Chapter Text
Starline always hated the feeling of pulling the trigger. And the sound that comes after is always worse. Too bad it’s the only thing she can hear when she closes her eyes. So she opened them, pulling herself out of her trance-like state, and she headed towards the bridge of the base.
She could hear the storm raging from inside the decepticon base, the pellets of water and heavy winds thrashing against its walls. Earth was odd to her, in that sense. The weather was always the same at home. But here, it was always changing. No two days were the same when it came to the skies.
When Starline made it to the bridge, she took a peek at the world outside through the comfort of one of the many security screens. Then, she heard footsteps from behind her. But not ones made of the heavy weighted metal stomps she’s familiar with, no. They were heavy, but they were silent. They were Brokenheart’s steps. Starline slowly turned to face Megatron's second in command as she turned the corner.
•••
The wind blew cold gusts of rain across the surface of the Nemesis, but everyone inside was unaware of the storm…except Brokenheart. The second in command walked along the halls; she was restless, sensing the storm's presence so she decided to wander around and see what she could find to do. Maybe someone would call her… in the middle of the night? Yeah right, dream on.
Brokenheart's long legs stretched out as she strolled along, each stride being powerful and confident. The old warrior felt completely at ease here for once. Like…as if she finally belonged somewhere. She took in a deep breath and sighed, as the sound of the rain was soothing to her ears. For some reason, Brokenheart found herself making her way to the bridge, where she usually saw Megatron. She didn't have a specific place to be or go, so she was just wandering around restlessly. She rounded the corner, expecting to see Megatron despite the unlikely hour. Surprised would have been an understatement to Brokenheart when she saw the seekers’ very own second in command facing her instead.
Starline greeted her with a curt nod before turning back to face the screen. “You seem restless, commander.” She commented, stepping to the side to make room for Brokenheart.
Brokenheart gives her a small crooked smile before walking into the bridge. "Just looking around, that's all. The storm is quite enjoyable, I miss the storms from my world." Brokenheart rumbled. "What are you doing out here?" She asked, her gruff voice echoing around the bridge.
“Oh, you know..just observing.” Starline replied quietly. “This planet is so different in such an interesting way, don’t you think?” She asked, turning her head slightly to face her.
Brokenheart grunted in agreement. "I think it would be better off without humans though." She grumbled looking out at the main viewer screen at the storm.
“I beg to differ.” She countered, “I think they are fascinating creatures. So fragile, yet so..” She trailed off, trying to think of an appropriate word to describe humans.
"Untrustworthy and cruel." Brokenheart scoffed. "Don't tell me you're getting all soft on them like the Autobots and suggest we get… pets."
“Now now commander,” She began, “I never said that. I was merely saying that I would like to see for myself. I have never met one before, you know.” Starline teased, shrugging her shoulders. “And plus, how bad can a human really be? All I’ve read or heard about them were stories.” She shrugged jokingly, not expecting a real answer on how something so small could do any real harm.
"Well don't have too high of expectations… not only are they untrustworthy, but they stink too." Brokenheart grumbled not finding the humor in any of this. "Never underestimate a scraplet, humans are basically the same thing…. They're so weird."
“Well I wouldn't consider you any more normal than we are to them.” She replied casually.
Brokenheart cast her a sidelong glance, unsure what to even say to that. "You should have been a scientist or something." She rumbled with a bit of sarcasm in her voice.
Starline chuckled at her comment, “Heh, you are hilarious sometimes.” One could practically feel her smug tone without looking at her face when she jokes, mostly because her face is often-if not always- covered by her mask and visor.
Brokenheart took in a deep breath and sighed, she paused thinking a while before responding. "Don't you like the storm?" She asked, remembering Starline made a comment about it.
Starline was quiet for a moment, staring at the still raging storm outside through the screen. She was practically analyzing it. “..I suppose it’s nice.” She shrugged lazily, “I can’t fly in it and it’s obnoxiously loud, but it’s nice to look at. So I’ll give it a solid 5 out of 10 for effort.” She answered in an almost bored yet joking tone.
Brokenheart cast her a sidelong glance for a moment before looking at the screen and chuckled. "I suppose that's a way to look at it." She rumbled. "I never thought about it being loud… it's just a part of life. You know?"
“..I suppose so.” She replied, turning her head to face Brokenheart. She then gave her a polite nod before she turned from the screen and began heading towards the exit.
"Where are you off to?" Brokenheart asked her one eyed gaze following the seeker.
“Well I planned on walking around since my quarters have nothing for me.” She replied, before turning around slightly just enough so she could see her through the edge of her optics. “Would you..like to join me?” She offered with a kinder tone.
With a low rumble for a sigh Brokenheart smiled. "I would love to." She rumbled walking up beside her.
As the two made their way around the base, they chatted about whatever they could. They went on about minuscule things and ideas that they liked and topics they found interesting. Starline cracked a joke or two here, made a comment there, and always found something to chuckle at when Brokenheart countered her dumb puns with heavy sarcasm. The two probably wouldn’t have admitted it if you had asked them right then and there, but they really did enjoy each other’s company. Or at least, Starline liked to believe that.
Brokenheart found it a bit refreshing to be around a younger bot. It had been a long time since she'd had a sort of apprentice, and she missed the enthusiasm of younger people. But Starline was.. a little different. "Starline…why do you never stay with the other seekers for very long?" Brokenheart asked bluntly, but yet her gruff voice found a way to sound gentle.
Starline, on the other hand, found this odd. Wasn’t she always with the seekers? She’s second in command, of course she’s with the seekers! But staying with them..was not something she really thought about. Perhaps she doesn’t like to really think about it. She was glad Brokenheart couldn’t see her face, but something in the way she gazed at her still made her feel seen. Vulnerable, even. She didn’t like that much, but she had been quiet for a little too long in thought. And unfortunately for Starline, it did not go unnoticed.
Brokenheart was beginning to get worried Starline was ignoring her. She could see the conflict behind the seeker’ silence. Brokenheart sighed. “Look, you don't have to answer if it bothers you that much. I was just wondering.”
“Oh, no! It’s not that, I just..don’t really have an answer…” She replied sheepishly. The two continued to walk together but in silence.
After a while Brokenheart sighed, she understood not being able to bring some things to words but she had a feeling that wasn't the case for Starline… it's not very common to trust a commander on that level anyway. “Well why do you have a visor on? You trying to be like Soundwave or something?” Brokenheart asked with a slightly teasing tone in between her sarcasm.
Starline chuckled, “No way! He’s got a whole different thing going on.” She motioned her hands in an exaggerated way before placing them on her hips. “And plus,” she continued, “mine is way cooler~.”
“uh huh… don’t you literally share the same colors?” Brokenheart grunted, raising an eyebrow.
“Nuh uh! We have two totally different colors and shades here!” She countered, exaggerating her words with motions of her outstretched arms.
“Uh.. right. There's definitely a difference.” Brokenheart mumbled, rolling her eyes. Starline then began to ramble on about the difference in colors for the next 15 minutes, much to Broken’s dismay.
Brokenheart stared at her after she was done, she didn't say anything for a long time. “Are you pulling my leg?” She rumbled in a flat tone.
“I don’t know captain, are you bLInD?!” She exclaimed, making an eye opening motion with her hands and leaning forwards slightly to meet Brokenheart eye to eye.
“Half!” Brokenheart retorted, referring to the fact she only had one eye now.
“So you're telling me that you still have one good eye and you still can’t see the difference between my paint job and his?” Starline retorted back sarcastically. “I thought you had ‘all seeing eyes’, as you like to put it.” She added while making a slow jazz hands movement in a joking yet teasing and sarcastic manner.
Brokenheart sighed. “Seeing through the ‘mask’ people put up is different than noticing color… and if I'm bein’ honest Soundwave looks blue-ish purple.”
Starline stared back at her in a stunned silence with the full knowledge that Soundwave only has two colors. “..Ok, we’re gonna have to talk about your color blindness later.” She commented coolly.
“Hey! I'm not color blind!... You just have weird opinions on that.” Brokenheart grumbled with a lighthearted scoff.
Starline brought her hands up in surrender jokingly before changing the subject. “So, on a different note.” She began, “…what do you mean by ‘seeing through the mask’?” She questioned, making quotation marks with her fingers. “Do you mean, like, literally or..?” She trailed off, waiting for Broken to reply.
Brokenheart paused, realizing she may have made it sound like she was pointing a finger at Starline. “I'm just saying I can see the feelings someone tries to hide… like insecurities, because I understand it a little too well. And no, I don't have x-ray vision.” She rumbled with a snort.
“Aw man, you beat me to it.” She joked back humorously, giving a chuckle of her own. “But really,“ She continued on, “seeing people’s vulnerability without them knowing totally isn’t weird or anything.” She commented sarcastically.
Brokenheart raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because you don't make it sound very.. not weird.” She grumbled sarcastically.
“How can you be sarcastic and not know when others are being sarcastic at the same time? It’s almost fascinating for me.” She kidded.
Brokenheart sighed and grumbled something under her breath. “I know you were being sarcastic.”
“Well how was I supposed to know that? You use the same tone for every sentence.” She noted, placing her hands on her hips once more in dissatisfaction.
“Says the one that's never serious about anything.” Brokenheart retorted.
“Well, at least people can tell when I am or am not serious.” She snapped back quickly.
Brokenheart stared at her for a long time before letting out a long sigh not really knowing what to say to that.
They walked in silence for a bit, but it didn't last very long. Starline eventually was able to successfully change the topic and the two continued to make small talk until they had reached Brokenheart’s very own quarters.
“Well, I'd best be getting back to my own spot. Gotta catch some shut eye” Starline said with a slight yawn in her voice. She stretched herself and let out a tired groan, “What about you?”, She asked. “You still plan on walking around?”
Brokenheart stared at her a moment with a distant gaze before blinking. “I don't know.” She mumbled.
Starline gazed at her for a bit before shrugging. “Well, suit yourself.” She said, “I’ll be off now. Nighty night~” She waved Brokenheart goodnight and was on her merry way.
They both knew she wasn’t really going to bed, but Brokenheart figured that it wasn’t like she was going to leave or anything.
Brokenheart stood there and watched her until she disappeared. She had a sick feeling but she figured that was normal. She always felt like this when she was left alone. “Night..” She mumbled but probably a bit too late for Starline to hear.
•••
Wandering around did not prove to be as much fun for Starline like she would have hoped. She’s gone into every room and messed with Knockout’s things at least twice, so there’s nothing left to find. Or to do for that matter…was there? While mindlessly wondering her way around for the 3rd time, she remembered the rain that was still pounding against the base’s thick walls and the booming thunder that followed with an echo. Maybe she could…no, that’s too risky. She could rust, get captured as a prisoner, held for ransom, or worst of all..she could crash. But it might be nice to..feel the rain. Choices are so complicated sometimes, she thought. “Well..” She said to herself thoughtfully. “..What are the chances?” She shrugged to herself dismissively, and made her way to the roof.