Do you know how hard it is to type when your pet snake is crawling all over the nice, warm laptop?
Chapter 2: Poachers
Systems online. System check. Reboot complete.
Starscream's optics flickered on, focusing on bright lights and a white tiled ceiling. Odd. There was some kind of a blue helm in the corner of his vision. The blue helm moved up more to reveal a mech with golden optics and a facemask.
"Good to see you're awake. Your leg has been repaired. Again. Please try not to move." The larger mech's voice was deep and calming. Starscream was still afraid of him.
"Where am I?" He took the opportunity to sit up cautiously, quickly looking around the room and sighting another mech.
"Ratchet, can you leave for a minute? I want to put as little stress on him as possible."
"Whatever you say, Optimus."
The doors slid shut. And then there was silence.
"My name is Optimus Prime. I'm leader of the Autobots. You are in Iacon, the medical bay. A few days ago, Ironhide and Jazz found you trapped in an old sensor wire trap." Optimus leaned his head forward more to come back into the seeker's line of vision, watching as orange optics focused on him sharply and warily. Normally, it would have been kind of funny to see a youngling with such a serious and suspicious face.
"… Why am I here?" The seeker tilted his head to the side and shuffled away a little, checking how far he was from the edge of the bed.
Optimus frowned slightly, "You were badly injured, and needed immediate medical attention. We were worried you wouldn't make it."
Starscream shuffled back to the edge of the bed, "… worried?"
"Yes. Worried about you. Were you lost?" He had heard the theory about the seeker being a Decepticon in training, and with the seeker city under Decepticon rule, that was a very real possibility. On the other hand, he could just be a lost neutral. Or maybe an Autobot…? He was sporting a red coat of paint.
Starscream was almost glaring at Optimus with such an intense, defiant stare. It needed to be perfected though, since it contained a pouty lower lip. He seemed to be desperate to hold information back.
"Is something the matter?" Optimus sidled onto the medical bed carefully, sitting next to the seeker and relaxing, hoping the other would do the same.
Starscream just shuffled back again, "… I'm not supposed to talk to you." His optics averted, while Optimus's widened quizzically.
"Who told you that?"
The seeker glanced up at him, clearly uncomfortable, "… Um. Everyone. They said you're not supposed to talk to Autobots. You're supposed to shoot them."
"…Oh," Well. So much for his hopes for the youngling to be neutral or an Autobot, "So you're a Decepticon."
The seeker shook his helm in the way you would expect a youngling under pressure to do. Closed optics and quick shaking of the helm.
"No. Not yet." He mumbled. Optimus leaned back a little more, intrigued by the statement.
"Why not?"
Starscream let his optics wander anywhere but to the Autobot near him, "You have to earn it. If you make it through training, you get the insignia. I saw some of the graduates receiving theirs."
"And if you don't make it?" Optimus had never gotten any information about the inner workings of a Decepticon training facility. He knew it wasn't exactly like the Autobot academy, but it couldn't be that different. Everyone found a place in the Autobot cause.
Starscream shrugged, "You don't make it. It's usually from the obstical course or training accidents."
Okay. Decepticon training was definitely different than the Autobot Academy.
"I'm really good at the obstical course." The seeker smiled a bit absently, looking off into the distance. At least this was a sign he was opening up some more. Optimus smiled, optics completely softened when the seeker looked up at him.
"You know, I'd rather not call you 'seeker' or 'Decepticon' while you're here. What do you want me to call you?"
The seeker's face dropped from absently happy to concentrated and unsure. Optimus decided he needed to move more quickly.
"I'll help you with anything you ask of me to the best of my ability." He laid a teasing tone into the suggestion, watching the seeker's optics brighten.
"Really?" The orange optics widened and glowed hopefully.
"Really."
"Okay. Only if you promise though."
Optimus smiled, "I promise."
"My name is Starscream." The seeker had relaxed considerably, seated next to Optimus, but not too close, with his legs dangling over the edge of the bed.
"Nice to meet you, Starscream." He turned his arms back and leaned on his hands, palms against the metal bed to hold him up.
"Now it's your turn. You gotta help me find Thundercracker." Starscream chirped, putting his hands on the medical bed to support him as he leaned forward.
--
"… Never heard of him." Prowl monotoned, sitting in front of the main data terminal just like he'd been asked. Optimus frowned, glancing up at the terminal behind the Autobot.
"He was very specific. Thundercracker was one of the graduates at his Decepticon training academy. He's older, and blue in color." Optimus moved around the stoic 'bot and accessed the computer. Prowl turned in his seat.
"Why are you assisting that Decepticon? He should not be trusted outside of the medical bay, and I hear you have promised him free roam within the base in a week." Prowl had his best 'I do not approve' expression in place. Optimus ignored him.
"I made a promise, Prowl, that's why. And refrain from calling him a Decepticon, please." He searched through the files on all Decepticons they had encountered.
Prowl's optics immediately narrowed, "You want to make him an Autobot, don't you?"
"He is full of promise and possibility, like many of our young recruits. There is still time to save him." Optimus frowned when a 'Thundercracker' didn't appear. How were they supposed to find him in a way that didn't tax their resources or troops? The request didn't bear great importance to the Autobot cause.
"You mean to save yourself the grief of having to kill him later. Sir." Prowl added the last 'sir' after a bit of a pause, judging his previous statement to be a little out of line. Optimus held still, thinking very carefully.
Despite Starscream's insistent link to a Decepticon, he wasn't too far gone. He wasn't cursing Autobots and screaming about the glory of the Decepticons. He also wasn't refusing to talk to him. He wasn't bearing any Decepticon insignias, and his demeanor suggested someone thoughtful and curious. He wasn't even able to comprehend the war. Hopefully, he could be introduced as a new recruit. Given some time.
"Prowl. There is no reason we shouldn't give Starscream a chance." Optimus made a point to turn and look his tactician in the optics. Pointedly.
Prowl met the gaze with an even and calculating stare.
"…Yes sir. Any new recruits and some of the older mechs may not take well to his past. I suggest we keep him sheltered until he gains more wisdom, particularly concerning his position." Prowl followed Optimus and trusted his judgement for a reason. He would do everything to help him.
"Thank you. I'm aware of that and I hope to keep him here, under close supervision." Optimus stepped away from the data terminal, giving up on the database and tapping his chin and crossing his arms in thought.
What did he know about seekers? They were touchy about their wings, and needed to fly frequently. He'd need someone to watch and fly with Starscream. Someone charismatic that could fly, keep an eye on Starscream, and befriend him. Fliers weren't very common among the Autobot faction, so he'd have to search.
"Optimus sir, may I go back to my other duties?" Prowl had stood up from the chair, half turned to leave.
"Yes. Wait. Forward a list of all Autobot fliers to my office," Optimus glanced back, seeing Prowl's slightly confused creasing of the optic ridges. He just smiled slightly behind the facemask, "We can't watch him all the time."
--
"Hold your fire!" A loud buzzer sounded, disabling all of the shooting range guns. There was a series of clatters as the weapons were set down on their respective tables. Targets stopped and reeled back to their starting places, "The rest of the Cadet assignings have arrived, despite the backlog from the Decepticons taking out the communications post."
Various hugs, pats on the back and good-byes were exchanged as the cadets exited the shooting range for what was probably the last time. Even seeing each other for the last time.
"Promise to keep in touch. I'll tell you where I'm going after I get my assigning."
"We should be going to the same base, right?"
"I hope so."
"I can't wait to get on the front lines!"
"Just make sure you keep your optics open. Don't go shutting them off when you shoot."
"Hey!"
"Don't do anything stupid, okay? I don't want you to be in my medical bay anytime soon."
"Like they'd let you have your own medical bay. You'll be out in the field to watch my back."
"You'll make commander soon with that strict attitude."
"Not to mention he's a great shot!"
The general chatter followed the group of newly graduated cadets out of the room. The wait had only been one day, and two thirds of the original group of graduates were left. Several of the teachers were in the main lobby with the datapads on a table, calling out names and answering short questions. Many of the cadets were being sent to the front lines.
Join the army. Fight for the cause. Travel.
"Jetfire!"
The white shuttle perked, having been wondering if there hadn't been some kind of backlog with his assignment. He was the last one standing. And there weren't any other datapads on the table.
"Yes?" There was an unfamiliar black and white 'bot behind his hand-to-hand combat instructor. He had a slim build, and seemed to be absently having a good time, humming a song of some sort.
"This is commander Jazz, infiltration specialist. You've been assigned to Iacon for a special position, selected by Optimus Prime himself. He's going to debrief you on the way, and escort you there."
Inwardly, Jetfire was freaking out. What had he done? Was he in trouble? Why was he going to the main Autobot base on all of Cybertron with Optimus Prime? Had one of his pranks finally come back to get him?
"Hey mah man. Let's shake a leg," Jazz snapped his fingers and made a rather smooth and stylish walk around the table, waving a finger to Jetfire and motioning him to follow, "And relax. You're not in trouble."
Jetfire let out a laugh that was more nervous than he'd intended, "Naw, I'm not nervous." He pulled a rather twitchy grin. Oh, who was he kidding, "I'm… terrified. What am I going to do in… in Iacon?"
Jazz laughed, "You'll be juuust fine. What do you know about seekers?"
"Uhh… they're mainly a Decepticon model of flier?"
--