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tfic_contestTitle: Misplaced Sympathies
Rating: K+
Universe: G-1
Characters: Prime & Starscream
Word Count: 1,511
Optimus Prime was always one to mind his own business. He never liked to get involved in personal battles unless they affected those around them. This was especially true when dealing with the Decepticons. As a leader, he often looked at each side as a sort of family. The Autobots were his charges and his brothers. The Decepticons were their own sort of dysfunctional family.
There was one squabble that bothered him the most, though. Megatron and his second in command. He could understand Megatron's position. More so now that he had Grimlock. Then again, he had always tried to keep Grimlock on even ground. Grimlock was a leader in his own right.
So where did that leave the spastic power hungry seeker? He did deserve to be put in his place now and then. A good leader knew when to show force and keep their status. He had been known to give some of his younger, more inexperienced charges a good talking to now and then. However, he had never shown such brutality towards any of them.
He often found himself trying not to think about the family feuds between the other sides... But how often had he found himself arguing for the side of Starscream? Did he really deserve to get hit that time? Did he deserve to get bullied as badly as he did? Perhaps what Starscream really needed was good guidance. He was, after all, still young.
Or was Prime simply seeing Starscream as an older Bumblebee? Show him guidance. Show him kindness. Show him what it was like to have more than pain waiting for you when you returned home. Even if you failed from time to time, others still would accept you and help you improve. Did Starscream have that? Would he ever improve?
Optimus Prime could not push away these thoughts now, as he stared down at the now empty battle field. The Decepticons had all retreated, and his own had returned to their base for repairs. He had returned alone as he often did after a battle. Standing as a solitary figure in the devastation of a once beautiful place. He would reflect on the battle, wondering if there had been a different option. Could it have been avoided? Could he have avoided any potential casualties? Could this have been the one to end the war? Could Megatron ever be persuaded to a truce?
As usual, he knew the answers. They were always the same. He was about to return to his companions when he spotted something odd in the wreckage. Something red and blue and white and very much alone.
It was with a sigh that he realized that the seeker had been abandoned once again. Who knew who had shot him down this time. Perhaps it had even been Megatron himself who had taken him out. In time, he would awaken, pissed and hurt that he had been forgotten and left for dead. He would fly around, causing trouble and attempting to prove himself worthy of being a part of a group. In the end, he would piss off Megatron yet again, but Megatron would welcome him back eventually. He always did.
But why did he welcome him back each and every time? As brutal Megatron was towards the wayward seeker, he was always willing to forgive and allow him back. To always stand at his side and voice his opinion, even if it was loud and often obnoxious.
With a careful yet determined stride, Optimus made his way down to the jet and pulled him out of the wreckage. He appeared to be in working order, His wing a little bent and his paint badly scuffed up, but it was no worse than normal. He would be able to fly around screaming for attention soon enough.
Optimus took a seat next to his enemy and once more surveyed the field, careful to keep his sensors tuned into the life signs of one of the most treacherous and unpredictable mechs he had ever encountered.
He should be bringing the seeker back to the base as a prisoner at the very least. Though what good would that do for his team? Megatron would never come for him. None of them would. They would be stuck with the noisy and aptly named Starscream.
His officers would protest that he should be locked away. At least in prison he would not be on the field shooting at them or causing havoc. They could put him in stasis if his cries became too troublesome.
Optimus looked down at Starscream, managing to look like a troublemaker even while he was in recharge. His spark cringed at the idea of never hearing his arrogant taunts and bold cries across the battlefield again. They were almost a battle hymn by now. He could always gauge just how well the battle was going for his brothers without even seeing them. He knew where he was needed and who was in trouble just by the sound of the seeker's voice.
Yet the thing that made him hesitate the most was that special grin and chuckle Megatron reserved for only two people.
Whether he knew it or not, Megatron needed Starscream. As cruel as Megatron was towards Starscream and as often as Starscream shot him in the back... He still needed his second-in-command.
Starscream kept him alert, gave him someone to talk to and to share a plan with. While the others were loyal and willing to listen and follow him without question, Starscream felt it was his job to plot with him, to share his ideas, to point out Megatron's obvious flaws and to question him and his methods constantly.
Just as Grimlock did with Optimus.
But what Megatron would most likely never realize and what Starscream would never admit, was that the seeker looked up to Megatron.
Starscream saw Megatron as the leader that he hoped to be someday. To be better and to be as highly respected. Megatron was his role model.
This was something Prime had started to understand more and more as he faced his own challenges with the Aerialbots and Dinobots.
What at first seemed to be nothing more than opposition and stubbornness, was merely them trying to be the leader he was. The leader he wanted them to be someday.
It was with this in his thoughts that he made his decision.
The battle was still too fresh for Megatron's spies to be out searching and Starscream appeared to be stirring, his wings shifting to finish their transformation back to his bipedal form.
Optimus shifted, putting some distance between himself and Starscream as the seeker suddenly sat up and continued a rant that he had most likely been in the middle of before he crashed.
Realizing that he had missed the battle and been left behind, Starscream was predictably upset. Even more so when he noticed Optimus.
"Battle's over, Starscream. Megatron will be missing you, so go on home." He kept one hand on his gun but did not raise it to threaten him. Those null rays were surprisingly painful.
"What sort of trick are you pulling, Prime?" Starscream kept his ray pointed at him firmly.
"No trick. I'm just here to make sure everyone gets home safely. There's no need for another battle today."
This only seemed to further confuse the seeker. With a quick look around he made as if to take off, flaring up his rockets with a rumble.
Then he landed, a familiar grin spread wide on his face.
"Where are your troops, Prime? Did they abandon you out here all alone?"
"I've sent them back to the base so they could recharge and repair themselves. As you should be doing too, Starscream." His fingers tightened on the gun.
He had made a foolish rookie mistake. He should have just left the seeker out here and gone back to his own berth. Starscream was not Bumblebee or one of his comrades. It would be naive of him to think of him in such a way.
Now he would be lucky if he got back to the Ark with just one shot from Starscream's favorite weapon.
"Megatron is right, Optimus Prime. You are a fool! One day it will be me up there facing you down. It would be a pity to let Megatron take care of you before I get the chance."
Starscream fired, blasting a hole at Prime's feet. As the smoke cleared, he could see the jet taking to the sky, flying back towards the Nemesis.
Optimus put his gun away and turned back to his own base.
Starscream would never overthrow Megatron. Megatron would have to fall some other way before Starscream could ever rise to leader. Starscream still had a lot of growing to do, too.
Optimus knew deep in his spark that he would most likely never see that day.
Deep inside, where Prime still had hope for peace and brotherhood between the factions, he wondered what kind of leader Starscream would grow to be.
Rating: K+
Universe: G-1
Characters: Prime & Starscream
Word Count: 1,511
Optimus Prime was always one to mind his own business. He never liked to get involved in personal battles unless they affected those around them. This was especially true when dealing with the Decepticons. As a leader, he often looked at each side as a sort of family. The Autobots were his charges and his brothers. The Decepticons were their own sort of dysfunctional family.
There was one squabble that bothered him the most, though. Megatron and his second in command. He could understand Megatron's position. More so now that he had Grimlock. Then again, he had always tried to keep Grimlock on even ground. Grimlock was a leader in his own right.
So where did that leave the spastic power hungry seeker? He did deserve to be put in his place now and then. A good leader knew when to show force and keep their status. He had been known to give some of his younger, more inexperienced charges a good talking to now and then. However, he had never shown such brutality towards any of them.
He often found himself trying not to think about the family feuds between the other sides... But how often had he found himself arguing for the side of Starscream? Did he really deserve to get hit that time? Did he deserve to get bullied as badly as he did? Perhaps what Starscream really needed was good guidance. He was, after all, still young.
Or was Prime simply seeing Starscream as an older Bumblebee? Show him guidance. Show him kindness. Show him what it was like to have more than pain waiting for you when you returned home. Even if you failed from time to time, others still would accept you and help you improve. Did Starscream have that? Would he ever improve?
Optimus Prime could not push away these thoughts now, as he stared down at the now empty battle field. The Decepticons had all retreated, and his own had returned to their base for repairs. He had returned alone as he often did after a battle. Standing as a solitary figure in the devastation of a once beautiful place. He would reflect on the battle, wondering if there had been a different option. Could it have been avoided? Could he have avoided any potential casualties? Could this have been the one to end the war? Could Megatron ever be persuaded to a truce?
As usual, he knew the answers. They were always the same. He was about to return to his companions when he spotted something odd in the wreckage. Something red and blue and white and very much alone.
It was with a sigh that he realized that the seeker had been abandoned once again. Who knew who had shot him down this time. Perhaps it had even been Megatron himself who had taken him out. In time, he would awaken, pissed and hurt that he had been forgotten and left for dead. He would fly around, causing trouble and attempting to prove himself worthy of being a part of a group. In the end, he would piss off Megatron yet again, but Megatron would welcome him back eventually. He always did.
But why did he welcome him back each and every time? As brutal Megatron was towards the wayward seeker, he was always willing to forgive and allow him back. To always stand at his side and voice his opinion, even if it was loud and often obnoxious.
With a careful yet determined stride, Optimus made his way down to the jet and pulled him out of the wreckage. He appeared to be in working order, His wing a little bent and his paint badly scuffed up, but it was no worse than normal. He would be able to fly around screaming for attention soon enough.
Optimus took a seat next to his enemy and once more surveyed the field, careful to keep his sensors tuned into the life signs of one of the most treacherous and unpredictable mechs he had ever encountered.
He should be bringing the seeker back to the base as a prisoner at the very least. Though what good would that do for his team? Megatron would never come for him. None of them would. They would be stuck with the noisy and aptly named Starscream.
His officers would protest that he should be locked away. At least in prison he would not be on the field shooting at them or causing havoc. They could put him in stasis if his cries became too troublesome.
Optimus looked down at Starscream, managing to look like a troublemaker even while he was in recharge. His spark cringed at the idea of never hearing his arrogant taunts and bold cries across the battlefield again. They were almost a battle hymn by now. He could always gauge just how well the battle was going for his brothers without even seeing them. He knew where he was needed and who was in trouble just by the sound of the seeker's voice.
Yet the thing that made him hesitate the most was that special grin and chuckle Megatron reserved for only two people.
Whether he knew it or not, Megatron needed Starscream. As cruel as Megatron was towards Starscream and as often as Starscream shot him in the back... He still needed his second-in-command.
Starscream kept him alert, gave him someone to talk to and to share a plan with. While the others were loyal and willing to listen and follow him without question, Starscream felt it was his job to plot with him, to share his ideas, to point out Megatron's obvious flaws and to question him and his methods constantly.
Just as Grimlock did with Optimus.
But what Megatron would most likely never realize and what Starscream would never admit, was that the seeker looked up to Megatron.
Starscream saw Megatron as the leader that he hoped to be someday. To be better and to be as highly respected. Megatron was his role model.
This was something Prime had started to understand more and more as he faced his own challenges with the Aerialbots and Dinobots.
What at first seemed to be nothing more than opposition and stubbornness, was merely them trying to be the leader he was. The leader he wanted them to be someday.
It was with this in his thoughts that he made his decision.
The battle was still too fresh for Megatron's spies to be out searching and Starscream appeared to be stirring, his wings shifting to finish their transformation back to his bipedal form.
Optimus shifted, putting some distance between himself and Starscream as the seeker suddenly sat up and continued a rant that he had most likely been in the middle of before he crashed.
Realizing that he had missed the battle and been left behind, Starscream was predictably upset. Even more so when he noticed Optimus.
"Battle's over, Starscream. Megatron will be missing you, so go on home." He kept one hand on his gun but did not raise it to threaten him. Those null rays were surprisingly painful.
"What sort of trick are you pulling, Prime?" Starscream kept his ray pointed at him firmly.
"No trick. I'm just here to make sure everyone gets home safely. There's no need for another battle today."
This only seemed to further confuse the seeker. With a quick look around he made as if to take off, flaring up his rockets with a rumble.
Then he landed, a familiar grin spread wide on his face.
"Where are your troops, Prime? Did they abandon you out here all alone?"
"I've sent them back to the base so they could recharge and repair themselves. As you should be doing too, Starscream." His fingers tightened on the gun.
He had made a foolish rookie mistake. He should have just left the seeker out here and gone back to his own berth. Starscream was not Bumblebee or one of his comrades. It would be naive of him to think of him in such a way.
Now he would be lucky if he got back to the Ark with just one shot from Starscream's favorite weapon.
"Megatron is right, Optimus Prime. You are a fool! One day it will be me up there facing you down. It would be a pity to let Megatron take care of you before I get the chance."
Starscream fired, blasting a hole at Prime's feet. As the smoke cleared, he could see the jet taking to the sky, flying back towards the Nemesis.
Optimus put his gun away and turned back to his own base.
Starscream would never overthrow Megatron. Megatron would have to fall some other way before Starscream could ever rise to leader. Starscream still had a lot of growing to do, too.
Optimus knew deep in his spark that he would most likely never see that day.
Deep inside, where Prime still had hope for peace and brotherhood between the factions, he wondered what kind of leader Starscream would grow to be.
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Date: 2008-06-02 12:31 am (UTC)