Bathing with Eradicons is a Transformers: Prime fanfic written by JenKristo.
Unable to wash himself after losing an arm, Starscream shows up unannounced in the eradicons' shower room looking for someone to bathe him after an accident... and things progress from there.
The story is about Starscream/Steve the Vehicon pairing. The story is very well written and characters (canon characters and OCs) are amazingly portrayed by the author. If readers love romance, they will find happiness in this story.
The story can be read on Fanfiction.net. The story also has a sequel Easing Tension happening ten years after Bathing with Eradicons.
Bathing with Eradicons provides examples of:
- Adaptational Heroism: In this story, Starscream is a bit kinder than his canon counterpart. Contrast to Megatron's Adaptational Villainy.
- A Day in the Limelight: The story focuses on the Vehicons, their life on the Nemesis as well as their view on the Decepticon cause.
- Beta Couple:
- 404 is hinted having a crush on an Autobot.
Word of God confirmed it was Bumblebee. - It is implied that Soundwave and Knockout have a thing for each other. Confirmed by Word of God in his side story Easing Tension.
- 404 is hinted having a crush on an Autobot.
- Bittersweet Ending: In the end, Starscream leaves the Nemesis and manages to escape from Megatron's torture. However Steve chooses to stay behind, being the new Alpha Con, forcing Starscream to leave him.
- Break His Heart to Save Him: At one point, Starscream has to dump Steve under the threat of being discovered and killed by Megatron. The fact that the Alpha threatened him to reveal his intention to begin a mutiny against Megatron didn't help either.
- Faking the Dead: Steve does this when his relationship with Starscream is discovered by Megatron. Starscream doesn't buy it, having being warned by 404 earlier.
- Hidden Depths: Eradicons are shown having some political knowledge. Especially Steve, who is revealed taking online courses in a human University.
- It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: When chosen to be the new Alpha, Steve is subjected to death threats and hate mail from others Eradicons the moment he expresses the wish to start a revolt against Megatron.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: It is Steve's motive to make Starscream happy. Contrasts with If I Can't Have You… attitude from Megatron.
- Shipper on Deck: Zigzagged. Some Eradicons convince Starscream to bathe with Steve at the beginning of the story, but according to the Alpha, they are suspicious about Starscream's real motive, wondering if this latter doesn't use Steve to gain the Eradicons' support against Megatron.
- Villain Protagonist: It is a story focused on Decepticons.
Easing Tension provides examples of:
- Adaptational Badass: The humans such as Raf, Miko and Jack in Whispers of the Spark part. Justified because they are older than their canon counterparts. Knockout too. Starscream's Character Development also makes him more badass to the point of destroying the Nemesis by himself.
- Adaptational Heroism: Soundwave and Knockout thanks to Character Development.
- Adaptational Villainy: In canon, Megatron treated Soundwave quite nicely. There, Soundwave is his Chew Toy when Starscream is missing. It goes From Bad to Worse. Shockwave too, because his personality is based on Shockwave in Exodus novel.
- A Day in the Limelight: While Bathing with Eradicons story was focused on Starscream/Steve story, this story is focused on Knockout and Soundwave during and after Bathing with Eradicons.
- Back for the Finale: Starscream and Steve come back toward the ending of the story.
- Babies Ever After: Soundwave is carrying a sparkling during 'Whispers of the Spark'' part. The angst is that it is unknown if the sparkling is Megatron's or Knockout's because of interwining codes. It is revealed that he carried two sparklings, one from Megatron and the other from Knockout. They manage to become a happy family despite all. It is also confirmed that Starscream and Steve have a sparkling at the finale.
- Bait the Dog: When Knockout is declared dead Megatron tries to comfort Soundwave, saying the two of them are the same as they both lost a mate. Then Megatron uses it as an excuse to force himself on Soundwave's situation.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: In Whispers of the Spark, Raf spares Knockout's life and promises him Soundwave's safety after the war because Soundwave spared him when he accidentally landed on the Nemesis.
- The Cavalry: When Soundwave is left at Shockwave's mercy afterhe killed Megatron , Steve arrives at time and shoots Shockwave's arm before taking Soundwave away from the ship.
- Friendly Enemy/The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Raf invokes this when Soundwave spares him at the beginning of the story. The two are rivals but they hold no enmity toward each other.
- Heel Realization: After attempting forcefully to bond with Soundwave, Megatron realizes he crossed the line and is clearly remorseful when he sees Soundwave's face for the first time and when Soundwave manages to talk him out of it.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: Unfortunately right after this, he is shot by Shockwave.
- The Lost Lenore: Soundwave thinks this when Knockout is declared dead. He isn't, of course.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Megatron has this brief reaction when he realizes what he did to Soundwave.
- Shipper on Deck: Oddly, Megatron supports in his own way Soundwave and Knockout's relationship, thinking that Soundwave needs a mate. Unfortunately it doesn't last long. When Knockout is declared dead and Starscream leaves, Megatron thinks that Soundwave was his from the beginning. It leads to a extremely creepy and disturbing Comforting the Widow situation.
- Would Hurt a Child: Shockwave is not above to hurt any sparkling if it stands in his way of power.
