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Having the irritable D-16 around the High Guard base had so far added nothing but stress to Starscream's job. Being leader was hard enough without having to constantly worry about a miner having a rambling meltdown. He could know where the bot was coming from, obviously, but the constant snide comments alluding to a usurption didn't escape the leader’s notice. At a meeting about what to do next, D-16 had started up his grievances again.
“So you're going to just have us sit here and wait while Sentinel keeps exploiting bots in Iacon?” the silver mech asked tensely. “What do you expect me to do? You can barely transform, and the rest of us have been lacking energon for Primus knows how long” Starscream replied. “We can get energon in Iacon. Sitting here and waiting is-” D began, before getting cut off by the sound of Starscream's pedes stomping down as he raised from his throne.
“You think you're so smart, don’t you?” Starscream growled, the two holding matching hateful glares “Iacon's in ruin by a complete dictator, and you think just marching over is going to do anything?”. “It would be better than standing around and letting him walk free” D-16 responded firmly. “Right, because you know so much about justice” Starscream scoffed. D-16 squared his shoulders, face twisting in a scowl “And you think you do?”. “You weren't there for the time where the Prime's all reigned. You didn't have to see them get ripped away” Starscream began, stepping down off of his throne “You didn't see the look in Sentinel's optics when he announced their deaths. The fragging glitch knew what he was doing from the beginning”
“And knowing that– knowing what he did, for so long– you hid here and did nothing” D-16 growled. Starscream's optics narrowed as he stepped even closer. “You're either very brave, or the most idiotic bot I've ever met” he said “If you think we wouldn't have killed Sentinel the moment we could, then you have no idea who you're looking at”. “Oh I know who I'm lookin’ at” D-16 began “A circle of cowards”. Starscream gritted his denta, pulling back his servo to prepare a strike, before B-127's waving servos came in between them.
“Hey, ahah- getting a little intense here!” B-127 chuckled nervously. Starscream stepped back, his glare held firm. “If you want any hope of staying here, keep your ‘friend’ under control”. “I hear you, I hear you. I'll get Orion to-” B began, before D interrupted “No need. I'll go. I wouldn't want to be around these cowards any longer than I have to be”. With that, he began walking off, no doubt going back to the chambers he and the other three had been given since arriving. B made a distressed noise low in his throat, before noticing Starscream walking past him. “Wait! Don't we have a meeting to continue?” B asked hopefully, Starscream calling over his shoulder, “Consider it adjourned. I need a cool down before I bash someone's helm in”. “Okay! Um-” B began, looking to the circle of High Guard members that had already begun to disperse “Good meeting! We'll meet up in- a while- to um- work out the details. Good work!”
The bots left, all chattering among themselves. B vented out a sigh. He hated seeing his friends fight. He wanted to go and check on D-16, but D didn't exactly respond well to being talked to after fights like this. He looked to the leaving mechs, helm tilting down a little. He looked around uncertainly, before seeing Orion run up. “B! Hey” Orion greeted, slowing to a stop. B brightened up with a grin. “Orion! Hey! I heard you missed the meeting for-”. “Where's D?” Orion cut in. B blinked, his processor taking a second to catch up. “Oh, he went back to his berthroom… I think” he began “but hey, now that you're here, maybe me and you can hang ou-”. “Thanks for the help” Orion said, patting B’s shoulder before jogging past him. B felt his frame slump, a sigh leaving his vents. “Right… I'll just- see you around” he murmured. He could barely hear the echoes of conversation down the halls anymore. His servos gripped his arms. Ever since being demoted so far, silence became unsettling. It filled B’s processor, weighing in his chassis. It felt hard to vent suddenly, his fans kicking in to try and cool him off as the discomfort felt like it was completely clogging him. B caught sight of the open entrance to the base, moving with nervous pedes outside of it.
Looking at the wide open land of Cybertron at least made B feel less caged in. The sight was still a little intimidating, being completely unknown to him, but at least it was something new. B stumbled to the side, sitting on the ground and leaning against the side of the base. He tilted his helm back, closing his optics as he tried to calm his spark. "Come to drag me back?” A familiar voice came, making B-127 jump and yelp. He quickly turned his helm, seeing Starscream just a few feet from him. “Oh… no, no, not that” B said, relaxing once he saw who it was “I just…” he trailed off. He turned to Starscream again “I'm sorry I didn't step in earlier. With D-16”. “That's not your fault” Starscream replied with a shrug “It's that glitchbot who can't keep his mouth shut”. “I know he's a little… tense… but he's still my friend” B responded. Starscream scoffed, but didn't say anything else. B frowned, looking back at the scenery before them.
A few kliks passed before Starscream spoke again. “Why are you here then, if not to tell me how to do my job?”. “I just needed some air” B mumbled. Starscream glanced at him “You're oddly quiet tonight. Usually by now you'd be talking my audial off”. B let out a weak chuckle “Sorry, I just… I'm not feeling it”. The conversation between them paused once again, Starscream thinking of what to say. The usually annoyingly chattery bot being quiet was… strangely unsettling. “Why aren't you with your friends, then?” He eventually asked. “Orion’s more worried about D-16 than me” B began in a murmur “And Elita has to keep them apart a lot. I understand why he's mad, but… they hardly see me anymore”
Starscream felt his usual scowl soften just a bit. “It doesn't sound like they're very good friends, then” he commented. “They are,” B rushed to say “They're really, really nice. They're just busy these days. And that's okay! When Sentinel is gone, and this is all over, we'll hang out every single day!” He said, tone lightening as he attempted to cheer himself up. Starscream gave a thoughtful hum “But even then, it's weighing on you, isn't it?”. “Me? I'm fine! I've been alone for a few cycles now, it's nothing I'm not used to” B responded. He turned to Starscream again, seeing a concerned expression. “What?” B asked naively. “I-.. nothing” Starscream responded “Just… you don't have to lie, you know?” he began “There's no one here to judge you. We're on the same side now”
“I know!” B said “But I mean it, honest. I'm fine”. “If you insist” Starscream sighed “you can go back in if you wish. I'll be out here for quite some time”. B fidgeted his servos together, looking at the ground “Actually… could I maybe stick around? If it's not bothering you”. He met optics with Starscream once more “I'm not really in a mood to listen to Orion and D fight”. Starscream nodded, nestling back into his spot a little more “If you must, then feel free”. B smiled a bit, mimicking the action the Seeker had done. Though rather than going back to looking at the scenery, his optics were on the Seeker himself. Starscream seemed.. calm like this. His expression was relaxed, his usual scowl nearly completely faded. His optics shone well in the night light, the red light from them making them stand out. B leaned his cheek to rest in one of his servos as he kept observing. Starscream had his helm up, optics kept to the sky. B followed his lead, glancing up at the endless expanse of stars. He gave a little chuckle.
“What's so amusing?” Starscream asked. “I'm looking at the stars with Starscream” B replied, a grin back on his face. Starscream groaned, but a little smirk came to him as well “That's terrible”. “Nuh-uh! It's really nice, actually” B responded “I haven't had a chance to see the stars before. They're… beautiful”. “Thank you” Starscream said with a smirk. “Huh-” B began, before realizing the implications “Oh! I-! I didn't mean-” he stammered. Starscream let out a delighted cackle, loud and full of amusement at the reaction. “I'm only teasing, relax” he said, and B felt himself blush even more at seeing the look Starscream had. It really was a sight, seeing him look so happy. B had a big, stupid grin come onto his face at that thought.
“What? What's that for?” Starscream asked, and B looked back at the sky. “Nothing. I'm just really glad to be here with you”. Starscream's expression fell a bit, surprise filling him with the words. That was the first time he'd heard them in… well, ever. Even Skywarp and Thundercracker didn't speak so kindly about him. But the yellow mech made it seem so easy, so natural. It was hard not to smile along with him and his annoyingly infectious positivity. Starscream put it out of his processor for the moment, optics staying ahead of them both.
“You remind me of something” Starscream began after a few kliks, B turning to look at him curiously. “There was this creature I read of back when I had access to the archives,” Starscream began “A little yellow busybody. They called them ‘bees’”. Starscream chuckled “Rather funny, isn't it? Considering your designation number” he remarked, looking down and nearly jolting out of his spot when he saw how close B-127 had gotten to him. The smaller bot's optics were practically shining at him, helm so close it was nearly on Starscream's shoulder. “Maybe that's what I should call you” Starscream began again, clearing his voicebox so his words could come out clearly “A bee”. B's grin only seemed to get wider, and he clung onto Starscream tightly. “Yesss! Finally, a real nickname!! Oh, I've been waiting so long to have one of these!” B cheered, Starscream putting a servo over his. “Yes, yes, very exciting-” he murmured as he leaned away, B taking notice and pulling back.
“Sorry, I just- this is amazing” B began again “Being here, living with the High Guard, and now this!” his servos flapped excitedly. Starscream chuckled “You're living up to it already”. “I should give you one!” B chimed up, muttering to himself “But stuff about screaming wouldn't be very friendly, and I don't know that many stars…”. “That isn't needed” Starscream reassured, B replying, “But it's what friends do! They have nicknames for each other! It's only fair I give you one too”. Starscream leaned his cheek into his servo, tilting his helm to the side a little as he watched B murmur to himself. Watching the little bot try so hard to come up with a matching name was honestly adorable. Starscream jolted a little, shoving that idea out of his mind as soon as he'd thought it. Where in the frag did that come from-
“I got it!” B chimed up, pulling Starscream from his own thoughts. “If I'm Bee, then you're Starshine” B said, sounding quite proud of himself for thinking it up. Starscream hummed. “That's serviceable. But don't go around telling everyone about this. I've a reputation to maintain, you know” he replied. B nodded, giving a little salute with his servo “Understood! But you can call me Bee whenever”. “I'll keep that in mind” Starscream replied simply
After about a groon, B's optics began falling heavy, his helm jolting every once in a while. “You can go back inside to recharge” Starscream said. “Will you be out here?” B asked, Starscream nodding “Probably for a long time, yes”. B nodded, standing and stretching out his joints “Mnngh- well, thanks for letting me sit with you”. “Anytime” Starscream replied, watching with a fond gaze as B shuffled in a wavy line back inside.
“Goodnight, Starshine”
“Rest well, Bee”