Ho ho ho. I've recently become a Dirge addict. GO ME.

Title: Collector
Rated: R
Warnings: Non-con (not very detailed), mild profanity and violence
Pairing(s): (Attempted) Dirge/Skywarp, Thundercracker/Dirge
Summary: TFA 'verse. The key was to go for the weakest link and work his way up. It didn't bother him, starting out slow, because he wanted every bit of power, no matter its quantity. It was just so unfortunate the weakest link was Skywarp.
A/N: Though Dirge wasn't in the cartoon, he is canon in toyland. I've been wanting to write fic with him as well as introducing another certain Seeker... That'll come later.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. :[

In the beginning, there was One. And the One multiplied into Three. Then Two died and it was One again. Soon after, One divided itself into Six. Six would soon become Seven.

Lucky number seven.

Starscream had not anticipated creating another clone. Five was enough and they were all handfuls. However, paranoia brewing between Thundercracker and Slipstream possibly forming a mutiny against their creator forced Starscream to try his hand at yet another. He had many spare bodies laying around, and if all ready his egotism and cold logic were being used, certainly something like his, oh, sheer determination would be helpful. So pulling out one of the identical Seekers from a pile of what remained, this one an ugly teal green, mustard yellow and red, Starscream chipped off a piece of his Allspark shard and placed it in his new clone's empty spark chamber.

What he got was not his bravery, not his strategic mind personified, not his elegance, but rather...

The teal and yellow clone's optics blazed online after his system booted itself up for the first time. Starscream grinned, pleased; not that he ever doubted it would work. The clone was glaring at him, wordlessly, void of much other emotion.

"Welcome to the land of the online," Starscream sneered and stood his straightest, making sure the clone knew who was superior here. "I am your leader and creator Starscream, as I'm sure your data and good looks have provided you. You will answer to me and only me..." He paused, an optic narrowing before he finished with confidence. "Dirge. Do I make myself clear?"

The seventh clone (technically speaking, ninth) stared for another moment before shifting forward. "Starscream?" he echoed. "That name better suits me!" he spat. He shoved a gray claw against his creator's left vent. "I want it! Name me it!"

"It's my name!" Starscream hissed. Oh no, he didn't like where this was going. He slapped off Dirge's hand. "And I'm not giving it to you! That would be both insulting as your superior as well as completely stupid! We need but one Starscream and I am that Starscre--" Before he could finish his gallant declaration, the teal and yellow clone was yanking at his left null ray. "What are you doing!?" he demanded, pulling back.

"Give me that null ray! It'll look better on me!" Dirge snapped.

The maroon Seeker angrily freed his arm. "You have two all ready, you dumb glitch!"

"I want more!" Dirge insisted; he swung his hands at the other null ray. "Hand it over!"

"You've been online for nearly two kliks and I'm about ready to rip out your vocalizer!" Starscream threatened, raising a fist over Dirge's head. The clone did not falter, however and now clutched grabby hands to pale maroon wings. "What are you trying to--you can't have my wings, you have your own!"

Dirge was like a dog with its teeth clamped tight on its toy, refusing to let go no matter how hard his master pulled. "Two wings!? Two wings!? You think just two will give you perfect speed velocity!?" he spat, disgusted. "I command you give them over! They're mine!"

Starscream thwacked Dirge right in the mouth with the wing he was holding. The clone toppled over on his back, hitting the ground with a loud oomph. A split second later, Starscream had shoved his thruster heel against the creaking red cockpit of his creation. Dirge froze immediately, but the irritation was clear on his faceplates.

"You lay your hands on me one more time, worm, and you're slag," Starscream hissed and the clone could feel heat swirling from the thruster's barrel. "I'll blow a hole right through your chassis and destroy what's keeping you online in an astrosecond!" Fists clenched, he made sure Dirge was looking him directly in those threatening red optics, matching his but dampened by a fear Dirge kept hidden. "Do you understand me?"

Dirge ground his dental plates. "Hnnnyes..."

Starscream smirked then sighed as he drew back his foot. Dirge glowered at him as he sat up, not exactly knowing why his cheekplates were so hot and budding spark so... flustered. The maroon Seeker considered the origin of Dirge's personality and how it fit with his own. It didn't take long, not after watching his newborn study his chassis hungrily.

"I'm not that greedy," Starscream told himself and decided to call it a day.

Less than a week had past, and all ready Dirge had made a name for himself. In an attempt to steal everyone else's had only been the beginning. Shortly after Starscream relieved him from a short briefing of their current situation, the teal and yellow clone went to the task of claiming everything around him as his. For rocks, he scraped his claws along their surface, leaving behind deep jagged rivets much like a bear would a tree marked as their own. Using his thrusters, he left rings of scorched dirt as further territorial claims.

The other clones had a difficult time adjusting to their new, greedy companion. Slipstream and Thundercracker avoided him whenever possible. Sunstorm treated him with respect as he did all others. Ramjet claimed proudly how much he "loved his new friend." Skywarp was, as usual, terrified out of his wits by him and his grotesque color scheme.

However, luckily, the Seekers had been busy collecting energon, battling Autobots and Decepticons alike and, each time failing, attempt to throw down Megatron to pay him much attention. They had been the most successful at the first, but the rest left them mostly empty handed and full of wounds. Slipstream seemed to be the only one who, well, slipped free from most damage.

Despite Dirge's intrusive, greedy nature, the Seeker knew how to fight. Especially for something he really wanted. Usually it was an Autobot weapon, or something he deemed valuable, interesting or merely optic catching. He was not immune to damage and his ass had been handed to him like all the others on a few occasions, but he was strong and rarely did he back down for something he desired.

In two separate battles, he had disarmed Prowl, nearly robbing him of his shuriken before being knocked down by Bulkhead's wrecking balls. In another, he grabbed Optimus's arm cables in an attempt to steal them. Taking flight and using all his strength, he snapped the cables clean off, sending Optimus tumbling to the Earth nearly thirty feet in the air. Ratchet used his electromagnets to catch him and another to shoot Dirge in the gut, forcing him to drop the cables he had so "rightfully" earned.

Even then, Dirge had shown remarkable strength and determination and Starscream decided that he would keep him around. As long as he continued to prove his worth. However, when it came to gathering energon, the teal and yellow Seeker tended to hog his portions and had attempted on a few occasions to steal the other's.

Though he was always caught, he had learnt who was weaker and who was stronger. Slipstream was impossible to get past. Thundercracker and Starscream were a little careless when something was distracting their egotistical attention, but they were quick to snap back when they sensed his presence. Thundercracker was more violent than Starscream but Dirge always left with some sort of kink or dent in his armor. Ramjet made offers, but never went through on them--it took Dirge a little bit of time to realize Ramjet was a pathological liar. Though he wasn't as possessive as the others, he was feisty and hissed and spit like a cat over his cubes as he assured Dirge he didn't mind if he tried to steal his precious energon.

Sunstorm was much nicer and always willing to share a cube or two. However, he was selfish enough, usually preferring to keep at least half of his deserved rations. His excuse and perhaps he meant it sincerely was he did not want to be weak when he was called to serve his mighty leader and beloved companions. Dirge liked him the most, because he always told him the things he wanted to hear, the things he knew were for him alone.

Then there was Skywarp. Sweet pathetic wimpy Skywarp. In the two times Dirge tried to steal his energon, Skywarp reacted in two different ways with a similar theme. At first he was absolutely terrified of being harmed and threw his cubes at Dirge, running away. Dirge didn't technically steal them then, but Thundercracker had come to collect them and deck the newbie in the face. This succeeded in making Dirge strangely elated, though he did not fully understand why.

The second time, Skywarp had offered four of five of his cubes. He insisted keeping one; unlike Sunstorm, it was due to fear he would deactivate. So he clutched possessively to his cube, shaking and staggering away, ready to make a run for it if Dirge didn't appreciate his four offerings. Dirge wanted that cube, and he would have made this known, had Thundercracker not shown up and sent him packing with another few (strangely delightful?) punches.

However, this gave the yellow and teal clone enough information he needed. He estimated that on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the strongest and one the weakest, Starscream was an 8, Thundercracker an 8, Slipstream a 10, Ramjet a 6, Sunstorm a 4 and Skywarp a 2 or 3. Thus Skywarp was the weakest link.

It had Dirge thinking. Why was Starscream an 8? And not a 10? Wasn't he their christened leader? How pathetic. No, if anyone should be leader, Dirge thought, it should be him. It made much more sense. Dirge had what it took; the brains, the bronze and the drive. Everything and everyone else were obstacles he'd cut right through if they dared stand in the way of his goals and desires. Eye on the prize, eye on the prize. Everything else was backdrop, blurs, empty air to be ignored.

And Starscream, Starscream had that cowardly edge that kept him from pushing onward if someone pushed roughly back. Dirge would only retreat, if he had his choice, if he could no longer fight and needed extensive repairs. That would never happen, however, as so far he retained superficial damage. Starscream, on the other hand, a slap on the hand and he flipped out.

What a pitiful leader.

In his processors, Dirge was one hundred percent positive he should be the leader of the rogue Seekers. It made perfect sense, it did. The power, it was meant for him, belonged to him. Maybe Starscream didn't realize this, but that didn't matter. Perhaps by creating a newer, better version of himself, as Dirge certainly was, Starscream had dug his own hole and was waiting for the right moment to be knocked into his grave.

Long nights sitting in one of his random recharge nests, drinking energon he had hoarded and staring down at the blue and green marble below, it left Dirge with lots of thinking, lots of scheming. And besides knowing he should remove Starscream from leadership, he also knew the other clones, though not all of course, would not fall so easily. Thundercracker and Slipstream especially; they hardly had the patience to deal with Starscream alone. Why they never made a move to overthrow him was a mystery, but perhaps they too knew they were no match. Dirge was that perfect match.

Like insects, history and data could be installed by default into a spark or chassis and Dirge knew of one way to get the others to stay by his side, to work under him, to become his. They called it "sparkbonding;" combine sparks, the lifeforce of all Cybertronians, and through a series of mental commands, rather willingly or forcefully, part open firewalls and security measurements to forge a deep, unbreakable connection between mechs or femmes. This bond would allow partners to read each others most private emotions, thoughts and in some cases, even share said emotions, such as pain, as one.

That was a problem if it were true. If one of the clones was severely damaged, it would hit Dirge's system just as hard. It might even be hard to conceal his thoughts from others, but he was confident he could do so. The one who initiated and tied the connection in a knot tended to be the dominate partner, allowing themselves the ability to shield most of their thoughts and emotions from their partner. There was even a chance they could manipulate their partner's spark through their own, and if they chose not to, wouldn't feel the emotions they were inflicting.

Dirge would be the dominate partner, no doubts about this. He would have much more advantage and power then. If not, and if he felt threatened by one of his "bondmates," the bond was said to only break by death. Only one partner (if in a single two-on-two relationship) need die and the bond would cease to exist. And Dirge wouldn't mind killing one of his own if it meant keeping himself safe and getting what he wanted.

So the youngling clone clicked his claws together, grinning like a beast, smirking to himself at all the wonderful ideas and plans cruising through his circuitry. Overthrow Starscream--take him as a bondmate or kill him. Repeat process with the other clones. Once they were under his command, or possibly even dead (their sparks might provide him power--he had heard consuming a spark gave youth...), he would take his force or his newfound powers to Earth. Kill the Autobots, take their powers, their weapons then take over the Decepticons. After the Decepticons, the Elite Guard; after the Elite Guard, Cybertron; after Cybertron, the Earth; after Earth, the universe and so forth and so on and he was getting giddy now, giggling and kicking his feet like an excited, anxious child.

Dirge, Emperor of All, perched on his glorious throne, surrounded by riches from every corner of every galaxy, untouchable, all powerful. A god. Primus and Unicron? Sparklings.

But first, baby steps. And the first steps included taking over or out his fellow Seekers. Starscream, right now, would wait. Too high up on the power scale for Dirge to take on so early. With the other clones at his command, yes, he'd be easy to snub out. The key was to go for the weakest link and work his way up. It didn't bother him, starting out slow, because he wanted every bit of power, no matter its quantity.

It was just so unfortunate the weakest link was Skywarp.

Skywarp hated living on the moon.

The nights were cold and seemed to drag on for hours. In space, it was always dark and the sun, it felt foreign, distant. It felt empty, mute, void of anything comforting and warm. He hated it; even when he was with the others, Skywarp always felt alone. Sure, he was claustrophobic (and phobic in general) but also agoraphobic; open spaces were also just as frightening.

Recharging alone scared him depending on his location. Luckily for him, however, he rarely slept alone. Thundercracker had been the only one to allow him to sleep within close proximity. In the beginning, that meant ten feet separating them. Days passed and it decreased to five. The past couple days, Skywarp was now able to curl against the blue clone's side and sleep as peacefully as someone like him could. Thundercracker would occasionally give him a shove or push when he felt too cramped, but otherwise was pretty damn gracious. He wasn't as nice when he was up, though and made sure Skywarp scampered off before he was fully online.

The only times Thundercracker refused Skywarp the security he craved were the days when he was particularly upset. And that usually happened after fighting with Starscream, Slipstream or the Autobots and losing. He hated losing, though he'd deny he ever did. "I left on my own accord; I was getting bored," he'd say though it was clear he was sulking. The first time he was like this and Skywarp wanted to recharge with him, and this was when ten feet was pushing it, Thundercracker turned on him, called him quite nasty things and ran him off.

Tonight was one of those nights.

The blue Seeker wanted nothing to do with anyone, especially Skywarp's clinging. Skywarp was wise not to ask, not to try laying down beside him, even within twenty feet. Rather, he was left wandering to find a new nest for the night. Alone. While the others slept. No one to help him, no one to watch his back in case some entity made a surprise ambush.

Skywarp contemplated asking Sunstorm; he was nice. But Sunstorm slept with Ramjet and Ramjet had shown previously his disdain for extra company. He also tended to sprawl over Sunstorm during these times, as if making sure there was no one for the cowardly clone to cuddle against. So that idea was shot down.

The purple Seeker wandered fearfully across the moon, trying not to venture too far from base. Nothing was looking appealing and the farther he got, the more he noticed scorched hoops embedded in the ground and marks along the boulders and rocks...

"Can't... recharge?"

Skywarp squeaked at the familiar but still garbled, heavy hiss. He snapped around, wings hitched with his wide optics. He peered up and spotted Dirge squatting on top of a rather large moon rock, like some gargoyle surveying the land below. There was a wicked but smooth grin on his faceplates, claws clicking on his bent knees. The purple Seeker was relieved to see it was someone he knew, but was never at complete ease.

"I-I..." Skywarp swallowed. He shifted. "N-Need to find s-somewhere t-to r-rest..."

One corner of Dirge's grin perked. "That so?" He then suddenly pounced on the ground before Skywarp, sending him tumbling back a few steps. "You so happen to be in my territory," Dirge stated, "Skywarp."

Skywarp swallowed. It was rare for anyone to call him by his name, not when you had family like his. "S-Sorry!" he apologized quickly.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I guess for tonight I can..." Dirge's face twisted with disgust and it was apparent it hurt to speak the next word. But finally he managed to choke out bitterly, "... Share." He sighed; damn, that was hard.

The purple Seeker's wings flickered. "Y-You don't m-mind?"

"No," Dirge said and twitched violently. Of course he did but play it smooth, play it smooth, this'll be so worth it. "I don't mind."

Skywarp smiled for a split second before it was gone. "I-I won't take u-up much room!" he assured, hands raised. "H-Honest!"

"I'm not worried," Dirge replied lightly. He leaned forward, bowing almost like a gentleman as he offered his hand. Skywarp stared at it, recoiling a bit. "In fact, you like to recharge near others, right?" The teal and yellow clone leered. "Why not join me personally?" He clicked his extended claws.

Skywarp did not take the hand, but did take the offer. "If... you don't..." He swallowed. Wait, he didn't know Dirge that well... "... N-Not too close, of course. I-I won't get t-too close."

Dirge stood straight. "Oh, that's fine by me," he purred. He swept over to Skywarp before he could release a meep, wrapping an arm just under the purple and black wings. Skywarp shivered at the sudden closeness. "You know, Skywarp, I like your name," Dirge said and his hand squeezed, warmly at first, his fellow's forearm. Skywarp attempted to mechanically jerk away, but Dirge held him firmly. "It's nice. Catchy. If I could, I'd have it for myself."

"I-It sounds s-scary..." Skywarp swallowed. He ducked his head, wings lifting so they did not touch the arm along his back. "W-Warping is s-scary..."

The teal and yellow Seeker chortled. Oh, yes, he knew all about Skywarp's gift. And he wanted it, wanted it badly. After tonight, he knew, it would be his. "But it sounds like a rush," Dirge conversed, leading the purple clone deeper into the patch of rocks and boulders. "I wish I could warp. I'd love that ability myself."

"I-I'd give it t-to you if I c-could," Skywarp wibbled, "t-too scary. F-Feels weird. M-Might warp s-somewhere ba-ba-bad..." He gave the area a quick scan, noting they were heading into a rather secluded and hidden area outside the base's perimeter. "W-Where are w-we going?"

Dirge gave Skywarp's arm a gentle stroke. It didn't calm him; rather did the opposite, made him more tense. "Somewhere safe," he assured. He placed a hand to his chest and looked to his clone brother. He was the same height, but Skywarp always cowered, making himself appear much smaller. "You know what my name means? Dirge?" he inquired lightheartedly.

Skywarp shook his head. "N-No... I-Is it good?"

"Well, I can tell you it's along the lines of..." the younger Seeker chuckled. He pulled Skywarp to him, until they were locked hip to hip. Skywarp gave another uncomfortable wiggle as the two turned the corner of a enormous moon rock. "... A song."

"W-What typ of s-s--"

Just then, Dirge whipped around and shoved Skywarp against the rock wall. The purple clone screamed as Dirge took his hands, forced them back against the rock, null rays unable to fire at him. He then ground his cockpit to Skywarp's, glass squeaking. The yelp wasn't going to end soon and as Skywarp shot blasts from his arm mounted weapons harmlessly into the sky, the teal and yellow Seeker planted a firm kiss on his mouth, instantly silencing him.

Skywarp whimpered, shaking his head and scoffing his feet into the ground, thrusters puffing rings of smoke and fire. However, Dirge was strong, refusing to let go. If Skywarp decided on warping, he'd be taking his offender along for the ride. The purple clone kept his dental plates together, forbidding Dirge from invading his mouth with his glossa. Knowing for the moment it was a lost cause, Dirge drew back his hand, licking his own moist lip components.

"A mournful funeral hymn," Dirge explained and at first, his companion did not understand. Dirge's face was an inch from his, hot air cycled from his mouth heating cold cheekplates. "You hear it when I take off, when I fly, because I let you. You hear it when I start my engines and kick on my thrusters."

Skywarp knew what he was talking about, in the back of his processors he did. He didn't want to think about it, not after hearing it for the first time. When Dirge transformed and took off, the noise his chassis made sounded so dark, so low, so deadly, it sounded sad, tragic. Starscream mentioned something in regards to this, told one of the others that he couldn't tune those noises as he finished Dirge's soon-to-be-body. In the end, it gave the clone his name.

"You won't hear anything like it anywhere, ever," Dirge snickered, "because it's mine and mine alone." He tightened his grasps around Skywarp's wrists. "And you, you'll soon be mine, too."

"W-What!?" Skywarp sputtered.

"First you," Dirge explained, nuzzling his lips to the purple Seeker's cheek, "then the others. Sunstorm, Ramjet, Thundercracker, Starscream, Slipstream... But it starts with you."

"W-What do you wa-want from m-me!? U-Us!?"

Dirge sniggered. "Your loyalty, your powers..." He slowly lowered one of Skywarp's hands with his, placing it over the purple's shaking canopy. "... Your bodies are just a bonus."

This was enough to give Skywarp's fear a little extra fuel. With a harsh jerk, Skywarp freed one arm and rammed his palm into Dirge's face. Dirge's neck snapped back and he instinctively let the purple clone's arm go. Skywarp slipped aside and threw his leg into the teal and yellow clone's. Dirge stumbled back, giving Skywarp enough room to move away, brush past him and make a run for it.

Dirge snarled furiously as he stood straight, cheekplate dented. "Don't run from me!" he spat and took chase.

"Y-You're crazy! You're t-talking non-nonsense!" the purple Seeker yelped, clumsily crawling over rocks in his path. "I-I don't want t-to bond! I-It's d-dangerous--!"

"You think that'll stop me!?" Dirge howled. He leapt into the air as soon as he came to the rocky hurdles, taking flight. His engines howled like deep mournful cries and Skywarp squeaked. Dirge dove like a hawk at Skywarp, arms extended, hands reaching. "You're mine, you little glitch!"

The purple Seeker froze in fear, turning to watch Dirge descend closer. It came too late, the idea to warp, as when he finally decided to swallow his fears to teleport, Dirge had pinned him right in the stomach. Skywarp fell backwards, the younger clone coiled tightly around his mid section. When the two giants hit, the ground coughed up dirt and dust, forming spider web cracks.

As Skywarp, who took most of the hit, recovered with a loud moan, Dirge sat up and wiped the dirt from his blazing optics. He straddled the purple Decepticon's hips, latching claws against the yellow canopy of his heaving chest. Skywarp gasped and reacted quickly, throwing aside an arm and backhanding Dirge across the face. Dirge slipped to the side but did not fall off; his hands, at least, had been removed.

As the teal and yellow Seeker went to sit back again, Skywarp pointed a null ray at his face. Instantly Dirge went still, optics wide with shock. Skywarp was shaking badly, the gun shifting side to side, up and down, but still too close to his head for safety. "I-I don't want t-to bond!" he cried. "S-So just l-let me g-go and-and w-we'll pre-pretend this n-never happen--"

"I will not be denied of what's rightfully mine," Dirge spat, hands fisting. "Go ahead! Do it! Shoot me!"

Skywarp's jaw dropped. "W-What--?"

"Shoot me!" Dirge snapped. "Come on! Give me your best shot!" He gave a dark sneer. "If you even can."

"I-I can--!"

"Then what are you waiting for, huh?" Dirge snickered. He lowered his head closer to the clattering gun. "Go ahead and shoot."

Skywarp gulped. "B-But I--!"

"Come on!"

"I--!"

"I'm not going to give up!" Dirge informed. His hands risked themselves by moving up Skywarp's mid section. The clone bucked, but his null ray remained quiet. "So shoot me! Shoot me!"

Skywarp couldn't take it any longer. With a scream, half-conscious of his actions, he fired his null ray. With a smug smirk, Dirge easily moved his head aside. The shot had all ready been off due to the shivering, pathetic aim. Distracted by the moment and surprise of missing, the younger Seeker grabbed Skywarp's smoking null ray and squeezed. Hard enough to crush the barrel. Skywarp could only gape.

"I do hate damaging my property," Dirge snorted. The null ray on his left arm swiveled forward and was pointed at Skywarp's face this time. The purple clone was barely able to stop his shivering, coolant rising in his optics.

"Now let's do this the easy way, okay?" Dirge cooed and let the broken gun go. He moved his hand to pat the clicking and clacking fuselage below him. "Open yourself willingly. It makes it so much easier. You'll find your systems will accept me right away." His long gray fingers ran down the cockpit glass. Skywarp bit into his bottom lip, whimpering at the velvet touches. "Here? It's not so scary when I do this..." Dirge said and his canopy opened and shifted aside, revealing his own throbbing spark chamber. No, this only succeeded in scaring Skywarp even more.

"I thought I could do this the easy way. You're weaker than the others; easy for me to overpower. But..." Dirge chuckled, amused. "You did put up a bit of a fight back there."

"I-I don't w-want to d-do this...!" Skywarp whined. His cheekplates turned hot. "N-Not only b-because b-but but but b-but... I all ready--"

Dirge widened then narrowed his optics. "You're all ready bonded?"

"N-No way!" Skywarp squeaked. His optics turned pink as he bowed his head. "B-But I--I'm n-not entirely... n-new... A-And there's al-all ready..."

"All ready what?" Dirge was getting tired of these riddles. "You all ready what?"

The purple clone mumbled something.

"Speak up!"

"In... inter... fa..." Skywarp couldn't finish. He started shaking his head, kicking and writhing. Dirge nearly fell off by surprise but held on tight. "I-I don't t-think this is a g-good i-idea!"

"It's my idea," Dirge hissed, jabbing a thumb to his chest, "therefore it's perfect!"

"B-But y-you do-don't k-know what y-you're get--getting--"

Dirge gave a loud exasperated sigh. "Enough!" he snapped. Skywarp whimpered and stared into the single eye of the null ray a few inches from his face. "I don't care about your past. It had nothing to do with me. Now, the present, that's all that matters. Because once you're mine, I am you," he chortled and fondled at a latch on Skywarp's fuselage.

"But--!" the purple clone pleaded. "Y-You're going--"

"Not listening!" Dirge switched off his audio receivers. Skywarp's cries were mute and he heard nothing but the soft hum of his processors tinkering and thinking away. Able to concentrate a little better, Dirge managed to yank open the latches on the fuselage. Skywarp struggled but wasn't stupid enough to fight against the null ray. Finally, with a click, the canopy released a small gushed of air and opened a centimeter.

The teal and green Seeker smirked proudly. "Here we go..." He then pushed aside the glass, the plating and looked upon Skywarp's own spark--

Dirge blinked, head craning back with surprise. Skywarp's spark chamber--it was... different. And it had nothing to do with design. It took a moment for Dirge to comprehend what exactly this difference was, but it became clearer by the second... There was something etched on the purple Seeker's chamber. Something deep; letters. Letters Dirge recognized and he could read them as he peered closer. It was a name, a rather long name, but the first half of it made the young clone suddenly feel a cold rush go up his backbone infrastructure.

Dirge looked up quickly. Before he could switch on his audio receivers, he noticed Skywarp was looking elsewhere and above him. Reflected in his burning red optics, Dirge could see a shadow of another advance closer-- Just then, Dirge's audio receivers released a loud snap as he felt a hard crack against the side of his head. It blew out his right receiver, the force enough to not only online the other but send him flying off Skywarp and rolling away a good yard or two.

Dazed and helm throbbing, Dirge slowly sat up, hearing everything in a fuzzy gauze. As he went to look up, he got a face full of flames. Screeching, he rolled back, clawing at his burning face. Dirge scraped away at the heat burning his optics as it dwindled, hands dropping from his charred face as his slightly melted optics saw something tall, big and blue stomp his way.

It was no surprise to Dirge who it was.

"You little contumacious glitch!" Thundercracker roared. He threw his hands down, grabbing the stunned younger clone and ripping him from the ground. He held him above his head before throwing him against a rugged boulder. Dirge grunted painfully when his back made contact, body sliding down its surface.

"You insolent fragger!" Thundercracker snarled as he took one drooping wing and squeezed it hard enough to crush it. Dirge squeaked with pain before he was thrown forward, face skidding along the ground like a stone on water. The blue Seeker snatched up Dirge's foot as the weaker clone attempted to sit up, dragging him back over to the rock wall. "... Slagging little...!"

Dirge clawed and tore at the ground in an attempt to crawl free. "W-What! Wa-wait!"

Thundercracker threw down his leg. Dirge managed to get to his knees; before he could sprint away, the blue Seeker grabbed him by the back of his helm, throwing him back so it crashed into the hard rock. Stars exploded behind Dirge's optics and one offlined into nothing but a field of static. Thundercracker's hand was now wrapped like a snake around his neck, forcing him up.

Dirge grabbed at the hands, pulling with all his might. "W-Wait a m-minute!" he gasped. He could feel energon being cut off from pinched wiring, making his cerebral processors lag. "I-I didn't kn-know he w-was--!"

"Silence!" Thundercracker snarled and squeezed tighter. Something snapped and Dirge whimpered. "You really have some brass bearings for a weakling," the blue Seeker hissed. He slowly lifted Dirge up, all until the tips of his pedes were just dangling a few inches from the ground. "Trying to touch my property, to defile it with your unworthy servos!"

The teal and yellow Seeker bit his dental plates together. "H-He..." His single squinted optic looked to Skywarp, who was nervously jumping from one foot to the other, not sure if he should intervene or stay put. "He..."

"He what, scum?" Thundercracker seethed.

Dirge swallowed. "... Mine," he choked. Thundercracker furrowed his optic ridges, confused. Dirge then dropped his head down and sunk his dental plates into a choking hand. The blue Seeker frothed with pain and let go. Dirge dove forward, shoving his elbow into Thundercracker's canopy. He drove him back before jumping aside, the blue clone scraping against a rock.

"He's mine now!" Dirge laughed. He rose into the air, pointing his null rays at Thundercracker below. "And after I've claimed him," he leered, "you're next!"

Thundercracker was torn between laughing and screaming with fury. "How dare you even entertain the notion of controlling me!" he roared and raised his own null rays. Dirge fired and as the blue Seeker had planned, he used a powerful blast of sonic waves to both block the blasts and hit Dirge right on. The younger clone gasped with surprise; he was knocked higher into the air, doing erratic hoops as his null rays were thrown clean off.

As Dirge started falling to the ground, too dazed from the blast to stop himself, Thundercracker caught him. The yellow and teal clone blinked his single functioning optic, shocked and looked into the blue faceplates of his companion. For a moment, Thundercracker held him like a groom with his wife over the threshold; but then he smirked and dropped the baffled youngling like a bag of bricks. Dirge grunted, head bouncing off the hard ground. His static filled optic went completely offline.

Dirge weakly turned on his side, numb hands fondling at the dirt. "Don't turn your back on me! No one turns their back on me!" Thundercracker ordered, stomping a foot hard against Dirge's hip. The younger clone howling with pain, he forced him onto his back once more. Dirge's weak optic stared fearfully at the blue Seeker's enraged face.

"Y-You're a f-fool," Dirge rasped. He rose a hand, a shaking finger pointing at the Seeker looming over him. "Y-You should r-recognize m-me as the r-rightful l-leader!"

"Your mindless dribble offends my audio sensors," Thundercracker retorted. With another small sonic blast, the frequency was high enough to tear and scatter the frequencies of Dirge's vocalizer. The teal and yellow Seeker wheezed and squeaked, hardly able to make any other noise. He dug at his throat, making a series of small chirps in an attempt to online his glitching voice box.

Thundercracker sized up his companion. Weak, terrified, struggling, it was like a fish out of water, Thundercracker holding the hook in his mouth. And in that moment, he couldn't help but find it somewhat...

"So," the blue Seeker chortled and that dirty smirk of his had returned. Dirge didn't like the look of it and knew there was a new danger to fear. "You think you're better than me, do you? Think you're in control?"

Dirge croaked in reply. He looked for an escape route, but Thundercracker had him pinned. The blue Seeker reached down a hand, placing it over the cracked red fuselage. Dirge writhed. "Well, I've got news for you, peon," the blue Seeker crooned. His optics narrowed and his fingers began to curl over the glass. "You're, as suspected from the likes of you, completely wrong."

Thundercracker drew back a fist and both Skywarp and Dirge gasped when it struck the red canopy again. The glass shattered into tiny shards and Dirge screamed, or something akin to it. It came out as something of a high pitched whine. As he struggled to wiggle away, the blue Seeker tore open his fuselage. "I think you're in need of a little reality check! A lesson in subordination!"

"Ha-ahhh! Ehh!" Dirge heaved. He tried to push away Thundercracker's hands but they were easily slapped away.

"I'll show you who's the strongest here!" Thundercracker snarled. Whipping out from ports in his neck, a pair of thick blue cords penetrated the empty spare ports along Dirge's throat. He gasped and shook as Thundercracker sent a pulse of electricity through the circuits, right into his neck, causing his vocalizer to release a little array of tiny noises. His own fuselage opened, more cords unraveling and forcing connection into various sockets along Dirge's spark chamber.

Thundercracker dropped to his knees on both sides of Dirge's quivering hips. "Starscream couldn't put you in your place; nothing new! He can't do anything right!" he snapped. He slammed his hand into Dirge's spark chamber, causing the younger clone to mewl and buck. It took very little effort for the blue Seeker to rip open the chamber doors, nearly taking them clean off. Dirge cried incoherently again, hands clawing and tugging at the one diving inside his spark chamber and squeezing.

Another high pitched scream. "Ahhnn!" He arched, grinding with Thundercracker's body. Sparks of electricity jumped between their chassis. It hurt more than it felt good, the way the blue Seeker was crushing his spark near breaking point and yet... Yet Dirge felt so high. His processors were soaring, bouncing off the walls, unable to make sense out of this strange reaction. But it felt good, this pain, strangely enough and even as he cried and shrieked and struggled and pulled and kicked and begged in notes of squeaks and chirps, it felt so good.

Dirge knew this, this was his. And when overload came, much too soon, as it washed through his body and sent his systems swimming in floods of light and energy and electricity, he knew this overload was his and right now, though Thundercracker could deny it, so was he. The teal and yellow Seeker gave another little awkward cry before his chassis stilled, exhausted.

However, as he anticipated the worst was over--

Dirge screamed just loud enough for the final circuit in his vocalizer to snap and leave him mute. Thundercracker kept his chamber doors closed, despite how hard they tried to open. A completely opposite reaction compared to what had just happened, but it was understandable. With his energon coated finger, Thundercracker was clawing his name into his spark chamber, just like the one Dirge read on Skywarp's.

"G-G-G-Geeeee--!" the little coward squealed, knowing what exactly was going on.

Dirge's cries were silent and no matter how much he struggled, Thundercracker kept him still, just enough to finish writing in the final 'r,' crooked as it was with all the shaking. He then drew back the circuitry connecting the two of them, letting them coil back inside his chassis. He slammed and locked his fuselage shut. Dirge laid there for a moment, body heaving as his spark chamber dripped with white and purple liquid.

"Get up!" Thundercracker ordered. He kicked Dirge in the side. It sent the teal and yellow Seeker up like a frightened cat on his hands and knees, scampering away. He looked up at the older Seeker with big, broken optics. "You are your most important possession," Thundercracker chuckled, folding his arms over his chest. "And now you don't even own that."

Dirge blinked his cracked, online optic.

Thundercracker kicked a rock at him, where it struck his lip. He took a drooping yellow wing and threw Dirge onto his belly, laying out before his feet. His foot raised to shove against a teal shoulder plate. "You're mine now," he sneered, using the tip of his foot to tilt back Dirge's head, until they were optic to optic again. "And know now, until I need you, you are completely worthless!"

The blue Seeker kicked Dirge square in the jaw, forcing him up and back against the rock. "Now get out of my sight," Thundercracker ordered.

Dirge's plating clicked and clacked as he slowly stood, cowering just like a certain other clone. With a stomp of Thundercracker's foot, it sent Dirge running. He didn't look back, not once. Thundercracker was shouting something at him, but it mustn't have been important since he wasn't chasing after the fleeing clone.

It felt like he had been running for hours, all until Dirge finally collapsed in the middle of an empty blue field. With a soundless groan, he rolled out onto his back. His single, dim optic stared into the starry sky above and as he recalled the horrors of this dreadful night...

... A smile crept on his face.

How naive of Thundercracker to think he'd give up. Oh no. When Dirge wanted something, he made sure he got it. And now, as he touched the still bleeding words carved into his spark chamber, he wanted him more than ever.

THE END

And then Dirge was the masochist.