TFP - Freezing Absence

4. Enemies Made

        “Oh, ScatterFlare,” Starscream called from down the hall as the young femme walked alone. It was one of the few, though multiplying, days where she was allowed to wander the ship on her own. As she grew, Flare was being allowed more freedom of movement by Soundwave, though it was a risky decision to make. “Come talk to your Uncle Starscream, won’t you?” The sleek mech asked, watching her as she turned to face him.

        “I don’t think I trust you,” Flare told him bluntly, not out of malice or from what she’d ever been told, but simply because she didn’t like the vibe the Seeker gave off. “I need to go see Daddy now.”

        “Oh, Megatron doesn’t want to see you,” Starscream insisted as he walked closer to the young femme. “He’s far too busy to be bothered with a silly young femme. Especially one calling him by such a degrading title. Have you no shame, Femme?”

        “You’re jealous,” Flare muttered, shifting herself. “Because he hates you.”

        “Open your optics,” Starscream taunted with a smirk. “He hates you, too.”

        “He does not!” Flare insisted, staring up at the much taller mech. “Don’t tell me lies you horrid, worthless Seeker!”

        Starscream merely laughed. “Well, well, Flare. It would appear you’re not as innocent as  you appear and that your parentage is coming out, now isn’t it? Two bitter, hateful parents do not rightfully produce a happy, loving femme. And one of these days, you will understand exactly how much hate rests in your spark.

        “I do not hate,” ScatterFlare shot back, her nervous energy building at both the Seeker’s words, and his proximity. “I simply tell the truth when I see it fit to be done. And you are a horrid, worthless Seeker who does not deserve to be in my sire’s company.”

        His strike came before Flare could process it, the palm of his hand stinging across her cheek. Flare gasped at the pain as she was sent toppling to the ground, the shock of the action nearly as scarring as the impact itself. A Decepticon had never laid a hand upon her before, except for her father, and that was only when she’d aggravated him.

        But Megatron’s strikes were nothing like this. StarScream hadn’t held back. Even when Megatron had dealt a strong blow to her, it had always felt cushioned, at least compared to this. The Decepticon warlord had always held something back in order to avoid any sort of serious harm being dealt to Flare.

        Starscream couldn’t have cared less. Actually, when Flare thought about it, he could’ve. Starscream wanted to harm her. The Seeker genuinely wanted to cause the young femme harm. Not for her words, but for something deeper and more poisonous. It was irrational and it didn’t click in Flare’s processor. She’d hardly interacted with the Seeker at all. Soundwave had always protected her from the Seeker, promptly leading her away from the sleek, silver mech should he be encountered in the halls.

        Flare had wondered about those moments and why Soundwave had always been insistent on keeping her away from this mech. Now, she understood quite well why that was. This mech, for whatever reason, despised her.

        Flare yelped as Starscream’s ped struck her midsection, sending her sprawling down the hall, a pain growing beneath her armor. “St-stop it,” she muttered, her faceplate contorting in pain. “Just stop . . .”

        “Oh, what are you going to do?” Starscream asked, taunting her again, knowing she was small and fragile. “Go running to ‘Daddy’?”

        “G-Get out of here,” Flare warned, even though she knew the odds of her capabilities to back up that threat were slim to none.

        “You’re not very scary,” Starscream pointed out as he stalked closer to her. “But don’t worry. I won’t offline you. Not yet. I’d rather play with you instead.”