Lone Two

Arcee was sitting on the grassy ground, leaning at a big pine tree. The tree was looking as it was hundreds of years old; its bark was almost gray and it was tall and thick. She looked at the ground to see tiny, winged bugs called butterflies flying around small flowers and the tree's roots. She put her servos so that she wouldn't harm any of the flowers… unlike the seeker which was kneeling in front of her. She looked back at the seeker's red, pointy extension on his head as it was in front of her optics. Then, she looked down to see how her servo was improving. The silver seeker was wrapping the net which was at her legs before around the servo and shoulder to reduce the pain in her servo as it was broken. As he was doing that, he was frowning as it wasn't really his will to help her.

He soon narrowed his optics and bent a little as he saw that he wrapped it wrongly; the end couldn't be connected to the rest of the net. He silently growled and threw himself back to sit at the dark green grass, squashing dozens of little white flowers like that. He put his weight at his servos and searched for her optics. Then, he slightly smiled.

"Why do I have to do this again?" he nicely asked and she slightly smirked.

"Because you'll get your aft blown up without me", she stated and he frowned once again. A second later, he came closer to her and started to wrap the net around her servo again, making a few changes on the bandage he was making.

"Aren't you the one who needs to be saved all the time...?" he thought as he was quickly wraping the steel net around her servo.

She knew he could scrap her as soon as he'd want to, but she wasn't really afraid as he didn't seem to want to do anything against her. He was no Megatron. Of course, she didn't trust him… but she had no choice but to cooperate with him. She couldn't just leap into a battle with tanks and an army which was waiting for them outside the forest. Starscream already saw the army building up when he wanted to check if they were still there before. The seeker got whining back.

He soon got closer to her as he was getting frustrated by the net, narrowing his optics and silently growling. She looked at his claws and saw that he wasn't really good at making bandages as he even tangled his own fingers in it. The mech frowned and stopped growling as soon as he realized that. Then, he aggressively pulled them out of the net and saw that he ruined it once again. He put a servo over his optics and he slightly bent. As she saw that he was agonized by the fact that he couldn't do it right, she slightly smiled as he was trying hard, but kept on failing.

But then, he removed his servo from his head and raised it as if he would hurt her, so she closed her optics. As soon as he realized that, he lowered his optic ridges, put his servo back down and carefully took the net to try once again. As soon as she realized that he didn't intend to harm her, she relaxed again and opened her optics. She saw that his nervous moving finally disappeared as he started wrapping the net around her broken servo slowly and carefully. He heavily sighed and then narrowed his optics once again.

"You know… it wasn't supposed to be this way", he complained and she raised an optic ridge.

"And how should it be then?" she arrogantly asked and he looked into her optics, slightly smirking. She saw something dark in his red optics again, but it didn't anger her at all as she already got used to it.

"Well," he lowered his head to look at the net once again, "when I say we should cooperate to survive, I mean that you help healing my wounds and I, in return, don't try to kill you."

She rolled her optics and retorted: "Right… So I need to suffer and be your personal nurse or what?"

She sounded a little angry, and as he didn't want to end up facing the humans and their machines alone once again, he had to try to make it right, so he quickly responded: "No, no… You misunderstand…"

"I misunderstand? Like when I misunderstood the thing with Cliffjumper?!" she angrily asked and his wings drooped down again.

"No, no… I just wanted to", he said as he was looking all around, but was avoiding her sight.

"If I wouldn't have broken an arm because of you, I could take the whole squad down in a matter of seconds!" she shouted and he narrowed his optics and then looked into her bright blue ones.

"You clearly don't know what the humans are capable of", he stated and she narrowed her optics.

"You know… I could just get out there and deliver you on a plate, Screamy."

He straightened himself and his chest rose up in anger, clamoring: "You Autobots think you are so superior… But you know what you really are…? WEAK! Hiding in your stupid little base and waiting till we get a breakdown on the Nemesis… And then you attack! Instead of facing us with strength, you cowardly wait till you get into advantage!"

She narrowed her optics and looked down at the white flowers which were slightly bending because of the breeze. Then she remembered her team, so she lowered her optic ridges. They always gave her what she needed: friendship, fun… safeness. And as she was with the seeker at the time, she realized that not everyone was the same… not everyone had the potential for change. She knew every second she would spend with him, she would be in danger… she didn't know what he was capable of. Maybe that with Cliffjumper was just the beginning… maybe he was like Airachnid.

But then, she saw him tilt his head so he could look at her optics which were slowly getting wet.

"I… You really misunderstood this time", he silently said and she looked at him as she heard that his voice slightly quivered.

He was looking into her optics for a few seconds, waiting if she would say something… but it seemed like she didn't want to talk to him anymore. Then he sighed and lowered his optic ridges.

"You don't need to take everything that I say so seriously… I often speak in riddles… or in metaphors."

She narrowed her optics at him, but he didn't seem to care.

"But you know… I have got injuries too", he said and straightened himself so she could take a look at his chest plate which had deep cuts from the net in it. It was going right over his Decepticon insignia, so that it looked like it was crossed. There were a few other scratches at it too. His servos had cuts in it as well, so as his legs. The net caused more damage than she ever thought it could do. As she finished with taking a look at his injuries, she looked into his optics again and saw the scar at his cheek. She knew he suffered as well, and that he suffered to help her.

"I can see that", she arrogantly replied, and with peripheral sight, she saw that he slightly smiled. He was no Airachnid… he was just a bad seeker.

"And I just thought that you could help me get rid of them as well," as he said that, she looked at him and he got a little scared, "but you don't have too, I'm just dramatizing."

She knew he was afraid she'd hurt him, but still wanted him to think she doesn't know. It was fun to watch the seeker correct himself every time he realized that he would say something wrong.

"You're pathetic", she whispered, but couldn't hide a slight smile which showed itself to the seeker. As he realized that, he smiled back and then tied two ends of the net together, finally finishing the bandage. As she looked at it, she saw that it was perfectly made… and she felt somehow different.

Then, she looked back at him and saw that he was smiling.

"Seems like the hours of work for a pathetic little bandage finally paid off", he silently stated.

He wasn't looking at her with narrowed optics, he was looking at her like he didn't hate her at all, but she knew he did. As she realized that he wasn't going to stop smiling, she had to narrow her optics. Then, she pushed him away with her healthy servo and stood up, walking away. The seeker was looking at her oddly, not knowing what she was up to… but it didn't seem like she wanted to tell him, she was just going away. He stood up and compressed his servos, slightly bending and finally raising his wings again.

"Um… May I ask where you're going?" he asked, but she didn't turn around to look at him.

"Away from you", she replied and he narrowed his optics.

"And why that…?" he asked, sounding like he was threatening her.

"Do I have to have a reason for everything? Just… don't follow me", she stated and left. As soon as she disappeared, he frowned.

"Fine! Leave, I don't care! I don't need anyone or anything… I hope the humans destroy you first!" he angrily shouted and clenched his hands into fists.

"Like I would ever need your assistance", he stated and turned his back at the direction into which she left, crossing his servos.

He soon heard a weird noise from the distance and widened his optics in fear, his wings drooping again. He slightly bent and neared his legs, hoping that the sound wouldn't repeat and that he wouldn't see the thing which made the noise.

…Meanwhile…

Arcee was slowly pacing through the forest. She looked up to see the stars which were shining in a low light that day, but there were more stars than she could see on Cybertron, and she loved to see the stars. They were always filling her up with joy, with hope. The wind blew harshly and Arcee shivered in delight. Rustling sounds were coming from the bushes. The forest didn't have a beautiful green color, but the white roses growing in it were giving her the impression like it was a wonderful forest. She knew that it wasn't really wise to walk around alone as the humans were lurking around them, but she had to have time for herself. She couldn't help it.

As time passed, she soon reached a small river which was flowing through the forest. She approached it and knelt down to look at her reflection in the water. It was clear and seemingly deep, so she touched it with her fingertip, making ripples in it. She smiled as she started to think about the water's movement, and how complex it actually was. As she removed her servo from the water, she lowered her optic ridges and her smile disappeared. She didn't know what was wrong with her, but her spark didn't feel right. She missed her family… was that the reason? She didn't know.

"What am I doing? Why do I feel like this...?"

Suddenly, a harsh breeze came and she looked into the air to see her surroundings. Then, suddenly, a bigger leaf flew into her direction, and instead of landing right at her faceplates where it was firstly headed to, it landed right in front of her knees. She picked it up and looked at her reflection in the water. She quickly backed off as she was scared and surprised in the same time. She saw Optimus' reflection smiling at her instead of her own, but after three seconds, it disappeared and she stayed at the same position, her optics widened and her mouth opened. She released the leaf and it fell at the surface of the water, making small ripples.

A few seconds passed, and she calmed down. She sat at her shins again and stared at it for a few seconds, without moving in any way.

"Optimus… I wish you were here… I'd know what to do… but without you, without the rest of the team… I just can't see what to do next… You always knew what to do… How can I get out of this mess? Will I ever get out of this mess…?" she was thinking, intending to talk to the Prime who saved their life on Cybertron.

As she asked that, another breeze came and swept the leaf up. It was floating a few seconds before landing on Arcee's left faceplate.

Then, a simple thought got to her mind- Starscream. He was the only one she knew who had something on his left faceplate.

And that's it. As she thought about it for a few seconds, she was just sitting. But then, she suddenly narrowed her optics and looked into the air, slightly frowning.

"Starscream?! HE is my way out of this mess? B-But… He would never change… would he?" she asked in her mind and looked at the leaf. It was big for an ordinary fern leaf; it was smooth and wet from the water. The water was cold and perfectly clean.

She didn't get an answer this time, because she knew it by herself. She had to try it with the silver seeker, otherwise, she'd never be able to get out of the mess she was in. Maybe, but just maybe, she didn't imagine Optimus and the thoughts which came after that… and maybe, just maybe, Starscream could really help her. Although it seemed ridiculous to her, she had to accept the fact that he was indeed the only one who could help her in the situation she was in at that time. Her friends were at Cybertron, and the only one who was there was the seeker.

She heavily sighed as she thought it to be one of the worst ideas ever, but she had no option… so she headed back and decided not to leave alone, the leaf still in her hand.

…Later…

Arcee came to the same place as before, seeing that Starscream was sitting at the ground, looking all around like he was terribly afraid of something that wasn't to be seen. His legs were compressed to his chest, his servos wrapped around them, his wings down. Arcee silently came over to him and touched his shoulder plate.

He immediately squealed and leaped at his feet, aiming at her with a missile. Although he saw her, he didn't put his hand down, his missile was, like usually, aimed at her.

Arcee put a servo at her hip and put her weight at one leg, rolling her optics.

"Put that missile away or I'll take you down yet another time", she stated and his optic ridges lowered and his wings drooped again. He rolled his optics, sighed and put his servo down.

"Okay… This is ridiculous. I must have imagined it all, I wouldn't even let him save my life if he'd be good, but this is insane."

"Arcee… There something here! I can't seem to find out what it is… But it wants to kill me, I'm sure of it!" he stated and sat down; leaning at the same tree she was leaning at before. He was frowning, his servos crossed, but his optics were showing that he was scared.

Although he seemed stupid, weak and like a wimp, Arcee smiled. She couldn't scrub the smile off of her faceplate as a second-in-command who did so much damage to everyone, who looked so dangerous and stern sometimes could be such a coward, such a sparkling.

She approached him and knelt down to meet his optics.

"You're telling me… You're afraid", she stated and he suddenly narrowed his optics.

"Wh-What?! No! Me? Scared? Humph! I could never be scared of such a little, cute noise," he stuttered, looked away from her and started talking quicker, "which isn't cute at all as it gives me the creeps and I can't stop worrying as it is chasing me and stuck in my head."

He met her optics again and saw that they were widely open, so he had to say: "Of course not."

"Good, because I think you look really scared right now", she smiled and he lowered his optic ridges and half-closed his optics, putting a servo at his chest.

"Seekers like me don't get scared that easily, you know…? We are really courageous and are willing to give everything we have to", he suddenly stopped talking as she tilted her head and met his optics, seemingly interested in his self-centered speech that he made up seconds ago. They were just looking at each other for a few seconds as Starscream couldn't look away, but then, the noise came again and he widely opened his optics and raised his optic ridges, looking into the distance. The noise was coming from a big bush in the centre of a small clearing. He put his servos over his optics and closed them tightly, beginning to tremble. Arcee looked at it as well, and then, it came out. It was a little, brown bunny which took a sniff and then hopped away as fast as he came into the clearing. She looked at Starscream.

"Yeah… It must be terrible to feel watched by a bunny," she silently said and he removed his servos from his optics and dumbly smiled, "how brave you are, Starscream… I'm thrilled."

As she said that, his dumb smile got bigger.

"You are?" he asked and she smiled and narrowed her optic ridges. As she did that, his dumb smile disappeared and he narrowed his optics as well, smiling. She tilted her head and he tilted it as well, she blinked twice and he repeated it.

"What are you doing?" she asked and he half-closed his optics, putting his servos behind his head.

"Ah, nothing… I'm just being a copycat. I do that all the time."

"You're just being an oaf", she complained and rolled her optics, her smirk disappearing.

"An oaf?!" he raised his voice and she knew they were going back into the same direction. She suddenly put the wet leaf at his scar on his left cheek and he widened his optics in surprise, putting down his servos, his wings drooping yet another time.

"What are you doing?!" he exclaimed and she smiled towards him.

"I'm just returning the favor… you have injuries too", she softly said and gently stroked his scar with the wet leaf. He had to admit, it was soothing him and the coldness was actually helping. He started looking at her hand which was doing this and he realized that she had really small hands, unlike his big, long and sharp ones. He also had to admit that she was really soft with the leaf, carefully touching the places which mostly burned on the cheek. He would sometimes close his left optic from the pain, but would soon reopen it.

He soon couldn't avoid eye contact anymore and he had to look at her optics which were focused only at his scar. He hated the moment… he hated it so much… but still didn't want it to end too soon.

Just as he was getting used to her movement, she suddenly looked up and saw that his optics were locked at hers. She was looking at him weirdly and he was looking at her like he was scared. A second later, he finally realized that it wasn't the way it was supposed to be again, so he shook his head and backed off.

"Ugh… I think we should really, really move on", he said and she nodded her head affirmatively.

As soon as he saw that she agreed, he suddenly stood up and smacked his head into a thick branch which happened to be above his head, making him dizzy. She lowered her optic ridges and smiled as she found his movement amusing. He was zigzagging, tripping over his own feet.

"We'll move on", he said and started to walk backwards, but then stepped wrong and fell at his aft.

"As… soon as I regain balance", he stated and stood up, walking towards her direction as it was the right way out of the clearing. He was walking like he couldn't do anything anymore, and Arcee snickered.

"What's so funny?! It's not funny at all!" he sternly shouted and stepped wrong once again. He smacked into the same tree again, then fell at the grass, rolled a bit and then stood up and started approaching her, but before he could, he lost balance once again and fell at his pointy chin. Finally, he closed his optics tightly. He heard Arcee laugh and opened his optics to look up as she was right in front of him, seeing a big, cheesy smile at her faceplates.

He didn't know why, but it made him smile as well.

"Yeah… I guess I kinda deserved that", he stated, looked up, but then heard the same noise as before again. He turned around, and before he could notice it, he was shot by an electrical discharge and was knocked out, paralyzing his whole body.