Optimus Prime was always one to mind his own business. He never liked to get involved in personal battles unless they affected those around them. This was especially true when dealing with the Decepticons. As a leader, he often looked at each side as a sort of family. The Autobots were his charges and his brothers. The Decepticons were their own sort of dysfunctional family.
There was one squabble that bothered him the most, though. Megatron and his second in command. He could understand Megatron's position. More so now that he had Grimmlock. Then again, he had always tried to keep Grimmlock on even ground. Grimmlock was a leader in his own right.
So where did that leave the spastic power hungry seeker? He did deserve to be put in his place now and then. A good leader knew when to show force and keep their status. He had been known to give some of his younger more inexperienced charges a good talking to now and then. But he had never shown such brutality towards any of them.
He often found himself trying not to think about the family feuds between the other sides... But how often had he found himself arguing for the side of Starscream? Did he really deserve to get hit that time? Did he deserve to get bullied as badly as he did? Perhaps what Starscream really needed was a good guidance. He was, after all, still young.
Or was Prime simply seeing Starscream as an older Bumblebee? Show him guidance. Show him kindness. Show him what it was like to have more than pain waiting for you when you returned home. Even if you failed from time to time, others still would accept you and help you improve. Did Starscream have that? Would he ever improve?
Optimus Prime could not push away these thoughts now, as he starred down at the now empty battle field. The Decepticons had all retreated and his own had returned to their base for repairs. He had returned alone as he often did after a battle. Standing as a solitary figure in the devastation of a once beautiful place. He would reflect on the battle. Wondering if there had been a different option. Could it have been avoided? Could he have avoided any potential casualties? Could this have been the one to end the war? Could his brother have been persuaded to a truce?
As usual, he knew the answers. They were always the same. He was about to return to his companions when he spotted something odd in the wreckage. Something red and blue and white and very much alone.
It was with a sigh that he realized that the Seeker had been abandoned once again. Who knew who had shot him down this time. Perhaps it had even been Megatron himself who had taken him out. In time, he would awaken, pissed and hurt that he had been forgotten and left for dead. He would fly around, causing trouble and attempting to prove himself worthy of being a part of a group. In the end, he would piss off Megatron yet again, but Megatron would welcome him back eventually. He always did.
Till then, the young Decepticon would lay here alone and broken in the ruble. No one, Decepticon or Autobot, should have to be injured and alone. Walking over to Starscream, he cleared a space and took a seat. From the looks of it, Starscream suffered a bent wing and a few fried processors. Nothing a half decent medic and a good recharge couldn't fix.
Cautiously, Optimus cleared the ruble off of him and rolled him over onto his back. Looking him over now, it was painfully apparent just how young he was. What had this bot been like before the war? How old had he been?
He had heard that Starscream had been a scientist before the Decepticons had found him. Skyfire had spoken highly of him, if not bitterly. On long journeys, he would often talk of places he had been and the things he had discovered. Of course he always left Starscream out of the stories if the others were around, but he would open up to Optimus. Everyone always did. Optimus was the keeper of everyone's pain. A burden he was more than willing to take on if it meant his men could rest easier at night.
Did the Decepticons share their pain? Did they even feel guilt and suffering over their past lives? Skyfire had mentioned briefly how Starscream had seemed eager to have a friend on his side. Yet he had just as quickly turned his back on him.
"Are you afraid to be hurt?" His voice was a soft rumble, half worried he might rouse the fallen jett. "Is that why you let yourself be beaten and broken? As long as you let yourself be mistreated, as long as you seek power and betray them, you don't have to be alone?" Frustration over took him as he attempted to figure it out.
The Autobots were a family. They trusted each other and protected their friends and brothers! Were the Decepticons so different? Could peace be that hard to reach? The Decepticons were a family, but in a sense that was so foreign to him that it left him feeling angry and confused.
Belatedly he realized Starscream had awakened beside him, a very dangerous nullray pointed at his chest.
"Don't move, Autobot scum." His voice was strained, static lightly slipping through his whine. Optimus simply sat back casually and held up his hands quietly. Starscream had the upper hand, but he was too injured to take him captive. If he shot now, Prime would be at his mercy if not dead.
Starscream seemed to be thinking the same thing as he struggled to get to his feet. "I don't know what you were trying to pull here, Prime…"
"I'm not trying to pull anything, Starscream. You're damaged and the others have already left." He kept a firm gaze on the young seeker.
Starscream hesitated, taking a quick scan of the area. "I may be damaged, but I can still take you out, Optimus Prime! Nothing's stopping me! You're all alone too." He took a step forward, attempting to be menacing. "Why… If I shot you now, I'd return a hero! They'd all regret leaving me behind like this! They might even see what a fool Megatron is and elect me the new leader!"
"You're living in a dream world, Starscream! Can't you see that they don't care about you? They left you for dead!"
"Every 'con for themselves! Everyone knows that! You don't go back for your fallen comrades!" Starscream was getting angry. Prime was walking on dangerous grounds, yet he couldn't give it up. He needed to understand.
"We never leave a fallen friend behind! Every Autobot is as important as the next!"
"And that is why you are weak, Prime!" His gun hissed loudly as it started to warm up, damaged circuits rerouting critical energy. It would be foolish to fire such a blast now. Starscream would need that energy to repair himself.
"I didn't leave you behind, Starscream." His voice was calm. Prime was not out to make a point or to further anger Starscream.
He could see the confusion behind his optics as he processed that bit of information. Expecting a witty come back, he was surprised when Starscream lowered his weapon.
"It would seem I owe you my life. I will repay you by letting you live today, Optimus Prime. Do not think that I do this out of the kindness of my spark. If you tell anyone of this, I will make you regret it!" At that, Starscream took off, struggling to fly in a straight line as his bent wing caused him to veer off to the side.
Watching for a moment to make sure Starscream had it in him to get back to his own base; Optimus sighed and turned from the battle field.
He was no closer to peace or understanding than he was before. Yet, he still had hope.