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Stars glittered in the night sky like a reflection of the city lights. Senator Shockwave stood arms crossed and leaning against the side of a bench. His foot tapped absentmindedly as he waited for a certain blue bot to come back. Blurr had raced off to find a local street vendor, eagerly needing food after a long day of race training. This was a little tradition of theirs. Every night they'd wander the streets in search of local foods for dinner, although it's mainly for Blurr. Shockwave doesn't eat much.
It was impossible to see through the sea of Cybertronians driving and striding down and up the street. Bustling crowds were one of Shockwave’s favorite places. Everyone was too distracted with friends and places to pay any mind to him. He never felt alone in these busy streets. The crowd was dense so Shockwave did not even pretend he would be able to see Blurr in the wave of people, so instead he patiently stared up at the sky. Without a doubt, the senator knew Blurr would return in his own time.
Sure enough, a familiarly soft blue emerged from the stampede of other mechs. He carried a concerningly large amount of food. From various meats to sauteed vegetables and scrambled eggs, this mech had it all. If Shock hadn’t known what Blurr did for a living, he would question how this mech could not only afford it, but be able to actually eat it. Blurr plopped down onto the bench with a loud thump. Something was off about his demeanor, so Shockwave sat down next to him. He watched as Blurr chowed down angrily on fried chicken and devoured it in under a minute. It was almost comical how unnecessarily speedy he could be when doing the most mundane activities.
“Something’s bothering you,” Senator Shockwave said, leaning forward to see Blurr’s face better. The blue mech swallowed the last bit of chicken he’d been chewing and wiped crumbs away with the back of his arm.
“The only thing bothering me is the fact that this apple is whole. I don’t like them uncut, but the vendor owner didn’t have any pre-cut nor would she cut them for me,” Blurr replied, waving the red apple in his hand. Of course he was trying to change the subject. Shockwave was frankly unimpressed by his lackluster diversion tactics, but went along with it anyway. He took the apple into his own hands. Placing his palms around the sides, fingers on the bottom and his thumbs on top, he squeezed until the apple split in two down the middle. Blurr sat up from his slumped position in surprise.
“Apples can do that?” He gaped, “I didn’t know knives were basically irrelevant! Wait this means I’ve been avoiding uncut apples this whole time when I could’ve just—”he gestures to the apple pieces—”This whole time? Can you teach me?” Before the senator could even open his mouth, Blurr was inhaling to start speaking again. He stuffed half of the apple slice into the racer’s mouth. By some miracle of Primus, the celebrity still kept talking even through chewing the apple, though it was rather muffled and incoherent. Shockwave leaned back, taking a bite out of the other apple.
“Hey, I bought that with my own money!” Blurr said.
“Mm, yeah, but don’t I deserve a little something for helping out?” Senator Shockwave grinned, “Plus you have a whole bag.” The bag of apples sat neatly next to Blurr’s leg, still full of fruit.
“Fine. If I get hungry later it’s your fault though,” He pouted. Blurr jabbed a finger at Shockwave’s shoulder with a scowl. The senator only threw his head back with laughter. It almost made his stomach hurt, but this odd blue guy was just too funny. Shockwave couldn’t imagine how missing half an apple would leave the racer starving. What a hilarious over exaggeration. However, Blurr looked utterly betrayed by the sudden fit of amusement at his expense.
“Sorry lad, that was rude of me. I’ll buy you dessert,” Shockwave said, wiping tears away. Finding the apology sufficient, Blurr shrugged and went back to stuffing his mouth full of scrambled eggs. That was before he stopped to slowly turn back to Shockwave.
“You still haven’t shown me how to do that apple trick,” Blurr backtracked. Putting down the massive bowl of scrambled eggs, he pulled out another apple. “Show me?” He asked again. The senator sighed and turned his body to face Blurr.
“Only if you don’t talk over me,” Shockwave responded. Blurr nodded intently, moving his pile of half eaten food to the side of the bench and turned to also face the other. The senator took Blurr’s hands and gently positioned them correctly around the apple. He explained why one’s hands should be stationed like this, then he let go. “Now squeeze until the apple pops apart.”
Blurr was sent into a deep state of focus as he attempted to pull the apple apart. His tongue stuck out the side and his optic ridges furrowed in concentration. Never before had Shockwave seen someone so mentally dedicated to cracking a fruit. The world seemed to disappear around them, turning into a mere whirl of color.
Suddenly the bright red apple snapped at the core, separating it into two, even pieces. Blurr cheered at his own victory and laughed like a new-spark. Beguiled by Blurr’s reaction, Shockwave gave a small round of applause with a smile.
“Feel better?” Shockwave asked, slinging his arm over Blurr's shoulders and crossing his leg over his own knee.
Blurr chuckled, “Never felt down to begin with.” He was obviously lying. Most people avoided talking about their emotions, especially Blurr, so Shockwave didn’t push. Instead he casually caught the apple slice that Blurr chucked his way. “And… thank you.”
“Not a problem, my dear friend. Now are you going to finish those scrambled eggs? I’m hungry.”
“Pfft, go ahead tough guy. I think I might’ve bought too much of it anyway.”
“Shockwave?” A blue mech pleaded, distant and faint, “Shockwave, talk to me. Please.” A hand tugged at Shockwave's arm. The touch was strange, as if he had felt it before, but it was different on his plating now. The vacant city streets around them were odd and distorted in his vision.
“I don’t know who you are,” Shockwave replied, his own voice sounding unnatural. He pulled his arm away from the blue mech. Blurr’s bright blue optics glinted with what looked like tears, but Shockwave felt… nothing. Not even a smidge of pity.
“We used to walk down these sidewalks together, our little nightly strolls. Don't you remember?" Blurr asked. But trying to reason with the other seemed to do nothing, and Shockwave simply tilted his head to the side. "Come on, don't look at me that way. This isn’t like you!"
“Isn’t it?” He replied emotionless, “This is all I am. Nothing more, nothing less."
Blurr shook his head, tears threatening to line his face with coolant, body quivering, “No, I remember you before. You were so much more than what they’ve done to you.”
“Hardly important,” Shockwave said. The sky was dark and stars shined brightly. He began walking away from Blurr, his legs feeling unusually heavy. Weight that he wasn’t used to pulled on his body every which way. Blurr stood watching as Shockwave lumbered off and finally the tears began to fall. They went from a mournful glitter to streams of regret down his burning cheeks.
Every ounce of new metal and purple paint on his frame was something Blurr despised. His yellow optic looked upon the world, ignorant to the mutilation and defamation he underwent, no visible fight left in him. Blurr hated that; he hated the Senate. Silent tears streamed hot down his silver face. Soft metal glistened in the starlight with deep sorrow, fists clenched with self-hatred. Pathetic. That’s what he was. Too pathetic to save Shockwave, and too powerless to change the result.
Shockwave stopped walking for a moment, “I may not recall your name, but know that does not change what we might’ve had together,” he hesitated, “Even if we must become two instead of one, cherish those memories.” Blurr sniffled and looked up. A small smile crossed his tired face. He nodded, and Shockwave turned away and left. The large mech vanished into the dark twisting paths of the city.
“Heh, just like the apples we used to eat together. The irony,” Blurr whispered to himself. His voice fell back into a quiet sob just out of Shockwave's audio range. Shadows from the night isolated the ‘bot. He felt small compared to the all-consuming dark. So he buried his face in his hands to hide from the world, and to muffle the weeps he desperately tried to hold back.
Some things were never meant to last. No matter how sweet the fruit, rot is inevitable.