Title: Prisoner Of War
Chapter 10: On Your Side
Universe: Transformers Prime
Rating: PG
Characters (Main): Arcee, Ratchet, Starscream, All three humans, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Soundwave.
Pairing: StarscreamXArcee, StarscreamXSoundwave
Warnings: none
(Bumblebee's beeps and whirls he uses to talk)
: Comm. Link:
{Soundwave's tones/tunes/beats}
Soundwave stared at Megatron for a long time, not saying a word. Megatron had already turned back to the screen and looked over the same data that he had been looking at for days now. Megatron acted as if nothing had happened. As if Starscream had never lifted and his second in command still walked among the ship. Plus, Soundwave would be able to pick up on his mood if he was upset. But Soundwave was surprised to find that Megatron was feeling nothing. No happiness, no sadness, no emotion at all.
It confused Soundwave in many ways. Everyone feels something at all times; weather its calmness or relaxing. Maybe Soundwave's sensors were clouded due to the fact that he just learned that one of his closest friends is offline. Or maybe it was his anger getting the better of him.
Whatever it was, it made Soundwave leave the room, with his hands balled up in fists and his head low.
Starscream sighed as he walked back and forth, from the berth to Ratchet's desk. Ratchet sat in his chair watching him and the way he moved.
"What is the point of this?" Starscream asked as he walked.
"With you walking, I can see if I have repaired your external systems correctly." Ratchet watched Starscream as he turned on his heels and walked back to the berth. "It was quit hard to repair the wound. The stomach region is hard to repair. I am just making sure that I did not get any bulks and nuts to tight."
"I see" Starscream said as he stopped in front of Ratchet and crossed his arms.
"Now put your hands above your head" Ratchet stood and walked over the Starscream. Starscream raised his arms high above his head. Ratchet ran his hands from Starscream's lower chest to his pelvic plating. Starscream hissed and tensed up.
"That hurts" Starscream snarled. Ratchet pulled his hands away and looked up at Starscream.
"That is not surprising. I had to replace your armor and plating from the bottom of your chest to your pelvic plating. It will be very tender and sore to the touch for awhile." Ratchet told. "Does it hurt to stretch like that?" he asked.
"Not too bad" Starscream lowered his arms back to his side. Ratchet nodded and turned back to his deck, recording Starscream's improvement.
"Did you ever call Knockout?" Ratchet asked as he worked on his smaller computer.
"No, I forgot" Starscream groaned "I fell asleep right after talking with Optimus"
"Why don't you come and use the main computer to contact him" Ratchet said as he turned back to Starscream. "That way I can also download his signal to our computer's hard drive, so I can track him" Starscream merely shrugged and nodded. Ratchet walked toward the door and opened it. He looked back to see that Starscream had not moved from his spot. "Are you coming?"
"Are the other Autobots here?" Starscream looked down at the ground.
"You mean Arcee and Bulkhead?" Ratchet tilted his head.
"Yes" Starscream looked back up with a guilt smile "we don't see eye to eye"
"Can you blame them?" Ratchet smirked
"I can honestly say, no" Starscream shook his head.
"Yes, they are here. With the kids." Ratchet said "Now come on, Starscream. It's time to stop hiding" Ratchet walked out of the room. Starscream gulped and followed.
Raf stood leaning over the bars of the platform, looking down from the ground. Jack turned off the TV and got off the couch. Bulkhead and Arcee were standing next to the platform, with Miko resting on Bulkhead's shoulder.
"You ok, bud?" Jack asked as he bent down to Raf's level. Raf looked up at Jack and sighed.
"Just worried about Bee" Raf said.
"We all are" Arcee said. "We are doing everything we can"
"Still no leads though" Bulkhead pointed out "But we are not going to stop trying"
"You guys already know where he is" Raf looked up at Bulkhead and Arcee. "Can't you guys sneak in and save him?"
"Not that simple, I'm afraid" A voice answered him. They all turned to their left to see Starscream standing next to Ratchet. Ratchet huffed and turned to his computer.
"It will be a minute" Ratchet told Starscream, who nodded and stepped closer to the humans. Bulkhead put Miko down, making sure she was out of the way, just in case. Arcee growled and stepped forward, ready to protect Jack and Raff. Miko ran across the platform, grabbing hold of Jack and Raff, as if she was trying to protect them too.
"Starscream" Bulkhead acknowledged him with a nod. The seeker gave a kind smile and nodded toward him. Arcee crossed her arms and her eyes watched very little movement that Starscream made.
"Ah, Arcee. As lovely as ever" Starscream bowed and lowered his head, in pure respect. But she said nothing and didn't move. Starscream ignored her attitude and stood back up with his hands behind his back.
"Ratchet told us what you did" Miko said, with a very slim smile "Why did you do something like that? For us?" Starscream turned to face the human female. He was not use to talking to them or even being around them. To him, it was a bit unusually.
"It is a long story that I have told to many times, umm..hm" Starscream tilted his head.
"It's Miko" the human female told him. "And the tall one is Jack" She said as she pointed to the tall human with dark hair. She went to point to Raf, but Starscream beat her to it.
"This one must be Raf, Bumblebee's human" Starscream looked over the small person.
"Yes" Raff nodded, nervously. "Thank you" He added. "For saving Bee"
"Ah, please, think nothing of it. It was the very least I could have done. I am just sorry I was not able to save him from Megatron"
"You couldn't have done anything" Jack said, not looking up at Starscream. "No one could have"
"Alright, stop it" Arcee blurted out and pointed a finger at Starscream. Ratchet turned around from his computer and looked over at Arcee "How can we just act like this? Like this..this..Decepticon is one of us."
"Arcee" Ratchet snarled.
"No no Ratchet, She is right" Starscream stepped back, staying calm. His hands still behind his back.
"I am?" Arcee said, surprised but still ticked off.
"Of course" Starscream rolled his eyes "After all I am to blame for one of your partner's deaths. How could you trust me, let alone accept me was your own. But let me ask you this. What makes you better then me?"
"What?" Arcee growled
"You have killed Cons in the past, yes?"
"Yea" Arcee said.
"Some of which I was close to and worked with. I killed one of your partners, I do not deny it but I do regret it. But how maybe of mine have to killed, Arcee?"
"Arcee?" Jack looked up at her. Her eyes shifted from Starscream to Jack, then to Ratchet and Bulkhead.
"We all have made mistakes in the past" Starscream went on "Just because I am not an Autobot does not mean I do not know what it's like to feel plan and lose."
"Whatever" Arcee snapped "You know nothing about the pain of losing someone"
"Arcee" Ratchet pointed a finger at her "How dare you, do you really think you are the only one who lost someone close to them because of this war?"
"I agree with Ratchet on this one" Bulkhead added "You are acting kind of selfish" Arcee looked up at Bulkhead and gulped. She lowered her head and walked out of the room.
"Sorry about that" Ratchet sighed "She is like that"
"Yea, nothing personal" Jack hummed.
"I better talk to her" Bulkhead turned to follow her.
"Actually, Bulkhead, if you don't mind. I would like to talk with her" Starscream said. Bulkhead looked up and tilted his head. Maybe Starscream wasn't as bad as everyone thought. Bulkhead gave him a nodded and he stepped out of the way to let Starscream by.
{Bumblebee} Soundwave's called. Bumblebee, yet again, lifted his head to see what he wanted.
(How are you getting in here without me hearing you?) Bee half smiled. Soundwave tilted his head.
{I am a spy, am I not?} he said {All I know is to be quiet.}
(What do you want?) Bee asked.
{Megatron told me that Starscream was offline. But I do not believe him}
(Ok, so what does this have to do with me?) Bee stood and rolled his arms in the chains, showing a hint of pain.
{I know that Starscream was with you when Megatron found you} Soundwave said as he walked over to Bee and unlocked the chains around Bee's wrists.
(Look, he was there. But Megatron took me away before I could tell if Starscream got help.) Bee said as he rubbed his wrists. Soundwave stepped back.
{Help? Why did he need help?}
(Do you know anything about what happened?) Bee looked up at him, Soundwave shook his head.
{No, but tell me}
It did not take Starscream long to find Arcee. He heard her grunts and growls coming from the training room. He entered the room, unnoticed. He saw Arcee punching and kicking the rubber matted wall on the other side of the room. With a devilish smirk, Starscream leaned against the wall and watched. She kicked it once more and punched it twice, before slamming her head into it. Even Starscream flinched.
"Are you always like this when someone else is right?" Starscream joked. Arcee turned slowly to face him, almost as if she knew he was there the whole time. She cocked out her hip and crossed her arms. At least she wasn't just going to walk away, so maybe she would hear him out!
"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice softer than before.
"Arcee, listen to you, please." Starscream said as he leaned even more against the wall "Believe it or not I know what it's like to lose someone you love"
"How in the pit would you know?" She sighed. Starscream slid down the wall, and pressed his back against wall. He crossed his legs and placed his hands in his lap. Arcee uncrossed her arms and looked at the seeker. He was completely off guard; she could kill him before he saw it coming.
"You and Cliffjumper weren't mates or bonded" He said, but it was more of a question.
"No" Arcee looked down at the ground.
"So you don't know what it's like" Starscream shook his head "All this time I thought you would"
"Wait! Are you saying that you know what it's like to lose a lover?" She walked over to him and stood over him. Starscream just kept his eyes down but nodded.
"I had a mate, a bond." He sighed "But I watched Megatron kill her right in front of me"
Arcee gulped and her breathing became deep and shallow all at the same time! She could not image losing a bonded. She and Cliffjumper weren't bonded, and it nearly killed her to lose him. And to watch him die right in front of her! Primus, it made her sick.
"And you joined him?" She kind of changed the subject. "After he did that to you?"
"I did for two reasons. One, because he killed off all the seekers, including my mate and threatened to kill me if I did not join. And two, have you ever heard the human saying 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'?" Starscream asked. Arcee nodded. "I figured if I got close enough and gained his trust that one day I could easily overthrow him. And look how that's worked out" Starscream grinned.
"Hey, I heard you kicked aft this last time" Arcee joked as she squatted down in front of Starscream, who looked up at her. "I am sorry Starscream." She said, not looking away. "What you said back in the other room was right. I have no room to hold a grudge"
"It is alright" Starscream said "You had ever right to say and do what you did." Starscream noticed that Arcee was still staring at him. "Arcee, I know that you do not like me, trust me, or even want me here. But I only wish to help you guys find Bee and bring him home to be with Optimus and his team."
"And where will you go afterward?" She asked.
"Back with Knockout" He said. "Speaking of, Ratchet is waiting on me to contact him." Arcee nodded and stood back up. Starscream started to get back up, but it hurt his wound and he made an awful face. Arcee jumped a little, seeing just how much pain he was in.
"Here" She said. Starscream opened his eyes to see Arcee reaching out a hand to help him up. He thought about it for a split second but then took her hand. She pulled and tugged on him until he was on his feet.
"Thanks" Starscream said, with a smile. Arcee smiled back.
"Nah" She giggled "I should be thanking you"