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The roar from the crowds was always a booster for Starscream. The applause pumped into his system, building adrenaline that filled up his jets with overloading fuel and energy. He lived for their attention, relishing in the moment when he, Starscream, will become the Star everyone looked up to. It was in his name, afterall.
Bathing in the spotlight, Starscream watched as waves of Cybertronians stood up to greet the Flyers. They erupted into cheers and sang their approval, throwing sparks of energon towards them. These chips caught the sunlight, glittering and reflecting off the coats of paint that made up Starscream's palette. Blue, red and silver. They floated around the Flyers using the powerful wind system located at the base of the Stadium. A true engineering marvel, Starscream would give it that.
Some Flyers began to fly towards the spectators in greeting, so Starscream followed suit. He was entertained by the audiences and to his utmost delight, the crowd welcomed him with open arms. Waving casually back at the mess of colours, Starscream swiftly glided over. Some Cybertronians were grinning gleefully as he flew by, others surged up to touch his widespread hand, screaming as he went.
That was when he caught sight of a small dot of yellow, flashing against the rays of the sun and shining like a tiny star himself- It was a little bot. He was lucky, sitting at the centre of the stand and had the fullest view of the Race. The little bot's large blue optics were lit with awe as they darted around, following the trails of the Flyers as they zipped across the Stadium. He was reaching out with one servo, while the other clung giddily onto the arm of an older bot.
The bot looked utterly lost in a sea of wonder. He sat there pointing at one Flyer that flew pass his vision, his digit following the small stream of smoke left behind before pointing at another Flyer that went by. Starscream was intrigued, this yellow bot was one he had not seen before. Starscream was a constant competitor of the Race, so he was well acquainted with the types of Cybertronians that came to watch. They were usually around his age, ranging from older teens to young adults that just lacked the guts to actually participate. This was an extreme sport not for the faint of sparks, after all. And this yellow little bot, was young.
The bot pointed his digit at him and froze as his optics landed on Starscream. Starscream's crimson stared straight back into his sky blue ones. With a grin, Starscream flew closer and hovered in front of the bot. He ignored the shouts of the other Cybertronians as they grabbed at his gear, calling out in excitement at their close proximity to a Flyer. Starstream extended his own digit and reached out to the bot, before pressing the tips of their index together.
In an instant the little bot exploded with unfiltered joy, he broke contact with Starscream and started to shake the white forearm of the older bot beside him, who was laughing at the interaction.
"Jazz, Jazz!" The bot cried with amazement, "Did you see that? Did you?"
Jazz, an older teen around Starscream's age, nodded along. "I sure did! I told you this place is cool."
"Aren't you a little too young to be here?" Starscream questioned, fighting the laughter that threatened to bubble out at the other's happy reaction. "Flyers get injured all the time in the Race, it could get messy."
"I'm a young teen," The littld bot reassured, puffing out his chassis with pride. "I can handle it."
"I'm sure you can," Starscream said, taking a liking to his attitude. He stretched out his servo in a proper handshake. "I'm Starscream, by the way."
"I'm Bumblebee!" Bumblebee took his servo and Starscream shook it. Afterwards, Bumblebee retracted his servo with glee, nudging Jazz beside him.
"Don't wash that servo," Starscream said jokingly. "It's been touched by a Champion."
Starscream lifted two digits to his helmet and moved it in an arching motion towards Bumblebee, who waved back with a beaming smile on his face. With that, he lifted off towards the centre, doing a few loops in the process, as the Race was about to start.
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The vast emptiness of the Stadium seemed to seep into Bumblebee's mind, giving off the impression of how small and insignificant he was in such a place. The eerie silence cascaded around him like dense heavy smoke, but he did not feel threatened or hold even a slight hint of unease. Bumblebee sat down at the centre of the stand before dusting off the sit beside him, making sure it was free of debris. He gently placed the bright, blue bundle of spark flowers down and made sure it did not touch the rusted areas of the sit.
The flowers glowed dimly in the moonlight, basking the sit in the soft glow of watercolour blue as the petals rustled gently in the night breeze. The soft remebrance flowers were a deep contrast to the roughness of the sit from rust. And so was Bumblebee, a small dot of yellow in the sea of rusted brown as wear and tear presented itself everywhere in the abandoned Stadium. Yet he was at peace, lost in his own thoughts as Bumblebee glanced around the broken Stadium. He could almost imagine the sound of the booming cheers, feel the heat and excessive energy from the Cybertronians around him and the sun, like a spotlight, shining down upon the Flyers, basking them in all their glory.
It felt as if just yesterday, Cybertron was at peace and Bumblebee was a young teen watching his first ever Race with Jazz. Thankfully the war was over but everything had changed. Bumblebee was an adult now, with responsibilities and a future to worry about. No longer was he stuck at war, now he was finally able to look past tomorrow.
A servo reached out and held onto Bumblebee's own, which was rested on his lap. Bumblebee looked up, the familiar hum of engines working filled his audio receptors as he laid optics upon the bot before him. Blue, red and silver greeted his vision as Starscream, hovering before Bumblebee, smirked.
"Are you frozen or lost in your brain module again?" Starscream questioned, "I didn't know the war hit your helm so hard you've got system errors."
"Shut up," Bumblebee retorted, lacking the usual bite. "I'm just... remembering."
Bumblebee's optics landed onto the bouquet beside him, pulling his servo out of Starscream's grasp, he reached out to gently brush his digits against the soft, cool petals of the spark flower.
"Jazz will be happy with the outcome." Starscream reassured, "He died honourably and was avenged. We made sure of that."
Bumblebee nodded, turning back to give Starscream his signature smile, a broad grin showing off the perfect arch of his dentas. Perhaps some things never change, and he thanked the All Sparks for that.
"Thinking about the first time we met?" Starscream cocked his head, "So sappy. It's making me feel all squirmy."
"Let me be sentimental." Bumblebee said, resisting the urge to roll his optics. "Besides, what other time do I have to pause life and take a break other than tonight?"
Starscream blanched, but decided to humour Bumblebee. "I'm sure you'll be able to rest more now that the war is over." He stretched out his servo, digits outspread invitingly for Bumblebee to take hold, mimicking the first time they met. "I'm Starscream, by the way."
"I'm Bumblebee." Bumblebee knew where Starscream was going and took his servo without hesitation, now already an instinct.
Instead of shaking their hands like the first time, Starscream brought their clasped servos closer, pressing his dermas against Bumblebee's servo. Bumblebee could feel Starscream's dermas pulling into a smile against his plating. He found himself unable to help the soft smile that spread across his own faceplate. Afterwards, Starscream pulled back.
"Don't wash that servo," Starscream joked. "It's been touched by a champion."
Starscream lifted two digits to his helmet with his free servo and moved it in an arching motion towards Bumblebee, who at this point, was too familiar with this gesture. Bumblebee's servo lingered as Starscream pulled away, his spark throbbing as he felt Starscream's digits slipping from his own. He reached out silently, digits outstretched towards Starscream who already flew away.
Bumblebee watched as Starscream did a few graceful loops in the air and grasped at the stream of smoke Starscream left behind, his chassis felt tight as his vents overworked, whirling to keep himself from overheating. Bumblebee stood up unconsciously, as if trying to get closer to Starscream as he went further away, optics never leaving Starscream as he flew towards the night sky. How Bumblebee longed to join him, as Starscream disappeared into the clouds, joining the stars above.
In the end, Starscream's wish had came true. He had became the Star that everyone looked up to.