Ch. 248

"Starscream!" Optimus called as he slowly and cautiously maneuvered through the result of the blast, boulders and trees toppled over the landscape in an unfamiliar way, "Starscream!"

He hadn't been searching for very long. As soon as what appeared to be the last of the debris fell from the sky, he had pulled himself from the brush and limped his way through the carnage. Nothing felt too badly damaged aside from a bruised and tired chassis, easily cured with rest. But his emotions were still on high alert, his fear making his spark pulse faster the longer he was unable to find his companion. What if he hadn't aimed properly? What if the Insecticons had escaped the blast and found Starscream before him? He chose to quell these thoughts until he had more information and kept pushing to move passed unearthed boulders and peer through the dust cloud that was slowly settling around him. And he felt a small bit of optimism when he saw a weakened form begin to stand just ahead.

Optimus's optics narrowed when a red visor came into view as the dust continued to settle and he didn't hesitate to transform out his blaster and aim at his opponent. An Insecticon, the one who avoided being crushed before and had now escaped this ungodly blast, raised his clawed servos as he trembled.

"Y... your offer," he shook, "the one... you spoke of..." he struggled to back away, "does it-"

"Leave," Optimus ordered, "Now."

The Insecticon didn't wait for anything more. He barely managed to transform and fly away, his movements unsteady as he flew back the way he had come with his brethren before. Optimus waited until he couldn't see the bug any longer before transforming his blaster away. The Decepticon hadn't been atop the plateau when it was was destroyed. This gave the red mech some hope...

A bright, crackling flash caught his attention and he pushed through more toppled trees and broken branches.

"Starscream!"

A voice, almost sobbing and pained, cut through the overwhelming lack of birds and breezes that had graced the area only a short time ago, and Optimus ran to it, ignoring his limp and throbbing aches as every sad wail made his spark sink.

"Starscream, I am coming to you!"

The wail, clearly the seeker's, didn't respond to his comment, "Oh, Primus!" he cried, "No, no, it didn't- did it work?!" he sniffed, "I don't feel, I don't feel it, but-" he gasped before crying out a long, pained growl, choking down a clearly painful sensation, "Fragging- I thought it was on the right side, this is the left! Does that m-"

Optimus skidded to a halt as another flash of bright light and static illuminated just in front of him. When he heard silence follow, he rushed ahead without caution and found Starscream curled tightly into a ball, the small sprouts and foliage around him black and smoldering.

"Starscream!" the Prime stooped down to pull the smaller mech into his lap, noting a gently leaking helm wound on the left side, just above his optical brow, and a rock a small distance from the seeker with fresh energon on it; Optimus took a long and slow intake, "Starscream," he said firmly and gently, "I heard you. I am here. Please, wake up. Please..." he rubbed smudges of dust and dirt from the seeker's faceplate as carefully as he could, trying to distract himself from the tremors in his frame, "Starscream, please..."

Starscream's faceplate scrunched up in pain and he hissed, shuddering as he weakly drew a servo up to scrape at his helm, "Ow... ow..."

Optimus allowed himself a deep sigh of relief and his form relaxed greatly as he smiled, "You are alright..."

"I... well... yes, sure," Starscream huffed, his optics bleary as he opened them, "Oh, it's bright... It is very bright."

"Give yourself a moment," the Prime told him, "Your optical ring is still glowing and you have a helm injury."

The seeker hissed, "Oh, oh yes, that's why that hurts, mhm..." he kept blinking and shuttering his optics as he attempted to focus and snorted before laughing loudly as he was finally able to take a proper look at the mech holding him, "Oh Primus, Optimus! You poor thing!"

Optimus blinked in confusion, "Starscream, are you alright?"

Starscream laughed until he could only wheeze in pain and struggled to sit up, "Oh, oh, you just got the worst of this, didn't you?"

"Starscream, perhaps the injury to your helm-"

"You look like some kind of Earth-based eldritch creature," the seeker snickered, reaching up to pull one of many leafed branches and twigs from the taller mech's helm as he observed many more organic pieces trapped in spaces all over his chassis, "Oh, don't let Knockout see you like this, he's going to lose his mind..."

Optimus gently took hold of Starscream's servo, "Starscream, are you feeling alright? When I was searching for you, I heard you saying something. You seemed distressed..."

Starscream nodded weakly and sighed with a smile, "I'm tired... I'm... I'm exhausted, actually. But I..." he slowly touched his own chest plate, "I'm ok. I feel ok," he looked up at Optimus, "Do you know why?"

"Why, Starscream?"

The seeker let himself relax, "... Because even through all that, I knew you would be there. When I went to talk to them, I knew you would be there. When they attacked, you appeared and we fought them. Even when they thought they had won..." he chuckled softly, "You told me that you believed in me before, remember?"

"Yes, I do."

"And all I could think was if you could do that in the worst of times, just believe I could do it, then maybe I could do that, too," Starscream nodded, more to himself, "And did you see that? I controlled my power to do what I wanted. I flew with you."

Optimus nodded with him, "You have grown much stronger... And you sure you feel alright? What you were saying just before I found you was not encouraging..."

The seeker shrugged, "Hm... I remember hitting the trunk of this," he weakly kicked at the tree that had stopped him, "Oh good, my legs still function... Um, then I tried to turn over once I could intake again and then..." he held up a servo to wave it over lightly, "then you found me. You said a helm injury? Oh, that must have done it..."

Optimus shook his helm, "We must call the Ark now."

Starscream pouted, "No, must we?"

"We have been attacked. You are leaking," he rubbed a thumb over the seeker's helm injury and noticed the energon flow had stopped, "While it may simply be superficial, I would feel better getting you properly assessed by a physician."

The smaller mech tsked, "No... My self diagnostics are battered, but I'm fine," he couldn't stop smiling, as tired as he was, and he suddenly growled lightly in excitement, "No, I'm more than fine! Optimus!"

The Prime struggled to keep Starscream in his hold and set him down, smiling softly, "I am right here, Starscream."

The seeker's wings fluttered and vibrated rapidly, "I fought them even after they said his name! It took effort, and I know I need more time to heal, but Optimus! I did that! After they said 'Megatron'-" he stopped and froze, his intakes becoming slow and shallow; Optimus was about to offer some encouragement when Starscream smiled and suddenly shouted, "FRAG Megatron! Frag him to the Pit and back!"

The Prime smiled and shook his helm, watching as the smaller mech struggled to get to his peds while snickering and muttering small 'ow's at how sore he was.

"And Optimus! Optimus!"

"Yes, Starscream?" the red mech stood slowly, holding onto a tree as his limp convinced him to lean slightly.

"Optimus, we didn't need anything else!" Starscream chattered excitedly, moving under Optimus's arm to help brace him, "It was just you and me and we did it!"

The Prime chuckled, "You were very brave today, Starscream."

The two began to walk, slowly and carefully, down the mountain.

"I still can't believe it!" Starscream began to tear up, his smile unwavering, "I-I mean, I know this will probably wear off and I'll freak out later... but all I needed was to know that you were there. And... and I all needed to do after that was trust in me."

"Believe me, Starscream," Optimus said gently, "it is one of the easiest things I have been able to do."

"Trusting in yourself?"

The Prime hummed in thought, "Yes, that as well... But I meant trusting in you. Today, you showed such strength in your ability to show mercy and compassion but did not for one moment neglect your own self worth. Even when you heard his name, you found a way passed your fears and you still fought for you. I am so proud of you, Starscream."

Starscream began to quiet down. He looked ahead and at the unsteady ground they walked upon, focusing on bracing Optimus up with every step they took. And Optimus did the same for him when his peds felt like they were about to slip or if he didn't have the proper footing. It was a good, long few minutes before the seeker spoke again.

"... Optimus?"

"Yes, Starscream?"

Starscream smiled and took a long intake, "... I'm proud of me, too."