Disclaimer: Transformers © Hasbro
Notes: I actually finished this one up during a brief lull over my Christmas travels. I wasn't entirely pleased with the handwritten version, so I took a bit of time to polish it up during typing. I probably played a bit fast-and-loose with this particular prompt, but I'm pleased with the results.
Prompt: Naïve
There had once been a time, long ago, when he had truly believed that the Autobot senate worked for the best interests of all Cybertronians.
He had been young then, headstrong and idealistic to a fault, and wanted little more than to learn, to study the world around him, and to help make things a little bit better for everyone. His enthusiasm garnered the attentions of mechs in high places, paved his way into one of the most prestigious science academies in Iacon, and gained him a partner just as idealistic as he himself was.
It was only after tragedy struck – a single mishap that could have happened to even the most seasoned explorer given the conditions of the planet they had been surveying – that he learned just how little the senate, the science council, and the elitist Autobot regime truly cared about those from the lower end of society.
He had believed that the Autobot-lead council would send out a rescue team – he had hopes that his partner had survived somehow – only to be told that it would be a waste of resources to retrieve a corpse. He was blamed in full for the incident – the fact that they were both young and inexperienced disregarded entirely since they were both from the poorer regions of Vos – put on an enforced leave of absence in spite of his protests, and eventually dismissed entirely from his position. It was only due to the fact that he had worked for his degrees that they allowed him to retain his status and title as a scientist; too much pushing and it could potentially be regarded as racism against the seeker-builds.
The only mech who believed him, who listened to his pleas and put his own career on the line, who was also let go from his position on the science council, was the sole Decepticon representative.
Even after his dismissal, the older mech did his best to aid the younger, well aware of the fact that the wrong words or actions could cause further damage to the other's views. The pair was unable to launch their own rescue or retrieval efforts, yet still made the attempt to gather the funds to do so. It drew the attentions of both the scientific council, who summarily dismissed them as radicals and thereafter ignored their actions, and of a miner-turned-gladiator who had long been disillusioned as to the Autobot elites' true regard for the lower classes. The latter had been slowly gathering a following of rebels, and when the time was right he approached the two scientists to ask if they would offer their services to the cause; they didn't even need time to think it over before pledging their allegiance to Megatron.
There were many regrets in his life – losing a partner and friend twice over, being naïve enough to buy into the Autobot hype during his youth, arguing with the council at the high price of his career and reputation – yet Starscream never once regretted saying yes when Soundwave had offered his assistance after his own dismissal. The seeker knew that if he'd answered in any other way, he would have missed out on gaining a devoted partner, friend, lover, and mate... and that was something he didn't ever want to be without.
