool hands against his heated armor.
“Wings,” Barricade said, quietly. And Starscream bowed his head. Yes. Megatron had taken especial interest in his wings. Starscream struggled to repress the shudder at the memory: the present pain was bad enough. Megatron had wrenched the delicately folded flaps open, raked down them with his talons, twisting, tearing at the hinges. He felt the cool talons feather across the damage.
“You may examine them,” he said, in defeat. What did it matter? What more shame could he feel?
He felt one wing unfolded slowly, hissing as the motion torqued the damaged hinges.
“Can be repaired,” Barricade said, softly. “Not permanent.” He reached to a small salvage kit, beginning to cauterseal a leaking line.
“But nothing repaired,” Starscream said, “is ever the same again.”
“Fly again,” Barricade said. “That’s what matters.” Starscream could hear a sudden fierceness in the grounder’s voice. As if he were saying ‘don’t let him take it from you, this thing that matters. Do not let him win. Strip your identity. He can have your pride, he can have your pain, but do not give him…you.’
Starscream turned his head, peering awkwardly over his shoulder. Barricade looked up, their optics meeting for a brief moment. “Yes,” Starscream said.
no subject
*snuggles* Beautifully done.
no subject
no subject