OMG MORE ZACKSTORY WUT
Freakin' finally, man, I know.
Brightsteel ran. He didn’t know or care where his legs were taking him - as long as they functioned, he would keep moving. Forward, backward, in circles - it made no difference. As long as his legs moved, as long as he could focus on only his feet beneath him… The Decepticon base was far behind him, at least as far as his legs were concerned. The video screen, the update, the news feed were behind him as well - farther and farther behind. He just had to keep running, just had to keep moving…
The sparkling ran as long as it took for Altairix to track him down some time later. The flier dropped in from above and landed in front of the sparkling, blocking his path. Brightsteel pounded at the golden mech with his fists and kicked at him with all the effort his overworked legs could muster, to no avail.
“Let me go! Put me down!” the sparkling protested as Altairix lifted him from the ground in an effort to calm him. “Let - me - go!” Brightsteel repeated, screaming at the high end of his vocalizer, flailing wildly in Altairix’s arms. But Altairix was silent and endured the abuse like a statue until Brightsteel’s energy finally was spent.
“’Steel,” Altairix said.
The sparkling turned away angrily.
“Brightsteel,” Altairix repeated, this time more firmly.
“What,” Brightsteel snapped.
“Enough with this,” Altairix ordered, showing a more authoritative face than what Brightsteel had seen before. “I want you to relax. Flush air through your vents. Give your systems a soft reset if you need to, but if you don’t stop, you’ll hurt yourself.”
Calming down was the last thing the sparkling wanted to do at the moment, but Altairix had an unfamiliar look in his optics - a gleam of command Brightsteel had never seen before. He suddenly saw in his friend what had earned him a promotion in Decepticon ranks recently. So Brightsteel did as he was told.
“Okay,” Altairix said once he was satisfied, “Torch said you ran off but he didn’t know why. What happened?”
“They killed her!” Brightsteel screamed, all rage and fire once more. “They killed her!”
Brightsteel didn’t notice it, but the golden mech could sense the shuddering frequency often emitted by sparklings in distress. Any Cybertronian would recognize it and very few would willingly ignore the cry. Altairix wasn’t going to try being one of the latter.
“’Steel, you have to try and calm down,” the mech implored, “I can’t try and help you if I don’t know what happened. Tell me calmly - who killed who? What happened?”
“The - the Autobots -“ Brightsteel stuttered, trembling with rage and grief, “The Autobots found my Da and they killed her!”
“Your Da? Silvernode is dead?” It was Altairix’s turn to be shocked. He hadn’t even found a clue as to where the femme was, not after mega-cycles of searching.
Altairix’s thought process was interrupted as Brightsteel finally gave up fighting and his distress signal intensified. The flier gently lowered his young friend to the ground and gripped the sparkling’s small shoulders with a soft hand.
“’Steel… I’m so sorry,” Altairix said quietly. Being crouched on the ground, he made the perfect target for the sparkling. Brightsteel leapt forwards and wrapped his tiny arms around Altairix’s neck in a clinging hug. Altairix could think of no response except to hold the sparkling close and offer what small comfort he could. Brightsteel was treating him as if he was all he had in the universe and - Altairix realized then - that may well be the case. His Ka lost, his Da dead… Aside from the few acquaintances he’d made and the stronger bonds he’d forged with himself and Torch, Brightsteel was proving to be a loner.
Altairix held Brightsteel and Brightsteel held Altairix until the sparkling’s distress signal finally faded into nothingness. Brightsteel still looked miserable, but at least he was calm now. Grief would follow him for a time, certainly, but the sparkling was strong. Altairix knew he would learn to let go in time. As much as he hated it, Altairix also knew this was only the beginning - Brightsteel would learn to know death as a close companion in this evolving war.
Finally, Brightsteel spoke again, “I-I’m all right. I’m okay.” He didn’t look it, of course. But the signal was gone and he was speaking intelligibly. Emotionally? He would heal with time.
“Come on, let’s get you back to base.”
Brightsteel, still downcast and glum, just nodded his assent. He made a pitiful sight, and Altairix’s spark went out to him. The mech took the sparkling’s hand in his and started walking, slow enough for Brightsteel to keep up, silent and steady. The two made it back to base without any problems. Altairix guided them to Torch’s workshop, sticking around for a time after revealing Silvernode’s fate. Torch offered his condolences and allowed the sparkling to take refuge in a place of comfort with his friends. The engineer turned to Altairix once Brightsteel drifted off into recharge, shaking his head.
“Those slaggin’ Autobots…” he muttered, spitting out “Autobot” like it was toxic.
Altairix bowed his head in agreement. “I’d hoped… For ‘Steel’s sake…”
“Some things just ain’t meant to be, kid. Shame, though. And speakin’ of awful stuff, I heard about what happened on Tau-III. How’re you holdin’ up?”
Altairix’s wings twitched at the name. “I’d rather just not think about it.”
“All right, but if you ever need someone to talk to…”
“Thanks,” Altarix said, but his tone revealed that he’d probably never take Torch up on that offer.
Altairix left a few breems later. He had his own duties to return to. Torch covered for his favorite sparkling to get him out of combat practice throughout the next few cycles. Originally, Brightsteel had been scheduled for his armor upgrade two cycles later. Altairix, knowing there was no way Brighsteel would be ready for that upgrade without some time to process the loss of his Da, managed to push the date for another three cycles. It wasn’t ideal, but it was enough. The morning of the procedure, Brightsteel had a hard look in his optics as he said, “I’m ready.”
Brightsteel ran. He didn’t know or care where his legs were taking him - as long as they functioned, he would keep moving. Forward, backward, in circles - it made no difference. As long as his legs moved, as long as he could focus on only his feet beneath him… The Decepticon base was far behind him, at least as far as his legs were concerned. The video screen, the update, the news feed were behind him as well - farther and farther behind. He just had to keep running, just had to keep moving…
The sparkling ran as long as it took for Altairix to track him down some time later. The flier dropped in from above and landed in front of the sparkling, blocking his path. Brightsteel pounded at the golden mech with his fists and kicked at him with all the effort his overworked legs could muster, to no avail.
“Let me go! Put me down!” the sparkling protested as Altairix lifted him from the ground in an effort to calm him. “Let - me - go!” Brightsteel repeated, screaming at the high end of his vocalizer, flailing wildly in Altairix’s arms. But Altairix was silent and endured the abuse like a statue until Brightsteel’s energy finally was spent.
“’Steel,” Altairix said.
The sparkling turned away angrily.
“Brightsteel,” Altairix repeated, this time more firmly.
“What,” Brightsteel snapped.
“Enough with this,” Altairix ordered, showing a more authoritative face than what Brightsteel had seen before. “I want you to relax. Flush air through your vents. Give your systems a soft reset if you need to, but if you don’t stop, you’ll hurt yourself.”
Calming down was the last thing the sparkling wanted to do at the moment, but Altairix had an unfamiliar look in his optics - a gleam of command Brightsteel had never seen before. He suddenly saw in his friend what had earned him a promotion in Decepticon ranks recently. So Brightsteel did as he was told.
“Okay,” Altairix said once he was satisfied, “Torch said you ran off but he didn’t know why. What happened?”
“They killed her!” Brightsteel screamed, all rage and fire once more. “They killed her!”
Brightsteel didn’t notice it, but the golden mech could sense the shuddering frequency often emitted by sparklings in distress. Any Cybertronian would recognize it and very few would willingly ignore the cry. Altairix wasn’t going to try being one of the latter.
“’Steel, you have to try and calm down,” the mech implored, “I can’t try and help you if I don’t know what happened. Tell me calmly - who killed who? What happened?”
“The - the Autobots -“ Brightsteel stuttered, trembling with rage and grief, “The Autobots found my Da and they killed her!”
“Your Da? Silvernode is dead?” It was Altairix’s turn to be shocked. He hadn’t even found a clue as to where the femme was, not after mega-cycles of searching.
Altairix’s thought process was interrupted as Brightsteel finally gave up fighting and his distress signal intensified. The flier gently lowered his young friend to the ground and gripped the sparkling’s small shoulders with a soft hand.
“’Steel… I’m so sorry,” Altairix said quietly. Being crouched on the ground, he made the perfect target for the sparkling. Brightsteel leapt forwards and wrapped his tiny arms around Altairix’s neck in a clinging hug. Altairix could think of no response except to hold the sparkling close and offer what small comfort he could. Brightsteel was treating him as if he was all he had in the universe and - Altairix realized then - that may well be the case. His Ka lost, his Da dead… Aside from the few acquaintances he’d made and the stronger bonds he’d forged with himself and Torch, Brightsteel was proving to be a loner.
Altairix held Brightsteel and Brightsteel held Altairix until the sparkling’s distress signal finally faded into nothingness. Brightsteel still looked miserable, but at least he was calm now. Grief would follow him for a time, certainly, but the sparkling was strong. Altairix knew he would learn to let go in time. As much as he hated it, Altairix also knew this was only the beginning - Brightsteel would learn to know death as a close companion in this evolving war.
Finally, Brightsteel spoke again, “I-I’m all right. I’m okay.” He didn’t look it, of course. But the signal was gone and he was speaking intelligibly. Emotionally? He would heal with time.
“Come on, let’s get you back to base.”
Brightsteel, still downcast and glum, just nodded his assent. He made a pitiful sight, and Altairix’s spark went out to him. The mech took the sparkling’s hand in his and started walking, slow enough for Brightsteel to keep up, silent and steady. The two made it back to base without any problems. Altairix guided them to Torch’s workshop, sticking around for a time after revealing Silvernode’s fate. Torch offered his condolences and allowed the sparkling to take refuge in a place of comfort with his friends. The engineer turned to Altairix once Brightsteel drifted off into recharge, shaking his head.
“Those slaggin’ Autobots…” he muttered, spitting out “Autobot” like it was toxic.
Altairix bowed his head in agreement. “I’d hoped… For ‘Steel’s sake…”
“Some things just ain’t meant to be, kid. Shame, though. And speakin’ of awful stuff, I heard about what happened on Tau-III. How’re you holdin’ up?”
Altairix’s wings twitched at the name. “I’d rather just not think about it.”
“All right, but if you ever need someone to talk to…”
“Thanks,” Altarix said, but his tone revealed that he’d probably never take Torch up on that offer.
Altairix left a few breems later. He had his own duties to return to. Torch covered for his favorite sparkling to get him out of combat practice throughout the next few cycles. Originally, Brightsteel had been scheduled for his armor upgrade two cycles later. Altairix, knowing there was no way Brighsteel would be ready for that upgrade without some time to process the loss of his Da, managed to push the date for another three cycles. It wasn’t ideal, but it was enough. The morning of the procedure, Brightsteel had a hard look in his optics as he said, “I’m ready.”