Heyo!
This is just a little drabble, which is based entirely off of a story written from the writing prompt:
"You live in a world where each lie creates a scar on the liar's body. The bigger the lie, the deeper and larger the mark. One day, You meet someone that only has one scar; it is the biggest one you have ever seen."
The work written from this had a character that just reminded me so much of Optimus, and I couldn't help write something similar.
The Autobot, which was not given a name in this story, is of no significance in any continuity and only works as a catalyst for this specific text.
(Disclaimer: I own nothing.)
It had initially been a joyous occasion.
After all, it was rare for new Autobots to show up on their small corner of the galaxy. Anticipated, but not fully expected.
The Autobot had been a low ranking member of an interrogation unit back on Cybertron, and was one of the only bots to escape when their base was attacked. With a proper questioning session from Optimus, and proof that this Autobot was indeed an Autobot, he was guided into their base and given the proper welcome.
"What is this solution?" Ratchet questioned after a day or so after the bot's arrival. It was green, and was held in a clear canister off of the Autobot's waist.
The Autobot had been ecstatic to reveal the liquid's purpose.
Being an interrogator, Autobot engineers and scientists had researched a way for them to more easily draw information from their prisoners— in a way more humane than the Cortical Psychic Patch. The product was a simple liquid, comprised of energon and various other chemicals, with the ability to reveal lies.
"That's impossible," Ratchet bemoaned, rolling his optics as the other members of their team gathered around. They were curious.
The Autobot reached for the canister and showed it to them all like he was displaying a trophy, "It may seem like it, but it works great."
Without warning, the Autobot splashed the nearest teammate— Bumblebee— with the green liquid. Gasps exploded from the group, frenzied looks of shock and sudden concern— even anger— flashing across their faceplates.
No one did anything, though, only watching.
It was faint at first, but as the liquid slowly ran off of Bumblebee's yellow frame, bioluminescent lights, in the shape of scars or scrapes, began appearing in various areas.
"Those illuminated scrapes are the physical embodiment of lies." the new Autobot explained, "The bigger they are, the more the teller of the lie has told it."
"Intriguing…" Optimus mumbled to himself, running a servo over one of the scrapes on Bumblebee's chassis.
"What good does that do?" Arcee mumbled as, she too, began investigating the marks, "So, you know they're lying, but how does that help anyone?"
"We know what they are saying is untrue, so we continue to ask questions until no marks grow or appear. It's long and arduous, but works eventually. It's also great in the field for surprise attacks."
After some convincing, each member of the Autobots got splashed with the liquid to see how often they lie. It was more of a game, really, than a serious investigation, and was brought up by Miko of all people.
Arcee had many marks, stretching from every corner of her body. It was to be expected, of course. She had many secrets, and many things she never wanted to be forced to speak about. All of them were small, however, and the team guessed to themselves that once she told a strict lie, no one brought the plea or question up again.
Bulkhead was different. He had few, but they were decently sized. Arcee joked that they were probably from all of the times he blamed an incident at base on someone else— Bumblebee, mostly.
Bumblebee also had few, and no one had really any idea what they could have been from other than normal, pitiful, harmless lies. Although, a few stray thoughts wandered around Ratchet's central processor.
Ratchet, making many of them uneasy, has multiple large markings stretching across him. Being a medic, they could only imagine the lies he told comrades and even the wounded.
Though it had initially been a game, questions came up, and it became some sort of bonding exercise. It was surprising how they never grew angry at the thought of revealing truths instead of lies.
The most shocking of any of them, however, was Optimus. They had all anticipated him to have few, if any. Perhaps from being behind enemy lines, or being face-to-face with Megatron. They didn't really think much of what was to be revealed. What they hadn't anticipated, however, was the gigantic marking stretching across his chassis, directly atop of his spark chamber and Matrix. It went from his left shoulder plate down to his right side-abdominal panel. His face was blank as the bioluminescent markings revealed themselves, and as his team stared in awed confusion.
Their Prime— Optimus Prime— who had the very wisdom of the Primes and the spark of a saint, had a mark— a lie— that made all of theirs pale in comparison. And he had told that lie often enough, apparently.
"They're like scars." Jack whispered to himself as Optimus walked away from the group, bearing the marking that forced every Autobot in the room to question him.
TTTTTTTTT
They were ambushed.
While investigating an energon mine in a group comprised of Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, and their new recruit, squadrons of Decepticon troops surrounded them and began firing all they had.
For the most part, at least for a time, they held their own and were remotely uninjured. The Decepticon troops fell one after the other and eventually the opposing sides were equally matched in numbers.
Then everything went wrong.
A false sense of victory from their newest member made him lose track of one of the enemies, and allowed for a laser blast to shoot through his back plating and collide with the edge of his spark chamber beneath.
It happened so fast. Optimus, who had been standing directly beside the interrogator, hadn't even noticed how the canister of the Autobot's lie detecting liquid shattered at the impact of his body with the cold cave ground, splattering the green solution on the Prime's body.
The remaining Decepticons were dealt with swiftly, and all attention was directed at the newest member of their team— lying on the ground, energon soaking into the earth beneath him.
"Ratchet, your presence is required immediately." he whispered calmly yet urgently into the comm. link as he knelt beside the wounded Autobot, "Bring your medical kit. Now."
Arcee and Bulkhead moved uneasily as they approached the two of them, watching as the energon on the ground matched the same light that appeared with the marking on their leader's chest.
Optimus set a sturdy servo atop the Autobot's chassis, optics and faceplate calm and collected, not letting an ounce of fear or uncertainty leak through their barriers.
"You will be okay." Optimus mumbled calmly to the newest member of their team, comforting the young one. His optics shuttered closed as the light of the ground bridge rippled through the energon mine and the thrumming of the spark beneath his servo slowed to a stop.
The marking on his chest grew ever bigger as he mumbled the lie once again.
"You will be okay."