Starscream realized this was the first time he was out of the base and was quite overwhelmed by what he saw.
It was mid-afternoon, judging by the declination of the yellow star in the blue sky. It was giving off quite a bit of heat and radiation, but not dangerous to his plating or systems; he actually thought it quite a pleasant warming sensation. He had noticed the underwater base where he had been was often cold, hence why he welcomed Skywarp's or TC's affections.
As far as he could see there was dark blue water in a slightly choppy ocean. His optics danced from an organic creature with wings, to the giant formations of clouds above, to other things that his internal lexicon couldn't quite categorize.
There was so much to see, he knew his optics must be wide.
The Autobot watched him with slight amusement. "They haven't let you out of the Victory yet?"
Starscream slid his optics back to the Autobot to his side, the servo still firmly on his shoulder. "I suppose because they thought it might be too dangerous for me."
The Autobot gave a haughty laugh and turned their watercraft towards the East without further comment.
They eventually approached a small landmass; it was a slip of an island, maybe little more than a sandbar. The water was beautifully turquoise as it became shallower, and the island had some spindly looking organic growths. The watercraft came up onto the beach and the mech jumped out to pull the craft up. He then looked thoughtfully at Starscream. "Are you able to fly? I can disable your wings if I have to."
Starscream frowned as he sat in the craft. "I'm sure I could figure it out if I had to, but I have no intention of antagonizing you," he replied, watching the Autobot carefully. He probably should be more afraid, but he was honestly just irritated.
The mech reached out a servo, offering to help him out of the craft. Starscream regarded it and sighed, then took it. "Some of my compatriots lack basic manners, but I assure you, you will be well-treated in my care," he said, affecting some kind of noble accent.
Starscream rolled his optics. "What, like kidnapping? My forehead wound?"
The mech smiled as if he, too, saw the irony, but didn't comment.
He grabbed Starscream's shoulder again, which was beginning to ache from this mech's handling. He was pushed into the middle of some undergrowth, and then the mech pushed him down so that he was forced to sit.
Starscream looked up at his captor. "Is there a point to all this?" he asked, reaching up a servo to massage his shoulder.
The mech smirked. "Of course there is," he said. "Whether I share it with you, well, I'm not sure I will just yet."
Starscream narrowed his optics. "Why did you kidnap me? You are clearly aware of my… condition," he said swallowing. He felt so weak at this moment, it almost hurt. "I don't have any valuable information for you."
The Autobot leaned back against a tree. "Yes, that is unfortunate," he said. "You always used to be good for some kind of tidbit, but I imagine they don't really let you in on the good intel anymore, do they, 'Screamer?"
The mech's evasive answers gnawed at him. Starscream sighed and just looked away, done dealing with this annoying Autobot. His anxiety had started to increase as he still didn't know what the mech wanted, and he was far away from anyone who actually cared about him. He knew his trine was going to be furious when they got back to the base, and he worried for them, that they might do something rash.
He hoped Shockwave was okay.
They both heard the noise of someone coming through the underbrush. The Autobot turned his helm over his shoulder, pulling out his blaster, but then smiled and put it away. "It's about time you showed up," he said.
"What is it that you found that couldn't possibly have waited-"
A black and white Autobot with a blue visor stared at Starscream, open-mouthed.
"Now, just hear me out-"
"What have you done?" the new mech said. "What in Primus's name possessed you to kidnap Starscream?" The new mech was angry now.
"Jazz, listen, I have a plan. It's a good one."
Jazz looked over at Starscream and took a labored breath in. "Are you alright?" he asked, more gently, coming over to kneel beside the seeker. He clearly saw the wound on his forehead and visibly slumped, looking both furious and worried at the same time. He unsubspaced a medical kit and began rummaging around inside it. Starscream was too surprised to answer.
"Starscream, are you alright?" Jazz asked again, gently putting a thumb under the seeker's chin and turning him, checking for more damage.
"Yes," Starscream said, flicking a glare at the other Autobot.
Jazz found a nanite patch in the medical kit. He pulled out a sterile cloth and showed it to Starscream indicating that he was going to try and clean his wound on his forehead. Starscream leaned forward so that the mech wouldn't have to reach as far. Jazz cleaned it in stony silence, then applied the nanite patch.
"You have one klik to explain to me why you did this," Jazz said through clenched denta.
The other mech nodded quickly. "My plan: We take him back to the base. The 'bots that are all causing so much trouble talking about a new faction will see that he is okay and will rally around taking care of him. It's happening at the Decepticon base. They're being… nice… to him," the mech said in such a way that he was surprised at his own words. "We can even erase his memory so that he thinks he's an Autobot if we have to."
Starscream tensed and his optics went wide. Why… why would they do that? He'd forget his trine? Everyone at the base? His life and memories had been small so far, but they were still his.
Jazz noticed his fear and sighed. "Mirage. Do you not understand how you just made everything worse? Honestly, mech."
Mirage shook his head. "No, Jazz, listen. You didn't do anything wrong! They have no right to say those things about you and demand you leave the Autobots. If all this trouble is for this damned seeker, then we can just give him to them-"
"Mirage, seriously, what the frag is wrong with you?!" Jazz said, standing. "Just 'give him to them?' Like he's some kind of toy?"
Mirage scowled. "Fine. How about how about we talk how he'll be much better off with the Autobots? The Decepticons aren't treating him right, Jazz. They haven't let him out of the Victory or even go flying since his accident. Just holed up with his trine in their quarters. Do you honestly feel safe just walking around the base?" he asked, looking at Starscream.
Starscream felt a coiled fury at how the mech was talking about his life, but for some reason he couldn't summon the anger he wanted to yell at the mech. Already his anger was relaxing and abating to a light simmer. "I felt safe until you held a gun to my neck," he spat.
Jazz rounded on Mirage. "You threatened him with a weapon?! I… I don't even know you anymore," the mech said with fury.
"Oh, come on, you said that Shockwave threatened you with a gun too?!" he said with a frown at Starscream. "Jazz, listen, we can still use this to our advantage-"
"This, Mirage? This?! This is a mech. A Cybertronian. Unable to fight you. You took him from his family and are now trying to use him to make up for my mistakes. You're so far from being righteous here, Mirage, I can't even look at you," he said with disgust. He turned around and held out a servo to Starscream.
"I'm returning you, immediately. This is such slag, I'm so sorry," Jazz said with obvious regret. Starscream was taken with the sincerity in his voice. Starscream took the servo, though his own was shaking slightly.
"Jazz, you can't, he heard us talking," Mirage said through tight lips.
Jazz turned to Mirage. "That is your fault. Report back to the base. I don't want to see you or hear you until after I have talked to Optimus."
"Jazz… I… I was trying to help."
Jazz looked at his fellow Autobot with pity. "The path to the Pit, Mirage, is paved with good intentions."
It seemed reality had finally caught up the blue and white mech. His mouth went slightly slack and his shoulders slumped. With a twist, he was leaving, heading in the presumed direction of said base.
Jazz stood there looking at the sandy ground for a moment, his lips in a tight line. "Starscream. I… don't know what to say here. This should not have happened."
The seeker said nothing, just stared at the Autobot with a steely look.
"This was not a good first impression of Autobots, I think," Jazz continued, lifting up his helm to look at him through his visor.
Starscream found his voice then. "Neither was the battle earlier where you all were shooting at my trine."
Jazz looked like he was about to reply but then stopped himself, slowly nodding. "You're right." Jazz then gave him another searching look. "Are they treating you well? Do you want to go back to the Decepticons?"
Starscream felt some fear stab his spark. These Autobots did seem to have a problem with being morally righteous, like Skywarp had mentioned. If Jazz wanted to, he could just decide that Starscream would be better off with the Autobots… Like Mirage had suggested.
He might never see his trine again.
"They are treating me fine," he said, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. "I don't know why this is so hard to accept for you."
"They are not good mechs, Starscream, you don't know what they've done-"
"It seems then you all are a lot more similar than you think."
Jazz sighed. "Still. I wanted to ask if there was anything I could do to help you. But if you want to return to them, I will take you. Again, this whole thing should not have happened and I'm sorry."
Starscream watched the mech carefully and swallowed. "I mean, don't get me wrong. Wasn't really a big fan of this little jaunt into the new world, but… no real harm done," he said with a shrug.
"That's… more than nice of you. But that's not what I meant."
Starscream was confused and tilted his helm slightly at the mech. "I don't-" But then he did understand. He remembered Shockwave's words, and he put the pieces together. "You… are the one that did this to me," he said quietly.
Jazz sighed. "I am. I've regretted it every moment since."
Starscream wasn't sure what to make of this development. Shockwave had told him as much, though he had said the word mechs, but that wasn't important. He had imagined a dark, obviously evil Autobot hurting him and inflicting this program that made his life difficult. He hadn't really expected a contrite Autobot to be practically wringing his servos in guilt.
Things… weren't nearly as clear-cut as he thought.
Starscream looked over the mech. The weight of his actions was clearly affecting him. He did not seem well; the black and white Autobot was tense, exhausted, and gave off an acrid feeling of self-loathing. He sighed. "I can't really tell you that I'm fine. I think I am, but then something like this happens," he said waving an arm around in the air, "and I'm reminded of how I can't really function… normally. Apparently, I'd rather my trinemates get punished than mark a wall with a blaster," he said frowning.
Jazz seemed to sag a little at these words.
"But," Starscream continued. "Apparently I'm in a much better place with my trine now. I've been told I'm more tolerable. And I'm not completely useless like I was beginning to think." He shrugged. "So, I guess… learn how to forgive yourself and then maybe we can talk more."
Jazz looked so confused, Starscream was afraid that he had accidentally been speaking a different language. The mech put his hands on his hips and turned away, looking like he was heavily weighing Starscream's words.
Jazz then looked up at the seeker, his lips in a tight line. "You don't understand what you lost. What I took from you," he said, his vocalizer sounding pained.
Starscream smiled. "You're right. I don't. I don't know if I'll ever truly know or understand. But I'm trying to tell you: it doesn't really matter. This is my life now, and… it's not always terrible."
Jazz snorted, looking up at the sky. "I could use some 'not always terrible' myself."
Starscream waited patiently as the mech thought through their conversation. Eventually he came to some kind of conclusion and nodded. "Alright, let's get you back to the Decepticons."
"I'm pretty sure they'll shoot you, just so you know," Starscream said.
Jazz met Starscream's optics. "They can try, mech," he said with a bright smile and indicated that Starscream should lead the way back to the beach. Mirage had not taken the watercraft, so Jazz was able to push it back into the water to transport them back.
It was late afternoon now, and the sky had started to take on a dazzling array of colors. Starscream was impressed with this planet's ability to be somewhat pretty.
When they arrived, his trinemates were waiting atop the elevator, and nearly squawked in indignation when they recognized the Autobot.
"Jazz, you have some nerve," Thundercracker yelled angrily, aiming his null-ray at the Autobot.
Starscream jumped into the water and started swimming towards the base, not giving the Autobot another chance to change his mind about whether to "rescue" him or not.
"Goodluck, 'Screamer!" Jazz called as he quickly whipped the craft around and started going as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
Skywarp looked conflicted about chasing after the Autobot but flew down to Starscream instead. He held out a servo and Starscream eagerly took it, not really liking the feeling of saltwater on his frame. He pulled Starscream, now miserably wet, into the air and against his chassis, using his thrusters to gently glide over to the mast elevator that connected to the Victory.
Thundercracker called out the Coneheads to chase after Jazz and their jets screamed across the sky after the Autobot.
Skywarp gently touched down on the elevator tower platform, squeezing Starscream in a crushing embrace. TC also jumped down to join them, gently running his digits over Starscream's forehead. Both Thundercracker and Skywarp looked grim as they looked Starscream over, and he had to admit that he didn't mind the attention. It seemed like they couldn't stop touching him, their servos were worried and comforting.
He exvented the air he didn't realize he was holding and just leaned into their touches. He heard them murmuring things into his audials but didn't register what they were saying.
"Are you alright?" Thundercracker finally said with the stern authority of an Air Commander.
Starscream nodded, meeting his optics. "Yes," he said as he felt relief wash over his trinemate's frames.
Thundercracker nodded and also pulled him into an embrace. "We failed you. Again," he said with a frown. Starscream tried to shake his head in protest, but they held him firm. Thundercracker pulled away and was clearly talking on a comm and filling in the other parties.
As the sun was setting, they got Starscream back into the elevator.