Building Up
Solar cycles were passing quickly, and nobody except the medics came to look for Starscream, checking his health and taking care of him. He did wish the others would remember him as well, but he didn't seem to mind too much. He knew they had more important stuff to do then looking at him anyways.
...Meanwhile….
"Come on, Cee! You can do it!" Wheeljack supported her.
"Come, Smokes; you can do better than that!" Bumblebee cheered on Smokescreen.
"There's no way you could possibly do it, Arcee. Face it; I'm the champion around these parts", Smokescreen put his hands behind his head as she was looking at the little arranged energon cubes from all the sides. They were arranged like a pyramid which didn't have some blocks in the middle an at the sides.
"Not even in your dreams, destiny child", she said and started nearing her fingers towards a cube which was attracting her sight.
The rest of the team was looking at her movement with widely opened optics. Her finger was nearing the energon arrangement and the excitement was growing. But, then Ultra Magnus entered the room and all the sights went at him, including Arcee's and Smokescreen's.
"What are you doing? Shouldn't you be doing something more important…?"
"Like…?" Wheeljack asked and Ultra Magnus narrowed his optics at him.
"Like patrolling for energon. Instead of appreciating the energon you have, you are playing with it. We don't have much."
"We already did that twice today, we have plenty of it now", Bumblebee said and looked back at the energon cubes. The rest looked back at the blue cubes too.
"And what are you doing now?" he asked and raised his optic ridges.
"Oh… We're just playing a game… Each turn you have to take an energon cube from the pile of cubes, without taking the upper ones. You have to avoid that the cubes fall. Otherwise, it's game over", Smokescreen explained and Ultra Magnus looked at him.
"I'm playing against him right now… He's the champion so far, but if I win, I'll be the new champion!" she said and Ultra Magnus smiled at them as they were acting like children. It didn't bother him at all.
"Okay. If you finished you tasks, you may play the game… Have fun", he said and left the room.
Smokescreen's and Arcee's optics met again, narrowing them as soon as Smokescreen saw Arcee's determination to win the game.
"You'll lose whatever you try", he said.
"Not if I approach it with extreme caution", she said and her finger started to move towards the little cube again. The tension and excitement in the room was rising, they were all concentrated at her finger that was getting dangerously close to the cube… and then, the door opened again and Arcee rolled her optics and removed her finger from the cube as she checked who came in. It was Ratchet.
"What are you doing?!" he asked and Bulkhead and Wheeljack looked at each other.
"Wanna know what? We're playing games from boredom, that's what!" Wheeljack stated and stood up, angrily looking at the medic who was staring at him. He couldn't stand the pressure anymore, and he couldn't stand the way everyone interrupted the game.
"Jackie", Bulkhead tried to calm him down, but Ratchet didn't seem to mind.
"Well… If it wouldn't be a problem, you could actually help our patient who hasn't been visited by any of you lately," Ratchet's optics narrowed and his sight went from left to right, checking all of the 'Bots and their expressions which were looking dull, "it's not that I want him to be happier, it is just that scientific research found out that if you visit a person and cheer him up, he heals more quickly… and I wouldn't have to deal with him anymore!"
"Patient?" Smokescreen asked and looked at the medic who raised an optic ridge.
"Ugh… Yes, Starscream."
"Oh… He's still here?" Arcee asked and looked at the old field medic too, noticing the angry expression on his faceplate.
"You're trying to say that you've forgotten?"
Everybody started to chat to make the situation less awkward.
"Not really… "
"How could we? "
"Yeah, right… forgotten… pfft! "
"Does he think we are so ignorant? "
"No… Gee, how could we?"
"Well, kinda ", Bumblebee's voice was the last and everybody looked at him.
Ratchet rolled his optics and started to walk towards the table on which they were playing the game.
"One of you is going to visit him, I don't care", he said and grabbed an energon cube from the bottom. The whole arrangement broke down and the team's optics widened. Ratchet smiled at that and happily ate the little cube.
"You don't play with food", he stated and left the room.
"You don't eat the pieces of the game", Arcee said and angrily crossed her servos.
"Why…?! WHY?!" Smokescreen was dramatizing. They both left the table and the room, followed by everybody else.
…Meanwhile…
"Ultra Magnus… They're not showing any respect! While the seeker complains why there's no one to be with him, the other 'Bots are playing some stupid games!" Ratchet was complaining and Ultra Magnus turned away from the screen to look at the angered medic.
"What seeker?"
Ratchet's optics widened: "Wait… You forgot it too?!"
"Uh, of course not", Ultra Magnus smiled a little, but then lowered his optic ridges, "What are we talking about?"
"About Starscream, sir!" Ratchet was losing patience. Ultra Magnus was silent for a few seconds, his faces expression hinting that he was confused. Then, he suddenly opened his mouth as he finally remembered about the event.
"Oh," he slightly smiled and Ratchet nodded his head, "Wait… He's still here?"
Ratchet put a servo at his forehead.
"Ultra Magnus, sir, the only thing I want from them is to show some discipline… or at least try to consider…"
"I know, Starscream's going through a rough time right now", Ultra Magnus lowered his voice.
"Starscream? No, I was talking about myself! I can't deal with the chatter by myself…"
Ultra Magnus nodded his head, his optics being widened as he expected something else from Ratchet.
"Well… We both know they do not really know much about discipline… especially someone," he was thinking about Wheeljack, "but I will try to talk them into it. I think there won't be a problem when I am going to tell them about the fact that they should help him out…"
"Right," Ratchet smiled and nodded his head, "thank you."
With those words, he left the room.
"Yes… I guess they won't mind a visit or two", Ultra Magnus thought.
…Later…
"Uh… no, I'm really busy right now", Arcee said and rushed towards a computer in the room.
"I have to finish repairing our ship!" Wheeljack stated.
"I… have to help him!" Bulkhead said and put his servo at Wheeljack's shoulder. Wheeljack rolled his optics as he knew that Bulkhead was using him as protection.
"I actually have plans… I need to visit Raf; I promised I would pick him up", Bumblebee looked up to Ultra Magnus and smiled.
"And I am responsible for the energon cubes! We don't want them to disappear once again, right?" Smokescreen stated and looked at Bulkhead who ate the cubes the last time.
"Let me get this straight… Nobody has time for a hurt fellow who needs you more than anything right now?"
"More than anything?" Bumblebee asked and looked at him with an angry expression as he knew Ultra Magnus was exaggerating the situation.
"Fellow?!" Arcee angrily asked, "Sir, I believe he is no fellow! We can't trust the 'Con, you never know what can happen if he's there! He could kill us all, steal important information from us or… wipe the whole planet out."
"Arcee, please," Ultra Magnus put a hand at her shoulder, "You know he has some sense of humility… He wouldn't kill us if we helped him out. You are exaggerating the problem, soldier. The only problem is that he needs someone to help him… He doesn't know the feeling of friendship; he has no family or anyone who would help him through harsh times. Sure, Knock Out could keep occupying him, but Starscream isn't really interested into his stories about his flawless finish… He can't do it alone, Arcee. You and Bumblebee will be in charge for that."
"What?!" they both said in the same time.
"But why me? You know I can't stand that mech", Arcee crossed her servos and looked down. Ultra Magnus shook his head and removed his hand from her shoulder. Then she looked into his bright blue optics once again.
"You may not realize it, but you need him as much as he needs some company."
Arcee raised an optic ridge and silently asked: "What?"
"You can't stand him, which is true. But that is a problem which has no place in an Autobot's spark."
She blinked twice as she didn't get the point.
"He will show you that there is no need for revenge. You obviously seek revenge for Cliffbumper…"
"Cliffjumper", Arcee corrected him.
"Cliffjumper, right. You… seek revenge for Cliffjumper, which isn't the best way to react. Megatron killed dozens of 'Bots back in the war, but nobody was getting revenge for that. Starscream may be a treacherous and vicious flyer, but he has a spark, and I'm certain you know that. Spending some quality time with him would help you see that everybody can change."
"I don't know why I would ever want to spend time with him… I don't trust him, Ultra Magnus. He cannot change just like that! Even Megatron changed before him! He's different!" she was getting angrier.
"Arcee, calm done… It is natural for you to have such feelings, but listen to me when I'm saying something!"
The team was watching them as the talk was slowly turning into a fight, which was unusual for Arcee. She would never disagree with Ultra Magnus and Optimus in the past. She would always obey, she was loyal to them, but that day she seemed stressed out because of her new task. The team was watching them with lowered optics, only Wheeljack was smirking as the fight was going on.
"Why can't Knock Out go?" she asked.
"Knock Out did much more than you did, so don't try to escape this! I am your leader and you have to do what I say!"
Arcee opened her mouth as she heard that he was shouting, and the others did that as well. Ultra Magnus was always calm.
She soon lowered her head narrowed her optics and silently said: "You will never be like Optimus… He wouldn't make me do something like that… He would understand that the past events which happened between me and the 'Con couldn't just fade away!"
As she said that, she rushed out of the room. The team was looking at her as she was leaving.
"Arcee, wait!" Ultra Magnus said as he knew he hurt her, but she didn't listen, she wanted to be alone.
All of the other 'Bots were looking at the door as it shut close, and Bumblebee stepped forward, claiming that he'd go talk to her, but Ultra Magnus put a servo at his shoulder plate.
"No, Bumblebee, she will be fine… She just needs some time", he said and looked at the door too.
…Meanwhile…
Arcee was rushing through the base, not exactly knowing which way she was going. She didn't even care. She wanted to lock herself in a room so she could think about what she told to Ultra Magnus and what she would do when she returns. Suddenly, a red mech appeared in front of her.
"Hey, what's up, Cee?" he asked, but she just passed by, not even paying any attention to him so he widened his optics and his smile disappeared.
"Uh… Arcee? Hello…?" Knock Out asked, but she didn't seem to want to respond. He was looking at her leave for a few seconds before he just looked back, shrugged his shoulders and started to go into his direction again.
"I don't want to talk about it… It will only make it worse", she was thinking as she was looking at her feet which were speedily pacing. She wasn't watching where she was going, what mattered to her was that she was going.
She suddenly smacked into something, so she backed off and looked at it. It was a random door. She just shrugged her shoulders and opened it without any concern what could be behind it. She went into it and locked it behind herself. Then she slid down to sit, wrapping her servos around her shins. She didn't care where she was, what mattered is that she was alone. The room was dark, just some low light was flashing from a few directions.
She heavily sighed and leaned her head back at the door, looking at the gray ceiling.
"I simply had to mess everything up again…"
She was silent for a few seconds.
"But the truth can't be ignored; Magnus will never be like Optimus. Optimus was always there for us and knew the situation we were in… And he cared enough to remember a fellow's name!" She loudly stated and clenched her hands into fists.
"I wish he would be here… He'd help me… Not like Ultra Magnus! He thinks he's the leader, the ultimate one!" She angrily stated and stood up, crossing her servos and walking left-right.
"He honestly expects me to listen while he's shouting at me! I didn't even know he could do that… Great, now I'm just like Wheeljack. Not only that we're both "lone wolfs", like Miko used to call us, we're also disliked by Ultra Magnus", she smiled and stopped walking.
"Miko… Jack… Raf and the others! I hope they're all fine right now," she sighed again, "I would love to visit them once, but that leader of ours doesn't seem to care about them… He thinks we'll get into trouble! We're not sparklings! Ah! It's so frustrating!"
"You think he's the bad leader? You should have been a Decepticon if you think that this is bad", a voice came from the distance and she widened her optics. Then she quickly turned her servo into a blaster and aimed it into the voice's direction.
"Agh… It's j-just me! D-don't shoot!" he stuttered and wiggled on the berth he was lying on.
"Starscream… You should quit spying on people", she calmed down and turned her weapon into her servo again. Then she walked closer and sat onto a berth which was close to his one, but also distant enough.
"And you should quit pointing at people with blasters as soon as they say something", he silently stated, but she heard it and lowered her head.
Then, there was awkward silence and Starscream was getting interested in the thing which was bothering her. She seemed quite upset. He narrowed his optics and smirked for a second, but as he realized that, he lowered his optic ridges and hung his lips. Then, he looked at her with peripheral sight.
"You seem upset… And judging those words before, I guess it has to do with… Ultra Magnus? What happened there?" Starscream asked and raised an optic ridge.
"Don't try to start a conversation with me, Scream… You might as well lose your head", she arrogantly stated, but Starscream's frown turned into a slight smile.
"Leader problems, huh? I had plenty of those, you know."
"Just keep talking, Starscream", she angrily stated and looked at him with her bright blue optics. He realized that it really upset her, judging by her expression on her faceplates which was somewhere in between of being sad and furious. He knew it was smarter for him to shut up, but he didn't want to. He just loved to tease her. His slight smile turned into a smirk.
"In fact, I didn't need approval from you to keep talking", he said raised an optic ridge, reducing his smirk a little.
She narrowed her optics and his smirk disappeared. They both looked at the ground, lowering their optic ridges. Then, there was silence for a long time.
"You know," Starscream suddenly started talking again and she rolled her optics, "you could always leave… the door's right there", he pointed at the door by moving his head.
"I know, you idiot", she whispered the last part and he looked at her as he didn't quite understand it.
"What?" he asked and she falsely smiled.
"Nothing", she said, and then, they both looked at the monotone floor once again. Silence turned in again and stayed for a few cycles, until Starscream decided to say something yet again.
"I do not want to brag," he slightly smirked, "but I didn't hide in my room after being yelled at and punished by my former lord."
She looked at him again and silently said: "Well, you were used to it."
He tilted his head and looked up to think, his smirk disappearing. Then he looked at her once again and raised his index finger: "That might be true…"
She slightly smiled and he noticed the smile at her faceplate, so he kept talking: "Your leader doesn't beat you up, toss you aside, use you as a floor mat and choke you like you weren't worth of living… Can you believe that I was actually on a higher rank than him? He was a simple gladiator… Well, not that simple, he was a champion," he looked at her with peripheral sight to see a slight smile appearing at her face again, "anyways," he put his claws at his chest as he started to boast of, "I was a great scientist back then."
Arcee nodded her head in disbelief, still slightly smiling, sarcastically saying: "Yeah, right…"
"What?" he looked into her optics and raised an optic ridge.
"You? A scientist? If so, than I'm a Prime", she smirked and he smiled.
"Hey… It's never too late", he said and her smile got slightly bigger.
"It is," she said, "but Optimus said that leadership can be earned with, or without the Matrix. And in his view, each of us Autobots has acted like a Prime."
"Really?" he asked in a deep tone in disbelief and smirked.
"Why is this so difficult to believe?" she asked and he compressed his servos at his chest again, looking ahead of himself.
"What did Knock Out have to do to earn the title of a Prime?" he smugly asked and looked at her with peripheral sight again.
"Oh… He had to shriek, to whine, to get scared of Terrorcon Predacons and to complain about everything", she said and crossed her legs.
"Well, then it's relatively easy to get the title of a Prime. In fact, I could do that too", he smiled and looked at her again, having a self-satisfying look on his faceplates.
"Oh. And he had to knock you out", she smiled as soon as she saw his smile fading away.
He lowered his optic ridges and cutely widened his optics: "Wouldn't stop me!" he exclaimed and she sniggered. As she did, his smile got softer, but then they looked away from each other again, their smiles disappearing. It was, with no doubt awkward.
"Well then", he started.
"Should be going", she finished, stood up and started to leave the room. Before she unlocked the door, she looked at the silver seeker once again. She silently said: "Oh, and Starscream…"
He looked at her, his bright red optics glowing in the dark. He still looked like a Decepticon and she still hated him as much as before, but the fact that he actually cheered her up was there. Though she was hesitating, she eventually decided to tell him.
"Can't believe I'll actually say this, but thank you."
He nodded his head and she unlocked the door and left as quickly as she got into the room. The door soon shut close and he looked at his compressed hands at his chest. Then, he lowered an optic ridge: "Thank you for what?"
