Drabble #1: By Any Other Name…
By: Ceris Malfoy
Summary: Optimus Prime and a high-ranking Decepticon find themselves at the mercy of a mech they never thought could defeat the both of them in combat at the same time. Just how far will a mech go to ensure vengeance?
Inspiration: In the TFWiki, I came across the chart of alternate names in various versions of G1 that Starscream has. One of those is the alternate name of "Pretty Poison". I got to thinking about that name, and this was born. There are three or four parts to this drabble.
Status: WIP
Continuity: AU!G1 with some IDW references.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this."
Optimus Prime sighed and stared forlornly down at his fellow prisoner whose helm he held almost tenderly in his lap. His voice reflected his guilt and his frustration with their situation.
Crimson optics narrowed and brief burst of static erupted from the injured mech's mouth – all he was capable of after having his vocalizer savaged by wicked claws and some sort of corrosive agent. Nevertheless, Optimus knew this mech well enough to catch the meaning.
You're a fool.
Yes, he supposed he was. After all, here he was, sharing a cell with the enemy, trying vainly to figure out how to get them both out of this mess; here he was with the enemy's head in his lap, one hand gently caressing the only spot that wasn't dented, scratched, corroded, or covered in drying energon.
He sighed again, and offlined his optics. How had it come to this?
How indeed. When the challenge came, he had been so sure, so arrogant, in his belief that between the two of them they could win…. He had forgotten that the Decepticons were aptly named, and apparently had not been the only one to do so. The challenge had been accepted eagerly by the both of them, and before the entirety of both the Decepticon and the Autobot armies, the both of them had been virtually torn apart.
By a single, solitary mech.
"It wasn't supposed to end up like this," he said again, this time anger coloring his voice. His cellmate offlined his optics, facial plating shifting to reflect his internal disgust with Optimus' continued whining.
"Is that so? How then, was it supposed to end?"
The smooth, mocking voice of their captor had him jerking in startled surprise, while his cellmate struggled to place his back against the wall as quickly as possible – fear burning bright in crimson optics even if the mech's facial plates revealed none of it. Although there was fear twisting within his own spark, Optimus knew that his cellmate had more reasons to be afraid then he did.
After all, how long had Megatron so casually abused his second, confident and sure that the seeker was absolutely no threat?
In the doorway to their cell, Starscream stood, smile growing both sharper and smugger by the second.
So, I'm totally obsessed with Starscream. I know this, and am not ashamed to admit it. ^^ That being said, I seem to have a very different picture of him than most other writers on , as most writers tend to make him horribly submissive. Yes, I am aware that he's a whiny bitch in most continuities. But I am most familiar with his IDW characterizations, in which he is marvelously badass. Hell, even his TF:A version is pretty good - not as good as IDW!Screamer, but pretty decent all the same. I've been dying for some Screamer action that doesn't involve him crying/getting raped/being abused/generally needing someone to play hero.
None of these drabbles are connected to each other, and all of them are up for grabs. You get inspired by one of them and want to go play? Totally cool by me. Just give a bit of credit, k? Mind you, some of these aren't finished, and some of them might not have anything to do with Starscream - I'm pretty sure I'll end up putting all my TF drabbles in here as "specials". Lolz.