Title: „Symmetry in Contrasts: Prowl/Optimus" (Drabble Collection)

Status: Drabble 01 of ? (Complete); Collection WIP

Drabble Title: On Teamwork

Fandom: Transformers; Animated

Characters: Prowl, Optimus

Word Count: 1274

Disclaimer: I would love to own Transformers, but that honor belongs to Hasbro and some others. Shame! I'm just playing around in someone else's sandbox ; you know the drill.

Rating: T (for this part)

Beta: none

Warning/AN: Greetings to Vivienne Grainger! Should you read this: My lesson learned is to never again plan something, obviously, that's not the way it works when it comes to writing fanfictions... °-° Thank you for helping to improve "Familiar Touch"! Credits goes where it belongs; don't try to convince me otherwise ^-^

Note: All drabbles should be considered AU, because I only know the first six episodes of Animated (the rest of my infos I picked up via research or through reading fanfictions). And, although Prowl is, in canon, one of the younger 'bots, for the sake of my personal fangirl universe deviation, he will be, in regards to age, only be second to Ratchet. And my apologies to all readers waiting for the next and final part of "Sparkling". I swear I'm working on it!

I hope you will enjoy reading this; please R&R! Constructive criticism, both negative and positive, suggestions, comments, your interpretation – all that is most welcome!

On Teamwork

Prowl watched, concealed within the shadows, as Optimus sank to the ground in exhaustion.

Optimus had trained outside the warehouse for quite some time, slipping away as soon as Sari had left and everyone else went into recharge.

But their leader had not sought to practice. Rather, Optimus had vented his frustration with destructive ferociousness on the hapless dummy. Were it not for the fact that the target was a transparent hologram, flickering to indicate a hit, - it would litter the cracked concrete in pieces.

The noise when a swing missed, metal crashing into the ground, although faint by distance, had lured Prowl away from his lofty refuge in the tree.

He had noticed the signs well before this barely controlled outburst: little gestures, clenched servos, the energy flow of an aura disrupted, the wrong inflections in clipped words, lending them an underlying meaning; reined in, but there.

In fact, the ninjabot had all but waited for this night to happen.

The last orn had been... taxing.

Starscream's grand appearance had almost cost them Sari's life, because plans and orders were ignored; no one willing to listen to Optimus in their panic. Everyone had stumbled over the others pedes, hindering each others efforts to rescue the little girl.

Prowl himself had been absent during the hostage situation, lured away out of Detroit by his need to explore the fascinating wildlife of this unique, organic planet.

Returning, he had only heard the end of it, arriving in their impromptu HQ only to bear the brunt of an enraged speech about the necessity of teamwork - and how he had left them, leaving them vulnerable.

Prowl did not appreciate being used as a scapegoat, - he had, after all, asked for permission to leave, not entirely trusting the sudden peacefulness; making amends to his need for privacy. He did not consider the other 'bots his teammates, but he would never abandon his Cybertronian kin in time of need.

Even so, he had kept his silence, enduring the rant stoically, giving the others the opportunity to tend to the still shaken Sari. The lack of response, predictably, had irritated the Prime even more.

And yet: Starscream's arrival on Earth was not something anyone could have anticipated. Which begged the question - who was Optimus truly mad with?

Surely, their lack of teamwork rankled with the former Elite Guard; to him, it was the key component to success, after all. But Prowl had picked up and analyzed enough evidence to recognize that Optimus' apparent inability to lead them had cut the mech deeply.

Being a bot to chase an unattainable ideal of perfection, this sowed the seeds of self-doubt in Optimus. Or rather, Prowl suspected, already existing issues were drawn back to light, being buried only plating deep.

The burdens of leadership wore heavily on any mechs shoulder plates - and Optimus was still young.

Having observed the quiet mech long enough to gauge his current emotional state, Prowl stepped forward, into the silvery sheen of moonlight.

"Talk alone will not shape individuals into a team," he stated with deliberate indifference, coming to a standstill right behind the younger 'bot.

Optimus startled and scrambled back on his pedes in an astrosecond. He pulled his ax from subspace in the same movement; far from elegant, but quickly for a 'bot that weary from low running energy levels. Spotting Prowl, he cycled air through his intakes to cool down his combat ready systems.

"Prowl," he acknowledged, putting his weapon away. A faint trace of resentment lingered in the pitch of his vocalizer; dimming his bright blue optics.

"Prime," Prowl inclined his dark helm a mere fracture in greeting, completely unfazed by the frosty welcome. Rejection grated on his fine sense for energy signatures, but he would not leave, despite finding 'meddling' to be aversive, he deemed it necessary, in this case. So Prowl kept his faceplate blank, but could in turn easily detect the tenseness of coiled musculature in Optimus' red-blue frame.

The air between them, a warm summers breeze even at night, seemed to charge up with things unspoken:

Bitterness.

Accusations.

Shame.

The swirling emotions twisted the situation into a face-off. An undesired battle of wills in absolute silence... but Prowl refused to provide purchase for more, letting every buffeting tendril of emotion bounce off. He had not opted to reveal his presence to make himself a target.

A moment passed in silence, only disturbed by some rodents, rustling around the corner between trash cans, and the far away noise of traffic.

Then Optimus slumped, his shoulder plates drooped, as did his helm, as if any fight left whooshed out of him like air from his vents. "I don't give those speeches because I like to hear my own voice pattern," he stated at last.

In more than one way, this was a disturbing comment, coming from the Prime.

Recognizing the opening for what it was, satisfied that his approach had worked out with such ease, Prowl responded with a firm: "I know."

Thrown off-balance, having expected a scathing rebuke, Optimus shuttered his optics, not able to exclaim something more eloquent than a startled: "What?"

"Teamwork is essential, especially so in our situation, seeing as we can only rely on each other, - it is only logical."

Optimus shook his helm dejectedly, dropping his carefully crafted mask of a perfect leader completely: "We all realize that. And yet... we almost lost Sari."

Prowl hummed thoughtfully: "But that narrowly avoided event was the first step to teamwork. Because everyone worked together, in the end, which drove Starscream off and saved her."

Prowl paused, letting his words sink in, before he continued: "Precious things are shaped through actions, when all are compelled to act as one. And, Optimus... you seized that moment, turning the tide in the ensuing battle. You led - and they followed you. Willingly."

Now Optimus looked positively stunned, with wide open optics, as if a glitch threatened to crash his processor. Missing the point of this conversation entirely, he blurted: "That was the most you ever talked in the whole vorn I have known you."

Quite similar to Bumblebee, thought Prowl dryly.

Young, indeed. - And deprived of desperately needed recharge, not to mention that the emotional turmoil finally caught up, fusing an undesirable combination.

Prowls visor narrowed slightly, but by then, Optimus was already seriously pondering his words, so he let it slide. Instead of commenting, he used the moment of distraction to slip back to the warehouse on silent pedes, having almost completed the task he had set out to do.

"Prowl, wait, I was unfai-"

"They will become a team, eventually," interrupted Prowl. He did not desire an apology, and, judging by Optimus chagrined tone, he had narrowly avoided one. Prowls frame was already half-way melted with the darkness of the doorway.

"And you?"

The question was spoken softly, yet without any inflection other than a regained composure. It was no hint left of the utter frustration from earlier and devoid of any accusation for Prowls self chosen aloofness.

Of course, Prowl was perfectly aware that he had revealed parts of himself, in acting on his own insights into Optimus character...

"... I am fully capable to work with a team, should the need arise," he allowed, hovering almost beyond the reach of the moonlight.

"But not being part of one?"

The shadows swallowed Prowl's frame whole, as if erasing his very existence.

Optimus waited, not really sure for what. But then, a quite "Not yet" drifted back to him, making his patience worthwhile. - He had much to contemplate.

End

AN: R&R, please ^-^ Please help me and point out every mistake you can spot, - English is only my second language. So... Good? Bad? Too OOC? Too much introspective? Optimus does not blurt things out like Bumblebee? Prowl talks too much like a cross between an un-inspirational Master Yoda and a fortune cookie? Please tell me, don't hold back, I won't take it the wrong way ^v^ Just don't roast me with flames. And: I'm looking for prompts/ideas for this hopefully-to-be Drabble Collection.

The focus should be on Prowl/Optimus interaction (in Bay/Animated/G1 universe) or how they perceive each other by watching the interaction with other characters. - I did never before write something based on someone else's idea/prompt, but I want to improve, so... Just please keep in mind that I am a slowpoke when it comes to writing and that I cannot promise that I will be able to actually put something down on paper - but I'll give you my word, I will TRY! So, feedback would be highly appreciated! And credit will, naturally, go where it belongs, should one of you decide to help me out! ^^ Thanks in advance!