Disclaimer: Don't own Transformers
Captive
Thundercracker supposed it could be worse.
He could have broken struts, cracked optics, twisted joints, hung upside down by his pedes, beat regularly and even thrown to the special ops for interrogation, but he wasn't.
The cell was well lit if the complete lack of shadows was anything to go by, not to mention clean. Thundercracker had seen the standard Decepticon brig many times throughout his life and it was usually full of shadows, pieces of the last prisoner and marked with energon.
To top it off, dealing with Smokescreen was nothing compared to Vortex. Smokescreen knew how to do his job, but it was a comforting thought that Thundercracker wasn't being interrogated by a masochistic psychopath.
If it weren't for the occasional trigger-happy Autobot keeping an optic on him, he'd consider his brig time to be a vacation.
Thundercracker didn't have to get involved with Skywarp's pranks or listen to Starscream rant about how the scientist would be a better leader than Megatron.
Other than the time he spent being interrogated, Thundercracker spent his time refueling, recharging and thinking. He thought about a lot of things; from topics such as who he thought would guard him next to the meaning of life.
As Thundercracker stared at the ceiling, wondering if anyone would come to rescue him when he vaguely registered the signs of a shift change.
Bluestreak entered the brig for his shift. Brig duty was usually as exciting as watching paint dry. At least with monitor duty, there was something happening, even if it was just watching 'bots move about.
He looked around the brig and quickly realized that the only occupant was Thundercracker. As much as he wasn't very fond of sitting in the same spot for long periods of time, Bluestreak knew it would be best if he keep his attention on the inhabitant. He moved a chair from across the brig to right outside of Thundercracker's cell before sitting down, doorwings flicking once before getting comfortable.
It wasn't even a breem before Bluestreak first spoke, "Aren't your wings getting stiff? I know mine do if I lay on them for too long, but even though we have different types of wings, yours probably feel about the same about now."
"They are, but this is the most comfortable position." Thundercracker muttered, arm covering his faceplate to block out the light.
"I see." Bluestreak moved his doorwings about, "Just looking at you makes my doorwings sore. Aren't you going to move?"
Thundercracker rolled over onto his chassis as he propped his helm up with his folded arms, "Better?"
"Oh much." Bluestreak replied, "I always wondered what it would be like to fly. Do you like flying? What was Vos like? Was it anything like Praxus before the war started? Where you there in the attack of Praxus? What did it feel like attacking the sister city to Vos?"
"I was there, but it wasn't something I like to talk about. The war brings out the worst in bots. Vos was amazing, a haven for fliers everywhere. Like Praxus, we had our signature architecture and traditions. Our culture has been lost in the chaos just as the cultures of the Polyhexians, Kaonites and all of the others out there."
"And flying?"
"It is what I'd rather be doing right now. Nothing beats the feel of the wind on your wings and the great expanse of sky as a playground."
"There are organics capable of flight on this planet. The humans categorize them as birds and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are really big and others are really small, but they're usually small, for us anyway. The colors and designs can be amazing. Some are like paintings back on Cybertron. It's said that the male is the more colorful of the two genders, like the peacock, which makes it easier to tell them apart though there are some that look practically identical like the… uh… what was it, raven? Yeah, raven. Ravens have black feathers, but there are a rare few who are born with white feathers."
"I've seen them around." Thundercracker said.
"Some birds can fly for a little bit while others can't fly at all. Hound told me that there are these birds that live in cold weather that use their wings for other purposes. Penguins have feathers that keep them insulated from the cold and water can't get to their skin. Instead of flying, penguins are really good at swimming. Watching them swim is like watching other birds fly. Sometimes I think that fliers are like the birds, coming in all sorts of different shapes, colors and sizes. Wouldn't that mean Praxians are like the penguins? We have wings that we use for different reasons and we lack the ability to fly." Bluestreak laughed, "Prowl has the same colors as penguins. They're black and white. I once had a dream he was one, but he kept getting annoyed because Smokescreen was trying to give him a fish instead of a datapad."
"Perhaps one day the Praxians will learn how to swim."
"Is Megatron scary to live with when he gets angry? He's your own teammate after all, so it's not like you can get rid of or shoot him."
Thundercracker sat up, facing Bluestreak as he questioned right back, "I could ask the same thing about Ratchet. His aim and throwing arm is almost as legendary as his skills as a medic."
Bluestreak rubbed the back of his helm, "We've gotten used to him. Besides, he's a good way to get better at dodging."
"You could say the same about Megatron though instead of practice our evasive maneuvers, we test our communication skills and our luck. He doesn't always shoot to kill." Thundercracker paused, "What's truly terrifying is Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's 'Jet Judo' not only because it's tactics for dealing with seekers, but they were also gladiators. Destruction and violence in close range is what they were trained to do."
"Why are you a Decepticon?"
Thundercracker looked up to the ceiling, a thoughtful look on his faceplate, "There wasn't much of a choice. Trines stick together and my trinemates decided early on that they were going to support Megatron. After the fall of Praxus, there was no going back. Even now, I am loyal to the Decepticons because my trinemates are. I could care less who wins and who loses as long as there is an end to the war and a continuation of our race."
"I joined the Autobots because of what happened in Praxus. I've seen my friends and family killed, slaughtered, at the hands of the Decepticons."
The two sat in silence for a while before Bluestreak spoke up again, "Are you hungry? I have a cube of energon I was going to give Prowl yesterday, but he already refueled."
"I'm not in dire need of it, but I would greatly enjoy some energon about now."
Bluestreak pulled the cube out of his subspace and got up from his chair, offering it through the bars of the cell to the Vosian who happily took it.
"Well, it was nice talking with you, but my shift just finished." Bluestreak moved the chair back to where he found it.
"Thank you for your kindness, Bluestreak." Thundercracker slipped the now empty cube out of the brig so that Bluestreak could take it, "I'm glad to have been able to interact with someone who wasn't trigger happy. Will I see you again anytime soon?"
"I have brig duty again in another few days." Bluestreak headed out of the brig, gesturing his doorwings in a goodbye, "Until then."
Thundercracker watched the Praxian leave before laying back down on his berth.
The next time Bluestreak saw Thundercracker was on the battlefield.
He had foolishly chased after Ravage and got a leg stuck under several large rocks when Bluestreak barely avoided a trap set prior to the start of the battle. The cassette got away, but he was far from help and couldn't move very much.
Bluestreak's doorwings stiffened at the vibrations in the air from jet engines. He strategically moved them to keep track of the trine's position. As Bluestreak caught sight of them, Thundercracker strayed from the others, claiming to want to check something out and for them to continue without him.
Thundercracker transformed and landed on the ground. Bluestreak reached for his rifle which was just barely out of reach as Thundercracker walked towards him. The praxian swore as he tried to get away right before Thundercracker stood before him, frame blocking out the sun.
The Vosian raised his weapon and aimed.
Bluestreak closed his optics and braced himself.
Bang.
Bluestreak opened his optics only to find that Thundercracker had shot the rocks, breaking it up enough for Bluestreak to get free before he met Thundercracker's optics.
"You helped me, so I helped you. Head to your base and you'll run into Ratchet. Go the other way and you'll find Megatron."
"Thank you."
Thundercracker smiled before transforming and heading off in the direction of his trinemates.
Bluestreak gently moved his leg before scooting closer to his rifle. Subspacing his weapon, he transformed and raced off in the direction of the Ark. Even though they were on opposite sides of the war, it appeared he had made a friend.