eliteguardsmen

[eliteguardsmen]

Wait, what about me?

[eliteguardsmen]

milkii-galaxii​:

So he was forged not long before the war. She’d thought he spent most of his life before that like the others. There was nothing else to say about it after that. Star leaned back in the passenger seat, staring up at the car’s ceiling. She tried to relax and indulge herself in whatever the radio was playing at the moment. From the Autobots’ description, she attempted to visualize how Cybertron is like. Advanced in technology, streets bustling with people of their kind. It must be an interesting place, but it was unsettling when Jack told them the current state of the planet after he’d seen it himself.

She was quiet for the past few minutes, closing her eyes and letting her mind wander for a bit. Star opened her eyes and looked out of the window. There was nothing but the sandy landscape. So far, Star has been pretty comfortable in the car.

“ I’ve been the one asking questions for the past few minutes. Is there anything you would like to ask? ”

“Mm...” Smokescreen slowed down as he racked his mind for questions.  He had many, sure, but which ones were appropriate, and how many could he ask before Star got annoyed?

“ What’s that fluffy stuff on top of your head?” he asked after a long moment of quiet thought.  He’d been meaning to ask one of the humans for a while.  He really couldn’t understand what its purpose was, or how the humans could get it trimmed without a tremendous amount of pain.  What was it even called?

[eliteguardsmen]

milkii-galaxii​:

As he explained, she listened closely. It felt tedious by how he had described his training. Star couldn’t imagine going into war like that. It’s either survived or get killed. She knew how brutal it could be. Even now, she wondered why can’t people live in harmony without the need to wage a war. Nothing good ever came out from it, only deaths. Countless of deaths. The girl sighed as she brushed that thought off. She was quiet for awhile, before she began to speak again. 

“ I hope this is alright for you to answer. How… How was Cybertron like? Before the war? ”

She’ve asked this question to the others already, but Star couldn’t help but to remain curious of a planet that was actually inhabited by living beings.

“ Sorry if you’re uncomfortable to say it, it’s alright- ” she said anxiously.

“No, no, it’s okay!” he assured her.  “I don’t remember much before the war, though.  I was really young when it started.  You’d be better off asking one of the older bots.”

Smokescreen took a moment to think about his early life as he rounded a curve in the road.  He had grown up during the war, more or less, but he’d been created before it started.  What could he remember from that far-off time?

“I remember being happy,” he said.  “Maybe things were getting worse already, I don’t know.  But I had bots who took care of me.”  He idly flicked through radio stations, even though he wasn’t in the mood to listen to anything at the moment.  “Of course, I lost them soon after the war started.  After that, I was pretty much on my own, so I signed up for the Elite Guard.”

[eliteguardsmen]

milkii-galaxii​:

“ Well, I was the fourth one to join in later. Decepticons thought I was one of the Autobots’ human allies, but I didn’t have any idea of you guys’ existence back then. They held me hostage. I think my kidnappers are named Knockout and Breakdown, if I’m correct. The Autobots were very confused when they sent a message to tell them they had me, still believing I was their ally. I was pretty scared. I was completely helpless, but fortunately Arcee and the others came to my rescue. So yeah, that’s how I met them. ”

Star remembered the incident as if it had occurred just yesterday. The terror and everything. Sharp red sinister optics on her. The thought made her shudder a bit. Though the Autobots meant no harm when they’d saved her, she couldn’t help but to feel terrified by a group of massive-sized robots. It had taken sometime for her to feel comfortable around them, except for Ratchet. She felt safe whenever she’s close to him. 

“ Say, I heard that you are an Elite Guard. How is it like? What did you learn? ”

Oh.  So the Decepticons were that desperate.

“Well, I’m not really the best bot to ask,” he told her.  “By the time I joined, the war was well under way, and things were a lot worse.  After I finished my training, I was immediately appointed to my post guarding Alpha Trion, so I never saw real action.”  A few days ago, he had sounded bitter while telling the Autobots this, but now he just seemed to regret not being able to do more.

“It was basically like a boot camp,” he continued.  “Big focus on discipline and knowing and following protocol.  Which, I mean, I know why, but it was still boring.  I learned a lot more once I was stationed in the Hall of Records.”  Smokescreen’s time in the Hall seemed like it had ended only days ago, but he knew some time had to have passed between his capture and his arrival on Earth.  Just how much time, he had no idea, and the longer he spent on this planet, the more hesitant he was to find out.  What if he had been in stasis for millions of years?  How long had he been asleep?

He really, really didn’t like dwelling on those feelings.  “You know, it was basically a big library, and I was allowed access to pretty much everything in there,” he said to Star.  “And the big A was a good teacher, too.”

[eliteguardsmen]

milkii-galaxii​:

Alright, this was too fast. Way too fast for her liking. She held onto her seatbelt as he sped out of the tunnel. Soon enough, she was back under the daylight. She was relieved that he finally decelerated a little, so she slowly relaxed in her seat. Star could see Bumblebee following behind them in the rear view mirror.

“ Nah, I’m 14. Can’t drive yet, ” she replied, “ The minimum age to legally drive is 16 years old here in Nevada. ”

She furrowed her eyebrows. Doing anything illegal. No one has ever said something like that. It doesn’t seem appropriate. No doubt, Smokescreen had done things which would be considered illegal at least to the Autobots. She knew he had exposed himself to a human when he shouldn’t, and the incident about Vince’s car being covered with burgers? Yes, she knew that too. While Vince was a jerk, Star didn’t really approve that he and Jack done that. She guessed Smokescreen had a lot to learn on Earth. Instead of voicing out her disagreement about him being reckless, she quickly changed the topic.

“ Have the others told you how I met the Autobots? ” she asked.

“Nope!” Smokescreen said cheerfully, slowing to a comfortable cruising speed.  He could easily go much faster (as he had just proven), but he didn’t want to irritate his passenger.  “Jack said he and Raf caught them fighting in town, but he didn’t say anything about you or Miko.”

Now that he was thinking about it, he wondered why the Autobots took the kids in the first place.  All of them had families of their own, and he highly doubted the Decepticons were so desperate to win the war that they’d track down human children.  It didn’t seem like Ratchet wanted them around, and they did have a way of getting... underfoot.  He didn’t mind all that much, and the other bots seemed to like them, but it wasn’t like they could be very useful, could they?

 He didn’t want to make assumptions.  He didn’t know anything about humans, after all, aside from the fact that they were small and rather squishy.  Maybe he could ask Optimus when they got back.

[eliteguardsmen]

milkii-galaxii​:

“ Woah! ”

She was definitely not expecting such a flashy-looking car. Star always loved those cars, they were stylish. Her eyes sparkled with amazement as she walked closer to take a better look. She ran her hands on the sleek surface. She can’t help but to let out a ‘woah’ again, but realizing this was still someone’s body, her hands quickly drooped back. Star didn’t go red, but there was a pink tinge appearing on her cheeks. When he wanted to give her a ‘test drive’, she beamed brightly and clasped her hands together, clearly excited.

“ I would love to! But uuuh- ”

She looked at Rachet who was still occupied with his work, but it seemed like he could feel the stare. He casted a glance at her before letting out a huff.

“ Make sure you wear seatbelt. ”

She grinned, “ I will! ”

Star eagerly hopped into the car and pull the seatbelt out to wear it. The medic glanced his optics over the scout, who got his message before shifting into his alt mode, intending to follow Smokescreen and Star. (Ratchet couldn’t possibly trust Smokescreen with Star’s safety after what had happened a few days ago.)

If Smokescreen was annoyed by the idea of Bumblebee following them, he didn’t show it.  He slammed his door shut and peeled out of the base, leaving Bee to scramble after them.  It would be fine, he reasoned.  If anyone could keep up with him, it was the muscle car.

“It’s been forever since I got the chance to really drive,” he told her.  Once they were out of the base, he slowed down to a more reasonable (though still high) speed.  “Do you drive?  Jack told me humans used vehicles to get around, but he also said you had to be a certain age to drive them.  Legally, anyway.  I mean, if you’re doing anything illegal, I won’t tell.  I’ve done some things, too.  Not bad things!” he said quickly.  “Just... things.”  

Way to go, Smokescreen.  That totally wasn’t suspicious.

[eliteguardsmen]

milkii-galaxii​:

Star was beginning to feel awkward. She could tell he was nervous, even though he didn’t try to show it. However, she still gave him a polite smile, her blush seeming to cool down a bit.

“ Yes, it’s Star, ” she let out a giggle.

The girl also heard Smokescreen from Arcee on the same day Jack and the other two spoke of him. The two-wheeler remarked his prideful trait to be exhausting. ‘Rather reckless’, she had added, ‘Nearly put Jack’s life at risk’. That gave Star a mixed feeling for the Elite Guard, but she was willing to give him a chance. Perhaps he isn’t so bad?  

“ Nice to meet you. I hope you’re feeling comfortable in this place. ”

And she had nothing else to say. She pressed her lips into a thin line, trying to think of something to say.

“ Say, I haven’t seen your vehicle mode. Won’t mind showing me, Smokescreen? ”

Smokescreen’s wings perked up, and a crooked grin overtook his face.  “I thought you’d never ask,” he said, taking a step back for caution’s sake before transforming.

His vehicle was a sleek, shiny sports car with 38′s on both the doors.  Definitely not the most low-profile form, but he seemed so proud of it, popping open the passenger door for Star and inviting her in.

“Come on,” he beckoned, revving his engine.  “Let’s go for a drive.”  He’d been itching to get out of the base and onto those rough desert roads, and Star provided the perfect excuse.  He could run his motor and get to know her better at the same time!  It was a win-win situation, wasn’t it?

[eliteguardsmen]

milkii-galaxii​:

Her blush only darken when he leaned down. Her mind was rushing with many thoughts. The others had talked about her? Miko better not had said anything. But, Star doubted she wouldn’t say anything. Miko just couldn’t keep her mouth shut for once, like how she told Wheeljack that the girl took a fancy to him. Not like it was any harm, but Star preferred some things to be kept a secret. She glanced away from the Elite Guard, while pinching the bridge of her nose. Star couldn’t possibly stay silent, seeing that Smokescreen was concerned of her state. Plus, she would look too obvious that she was enamoured of him. Bumblebee let out a couple of beeps, which was close to being a chuckle. The girl shot a glare at the scout for a second, before her face softened when looking back at Smokescreen.

“ I’m… I’m alright, ” she said once she cleared her throat, face remaining flushed scarlet, “ Sorry, I’m just nervous when talking with people I’ve just met. ”

“Oh, so am I!” Smokescreen said, even though he clearly wasn’t.  Was he trying to make her feel more comfortable, though, or was he just not self-aware?  “Don’t worry, everyone only had good things to say about you.  It’s Luna, right?”  He quickly shook his head.  “No, no, no, that’s the other one.  Sorry, it’s Star.  I remember now.  You know, it’s just... you both being named after celestial bodies and all...”  He was rambling now.  He didn’t even notice half the time he did it, and when he did, he couldn’t figure out how to shut his mouth.

Without giving the kid enough time to respond, he asked, “It’s Star, right?” He was obviously trying to act cool, but his voice had a nervous undertone to it.  He really didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with this person, not like he had with Bulkhead.  Or Arcee.  Or Ratchet.  Or... well, everyone, really.  He was spectacularly bad at first impressions.

He just wanted someone to like him.  Was that too much to ask?

[eliteguardsmen]

milkii-galaxii​:

The road was desolate as in the many other days. Only a car is seen driving through the dry, barren and sandy domain. The yellow scout was driving steadily back to base, along with a human companion. Star only finally have the time to visit the base after a busy week. Jack and the others were still yet occupied with their schoolwork, so she was the only one visiting the Autobots. The lavender-haired girl was feeling excited. She heard from Jack that they had another Autobot in their team, by the name of Smokescreen. Miko had a photo of him to show her. It had made her heart flutter. Star was feeling giddy and thrilled to meet him. She combed her hair carefully. Bumblebee let out a string of teaseful beeps from his stereo. The human didn’t need to know what he was saying to figure out he was teasing her.

“ S-Shut up! ” she flushed bright red and slapped his dashboard.

Soon enough, she could see the base ahead. Star quickly turned a blind ear to Bee’s consistent teasing and resumed combing her hair straight. They drew closer. Star couldn’t sit properly in her seat as Bee drove into the tunnel. Bumblebee slowly came into a halt, and swung the door open for Star. She inhaled deeply, before coming out of the car. As usual, Ratchet could be seen busying himself, but he acknowledged her presense. The medic nodded silently as the girl gave a greeting smile. It seemed like the others were out on a mission, probably. Star then noticed the new face. The colour of pink bloomed across her face so quickly. Her heart began beating hard in her chest. Star managed to keep herself collected though, despite the obvious blushing on her face.

“ H-Hello there! You must be Smokescreen- ”

@eliteguardsmen​

The new bot quickly whipped around, looking around his eye level for someone who was not there.  A look of confusion crossed his face, but it disappeared when he looked down at her.

“That's me!” he confirmed.  “You must be the human the others told me about.”  He'd grown surprisingly fond of the other kids over the past few days, and he had no doubts that he'd come to like this one, too.

After a moment, he frowned and leaned down. “Are you okay?” he asked.  The girl's face was red, and though he didn't know much about humans, he was pretty sure that wasn't a good thing.  Maybe she was overheated?  Or maybe some humans were just naturally that color.  He ought to ask Ratchet.  Of course, there was a chance that Ratchet would tell him to stop bothering him with silly questions and shoo him out of the medbay, but there was also the chance that he would not do that.