[Just a little flashback of Dreadwing and Irestorm while she was still in training. Irestorm is my OC, who trained under Dreadwing for a few years before becoming a Captain herself. It was by no means Dreadwing's easiest assignment.]
"The stars serve the mind well, pupil." Dreadwing kept his tone level, optics locked on the distant figure perched atop one of the main buildings of his base.
Irestorm's dark plating allbut camoflauged her against the dark sky above and hull plating below. Were it not for her red optics and biolights dotting the plates just below them, he may not have seen her as soon as he did.
The young femme didn't answer; she only remained crouched with her cold, hard palms planted between clawed pedes. Her tail hovered just shy of the hull's surface, but it's stillness contirbuted to the idea of a black onyx sculpture in Dreadwing's mind. Even as he climbed out and replaced the lid of the chute he'd come through, Dreadwing recieved no greeting or reaction of any kind.
Not that one was expected.
The Seeker approached casually, comming to sit beside the other under Cybertron's several moons. Though the constant hiss and drone of machines working hummed from the distance, an almost peaceful silence hung in the cool air.
Finally, Dreadwing spoke. "If you continue to run off like this, I will be forced to assign surveilance to you."
"Why would you care what happens to me?" Irestorm asked indifferently, her voice husky and pitched like scraping glass as it stuggled to pronounce foreign words. The white rings of her optics followed an incomming Seeker patrol like a lazed predator imagining a hunt.
"It would be hazardous to my soldiers, as well as my reputation, to let you run amuck," the Seeker explained, "and since Megatron wills that I train you to the best of my ability, I fully intend to do so."
The Traveler's optics narrowed bitterly, rolling at the sentiment she'd heard a thousand times before, "You're far too adoring of that mech."
"Without Lord Megatron you and your brother would still be slaves of the Kalicon Pitts, fighting vain battles," Dreadwing insisted, "You should be gratuitous to your new Master."
The Traveler's tail twitched, "So if, Optimus were to require that you pledge your allegence to save the lives of your soldiers-"
"Inequitable! You went to Megatron of your own incentives, something I would never do towards that filthy Prime. And should such a proposal be given, my soldiers and I would rather be slain with honor."
"And if your death were not so honorable?"
Dreadwing blinked, noticing the bitter tinge in her optics shift to something lighter. "What do you mean?"
A chuckle teased his audios, her tail now flicking playfully.
"Death by space slugs."
A growl tugged at the Seeker's throat, but he pushed it down. He would not be so easily vexed by a child's immaturity.
"Our Master has done many favors for Cybertron long before your time. There's no reason to consider him your enemy unless you are corrupt."
The Seeker sighed, not wanting to argue over such ignorant opinions, that's not why he came up here.
"You will understand when you are wiser, youngling, that I shall ensure above anything else. In the mean time, I've brought you something I thought you might like, though I'm not sure you deserve it."
It perked her interest enough to turn her head with a poorly hidden glimmer of curiosity.
"You did praise my combat abilities this morning."
"And praise will be all you get should you keep up this unrully behavior of yours."
A frown had started to form on the young femme's faceplates until Dreadwing's servos moved to retrieve something from his subspace.
"Consider this a reward for improving your dialect. I see you've tuned your linguistic processors. I myself had hoped to assimilate the language of your people as well, but it has proven a more difficult task than expected..."
Of course, Irestorm wasn't listening. As soon as she caught sight of a small box pinched between the Seeker's claws, everything lit up, but instead of reaching out for it, she huffed, offended.
"I don't want your treats," she grunted, snapping her gaze back to the watchtowers.
"Well then, I suppose I won't have to worry about leaving them up here." A smirk played the Seeker's lips. He placing the box between them before getting to his pedes.
"Don't tell me you're late in finishing your duties." The Traveler picked as he walked away. It was a daring accusation, Dreadwing's discipline had a flawless reputation. He was always prompt.
"Would you have me stay up here for the rest of the night?"
The femme was quick to answer, "Of course not… but… since when do you depend on my whims?"
The inquiry recieved no answer, but as Dreadwing retreated back down the chute he looked back at his troublesome charge, once again alone on the roof of the facility.
"You would do well to follow curfew like the other soldiers." He told her, "I will be checking that you do. Goodnight."
Irestorm watched him disappear back down into the building. The hatch closed, locks clicking into place. Great. Now she'd have to find another way back to her quarters.
When she could no longer hear him climbing down, an empty feeling crept onto her shoulders and weighed her heavy tail back down until it nearly touched the cool metal surface beneath her.
The box sitting beside her bounced the moonlight off of it's surface, carelessly left without anyone to claim it. No one wanted it… so no one would care if it disappeared, thought the Traveler.
Irestorm snatched up the box, tossing the lid away immediately to dig into the tangy energon goodies housed within.
She had come up here for stupid reasons, she'll admit that much. Dreadwing was a stupid mech with stupid questions giving her stupid treats. As soon as she ate them all she stood and flung the box as far as she could. She watched it shatter against the ground roughly half a mile away where aircrafts landed. The Traveler flopped back down onto her aft with an irritated sigh. Her rebellious moment of freedom suddenly becoming a lonely feeling of abandonment.
If she wanted to keep her pride intact she had to get better at lying.
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AN : hey reader! Did you like the story? Let me know with a reveiw or fav, I appreciate any kind of feedback cl-: