#maybe sorta

Noelle holiday… save me Noelle holiday…

I won't be upset if you don't like coffee.

Picture this, Breaky and Bulk smash their way out of M.E.C.H., fuck up Silas’ little toys and have his little foot soldiers run to the hills, Screamer arriving late to the party as per usual. Instead of immediately going ‘kill him’ or whatever, he instead comes to a compromise.

“My thanks, Autobot,” Starscream sneers, he himself acting out a mock bow, “Now, unless you have suddenly forgotten your own millennia old spat, Breakdown, I suggest you report back to the Nemesis.”

A confused pair of wreckers - ex or otherwise - stare at the silver seeker, before Bulkhead breaks the silence. “Wait a minute, we aren’t going to fight?”

Gesturing for the blue brusier to get on with it and follow, Starscream scoffs in response.

“Think about it as cashing in a favour.”

And so that interaction begins a theme of Bulky and Screamer going back and forth on favours and not killing each other immediately, which could if you’re so inclined help towards an Autobot Starscream au. It might even get Breakdown in on the favour game, and also probably turn into an Autobot Breakdown au if just a Breakdown Lives au isn’t spicy enough for you.

The second notable Bulkhead Starscream moment happens in the collapsed energon mines… forgot the episode title but you know the one. It was after all Starscream that found Bulkhead first.

“My my, Autobot, it looks like you’ve gotten yourself into quite the predicament.” From the light in the darkness, Miko’s face dropped when it wasn’t the blue motorcycle nor a human boy answering her silent prayers. Starscream, appearing from the newly made entrance to their little pocket of the mine, steadily approached. “Why, it’s as if, should I leave you here, you wouldn’t soon make it to the surface.”

As the boulder within Bulkhead’s grasp continued to weigh on his aching joints, the wrecker couldn’t load up on thinly veiled threats without snapping. “Well yeah? And what’s stopping you? It’s a slow but easy kill, one even you can’t frag up.” The bravado in his voice helped make the crushing weight of the ceiling feel so much lighter. One look at Miko almost broke that false confidence.

But as Screamer approached and placed his servos up against the boulder as well, Bulkhead’s confidence grew to confusion. “I may have already paid off my favour to you, but I would be a shame to miss out on the chance of you owing ME.” And for a flighty, string bean of a mech, Bulkhead’s confusion turned to surprise as the earth in his servos lightened further.

With some adjustment and strength, the latter which was lost after extensive use, the ceiling turned floor with only a select few rocks - hidden behind the boulder - tumbling down and out. Miko’s gasp could barely be heard, but with an audial out, Bulkhead turned to see what Starscream elected to ignore. And with the sound of a transformation sequence, in addition to the whir of a blaster, the human had spotted who she had originally wanted to see.

Arcee, with her gun trained towards Starscream’s helm, stood beside the drill manned by Jack. “Don’t think you’re getting out of this so easily.”

Starscream yelped in his screechy voice, but before Arcee could unleash fire, Bulkhead stepped in; Miko resting in his dust covered servos. “Hold on a sec.”

“What are you doing!?”

“I’m, as someone once said, cashing in a favour.”

And I suppose here is where the favour game gets its light shone upon towards the others; Miko, Arcee and Jack directly, the rest of the Autobots second hand, because by golly Miko wouldn’t shut up for anybody and it definitely going to blab to Jack about it. Seeing Arcee not be that happy about it either would probably clue to the other bots that Miko’s not just making up a story and Jack’s the victim to it and whatever.

The third and… probably not final, but it’s certainly on the more memorable moments of Bulkhead and Starscream interactions, is the Starscream clones and Bulkhead suddenly waking up on the Nemesis. Obviously, if you know, this is the episode where Bulkhead outright kills a Screamer clone, but with their favour game AND the knowledge that Starscream killed Cliffjumper, their ‘relationship’ is probably back to square one. Or almost square one, it’s probably at this point where they’re more likely to ask questions first and shoot later.

“Why’d you do it.”

“Why’d I do what, you bumbling oaf! Make clones of myself? Why it was to-“

“Why did you kill Cliffjumper.”

Starscream went quiet, though not out of shock. If it weren’t for their little game, the seeker would no doubt find himself dented and bruised… at best by the wrecker, but he’s still alive.

“Why does anyone kill someone nowadays, it’s war not a baseless murder.” But it was, wasn’t it. “Megatron would’ve done more than just kill Cliffjumper, he would’ve done far worse things. If I had simply captured him, he would’ve still died thanks to dear old Master’s obsession with dark energon.”

And that answer didn’t satisfy Bulkhead, “But you didn’t know that at the time, did you?” He growled, “You may have hindsight or whatever, but you still murdered Cliff.”

“…”

“…Yes, that’s right.” Screamer glanced back at the wrecker, those blue optics burning in cold fury. “But kill me back when you’re on solid ground, you still need a map.”

“Fine.”

“…”

“Did you make it quick.”

“Straight through the spark.”

“Then I’ll do the same, as a favour.”

Heaven: this is where you create sin!

Earth: this is where you commit them + live with it!!

Hell : and this is where you purge them.