Domestic Disturbance

Chapter 8 : Chat

Prowl just didn't understand.

He watched with wide, confused optics as his leader and friend risked his own safety to personally deliver an energon cube to a Decepticon. Starscream had only woken up yesterday, and could still very well be rattled at finding himself alone and caged in the Ark. It was foolish to think that this simple gesture would cause even the slightest positive reaction in the prisoner. If Optimus thought that he could gain the seeker's trust this way he would be sorely mistaken. Prowl could only hope he would learn this before something terrible happened.

"Prime, I really don't see why you have to go in there alone. Why not let Ironhide or Jazz go with you?"

Optimus shrugged slightly, balancing the cube in one servo as he unlocked the cell door with his other. "I don't want to overwhelm him, Prowl."

"And so you risk being overwhelmed yourself!" The strategist scoffed. "It's foolish to do this alone!"

"You will be right outside the cell. I can call you if I feel it is necessary."

The black and white mech crossed his arms. "Just what do you hope to gain?"

"Today..." The semi sighed. "I just hope I can get him to relax."

Prowl made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a cough. "Relax...good luck with that."

Ignoring his officer Prime opened the door, stepping in carefully. Starscream was practically right where he had left him. Sitting on the berth with his back against the wall, huddled as far away from the door as possible. His optics dark as if he were in recharge. Optimus closed the door behind him, hearing it lock. Prowl would open it as soon as he was beckoned to do so. For now he was caged in with his prisoner.

The jet stirred when he heard the faint shift of a bolt. Optics fluttering on, he jerked awake in terror when he saw the Autobot general only an arms length away.

"Calm down." The red mech muttered as he placed the cube on the floor near the cot.

Starscream sputtered for a second, spark stirring in panic as he tried to think of something impressionable to spit back at the intrusive mech.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Autobot! You disturb me from my rest and expect me to obey you!?"

"Ah you're as feisty as ever." Optimus chuckled and settled himself to the floor and against the makeshift cell door, leaning back and making a show of getting comfortable. "I'm glad to see you are on the road to recovery.

His plan was to lure the seeker into a sense of security. Slowly showing him that he meant no harm until eventually the Con would lower his defenses. It was a much more friendly way of interrogation than the Decepticon's usual methods. Starscream may not understand this version of the game. Hoping to catch the jet off guard, Optimus would keep his conversing light hearted. It would take some time and patience, but it was worth it if it would pay off in the end.

"Huh...you think you can fool me, Prime?" The seeker eyed the cube with a disdainful stare. "Earn my trust with gifts?"

"Not gifts, Starscream. Just energon. Something you need to live comfortably." Optimus relaxed, looking like he was leisurely basking in the sun.

"And you think I'm going to accept it?" Starscream sneered.

"Well you don't have to." He waved his servo carelessly in the cubes direction. "It can wait until later. In the mean time, why don't we have a little chat?"

The Decepticon tensed. Glaring mistrustfully at the calm and collected mech sitting on the floor in front of him. Of course the Autobot wanted to talk. Talking gives way to information and information was not something the red and white mech was prepared to give yet. Prime would have to earn it. Starscream could play this little game too. Luring the General along until he would spring his own trap. But a game was only as fun as one would make it. He had all the time in the world to play with this Autobot and he would make the most of it.

"I'd rather not." He growled. "I can hold out longer than you, Prime. So you can just sit there and stare all you like."

"That's ok." The reply was warm and yet sly all in the same sentence. "I can admire the work my medic and mechanic have done from here. They sure did a good job of gluing you back together."

The jet made a scandalized noise and unconsciously moved his servos to cover himself. Turning his nose up at the Autobot, who would be grinning if he had a mouth, and shifting his weight so was no longer facing the semi, but staring straight at another wall. A small "hmmph" before he brought his knees up to his chest and rested his arms over them, perfectly portraying an immature and Hell bent attempt to ignore the other presence in the room.

It wasn't hard at all for Starscream to thoroughly ignore a mech when he chose too. Years of practice made his shell a metaphorical rubber. Everything from insults to physical jarring bounced off him, leaving the jet unperturbed.

However, to add the affect, he tossed a quick glance in the red mech's direction, catching blue optics, and glancing away with a little spooked jerk.

Optimus held back a chuckle. It seemed like his tactics where being matched blow for blow. Starscream was obviously well practiced in this game and would require a little more time than he had initially believed. Well, if the seeker was going to provide a challenge, Prime would graciously accept. But for now, this match had turned into a battle of will.

"You can't ignore me forever, Decepticon."

"You'd be surprise how many years I've had at mastering the art of ignoring, Autobot."

Surprisingly enough neither backed down. Five hours into the stand off, and Starscream had hardly moved. Optics still wearing a hole through the wall, the only shift in his posture was that to show slight fatigue. Leaning his helm against the wall, and servos resting in his lap. While not the most exciting game he had ever played, this was certainly the most interesting. While he remained silent, Prime had been chatting at him off and on. Nothing spiteful or provoking. Merely chatting. Useless bits of information about Earth that he had noticed. Comparing the planet to their home world of Cybertron. Even things as boring as the weather. Perhaps it was time to take it to a new level. Give the Prime a small victory to encourage him later. He felt the mech disserved a small bone for his determination. Megatron certainly wouldn't have lasted this long. He would have ended the game four hours ago, dragging Starscream to the nearest and most secluded location and done things that were extremely hard to ignore.

Starscream pulled himself out of his meditation and threw his servos up in the air, as if the comment on the human's bazaar fascination with clothing was the last straw, and shot the Autobot an irritated glare.

"Alright! Enough of your prattling!" He snapped. "What do I have to do to make you shut up?"

Optimus seemed slightly affected by the seekers sudden outburst. He sat up and shifted closer to the berth, looking more alert then he had a few moments ago when he was leaning casually against the door as if he were having a picnic with his Autobot buddies. While the semi would see this as a crumbling in his defenses, Starscream would use this as a way to lure him closer.

"Well spit it out! What does it take to make you leave me alone?" The jet snarled as he too sat up, into a crouched position, displaying an eagerness for whatever it was the Prime had to say.

"Oh, well I hadn't really thought of anything yet." Optimus scratched at his helm in a puzzled manor.

Crimson optics narrowed fiercely, regarding the Autobot with utter distain.

"You disturbed me for this long, merely to chat?"

"Of course. I told you that when I first brought you that cube." He gestured to the long forgotten energon. "I only wished to talk with you."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" The seeker all but laughed, if he wasn't feigning outrage. "You Autobots are....infuriating!"

"And you Decepticons are certainly a stubborn bunch. I honestly didn't think you had it in you. Thought you loved the sound of your own voice too much."

"Why you..." Starscream growled, clenching his fists. "You'll never get me to talk now!"

"But I already have." Optimus pointed out with much enthusiasm. "You're talking right now."

"I could argue that you were the only bot talking at that exact moment when you said 'now'." The jet grinned. "You're not only infuriating and stupid, you're a liar."

"And you're immature for an Air Commander." Prime would have grinned back if he could. "But this insulting one another is getting us no where."

Optimus stood and moved closer to the jet, surprised that he was not backing himself away at the sudden advance. Starscream merely narrowed his red optics and glared as the mech took a seat on the corner of his berth. Another small victory he let the mech have.

"I really wished to talk about what had happened to you."

Regarding the Autobot for a moment, Starscream pondered his next move. Perhaps it was too soon to gain that much ground with the Autobot. He already proved that he knew the Autobot wouldn't hurt him by allowing such a breach of his comfort zone. It would be too simple to just give in now. No he would hold his cards a little longer and try to gain the Autobot's curiosity.

"What's there to know." He growled, adverting his optics from the other mech. "He tried to kill me, just like you said."

"Yes, but why?" The question seemed concerned. If he was faking sympathy, then Starscream would have to give the Autobot credit for his bluff. "Why would he do that?"

"Now that, is none of your business." Starscream lied, for he knew that it did involve Prime. After all, it was his prying into Megatron's little secret that got him where he was now. But the Autobot didn't need to know that now. He would most likely find out himself, when Megatron got his servos on him. Starscream almost pitied the other mech for a moment.

Optimus watched the seeker closely for a moment, not sure how to continue. He knew he was stepping on sensitive territory. He didn't wish to push the Con too far and risk loosing the ground he had gained. Yet he wanted to know more. He had seen Megatron's reactions to Starscream in the past. Whenever the ambitious jet would leap forward and declare himself superior, it would only take a small amount of force to push him back into line. What had happened this time, however, to produce such a violent response?

Perhaps he should end this here today. Leave the jet with his thoughts. If Starscream was trying to manipulate him, then he would cut this off now, leaving the Decepticon frustrated with little or no pull. Perhaps he would would cough something up in order to continue trying to lure Optimus in. Once the seeker started to talk, he may find it easier to keep talking. In case Optimus was reading far too much into this, he would at least make his message clear to Starscream that he was in no way trying to pressure him. It would be another method of gaining trust.

"Ok, I understand." He stood and moved towards the door, not noticing the small flicker of disappointment on the seeker's face. "You should drink that cube, Starscream. You need your strength."

Starscream all but grasped for straws in order to think of something to say. He didn't want to end this yet. He wanted to at least rile up the Autobot's curiosity more before finally cutting him off. He had the Prime where he wanted him and now in an unexpected turn of events the Autobot was the one cutting it off.

"S-strength?" He managed to blurt out before the Prime had made it to the door. "Strength for what? For more chatting?"

"If that's what you would like. I'll be back tomorrow for another little talk."

The door hissed closed, once again, leaving the seeker fuming in his tiny cell.