Non Solum Fugere

It's All on Silverbolt's Shoulders, Part 2

A few days later, Fireflight was called into Silverbolt's office (which was really just his room).

"Yes, Silverbolt?" he asked. Silverbolt sighed, and Fireflight noticed that he looked really sad. Hopefully, Fireflight's plan to make everyone like them would work, because if it did, it might mean that Silverbolt wouldn't look so sad anymore. He had already managed to find about a quarter of the items on the list, and he figured that he'd manage to get something for every one of the Autobots by the end of the month.

"Cliffjumper has been accusing you of treachery. Do you have any idea why he might be doing that?" Silverbolt replied. Fireflight frowned. He knew that Cliffjumper had a habit of accusing various Autobots of treachery, but he had no idea what he might have done that would've gotten him accused.

"Cliffjumper's saying I'm a traitor?"

"I'll take that to mean that you don't know why he's been accusing you."

"Nope. Sorry I don't know, Silverbolt," Fireflight replied. Silverbolt sighed again, sounding really tired.

"It's not your fault, Fireflight. If anything, it's mine. Maybe if I had been a better leader, the other Autobots would respect us by now," he replied.

"It's not your fault, either, Silverbolt," Fireflight said quickly. He didn't want Silverbolt to blame himself for the fact that the other Autobots didn't like them. Silverbolt had always done everything right! A few seconds later, Skydive entered the room. Fireflight didn't know where he had come from, but he assumed he must've overheard them talking.

"Fireflight is right, Silverbolt. It doesn't matter what you do or don't do. Because you look like the enemy, some Autobots will always treat you like the enemy. You're as loyal to Optimus Prime as any of the Autobots, but it doesn't matter. You look like a Seeker, so the best you can hope for from them are backhanded compliments about how much you don't act like a Seeker," he said coldly. Fireflight frowned. Surely things weren't that hopeless!

"It's not like that, is it? They don't really hate the way we look so much that they'll never like us, do they?" he asked. Silverbolt patted his hand gently.

"No, of course not, Fireflight. They're just not used to us yet, that's all," Silverbolt replied. Skydive frowned.

"Don't lie to him, Silverbolt. It's not going to matter how long we're here or how much time the Autobots have to get used to us. To some of them, we'll never be anything but a bunch of potential traitors. And I for one have no desire to bend over backwards to please a group of prejudiced bullies who will never see past the fact that we have aerial alternate modes," he said.

"Skydive, we have to get along with them and convince them that we're trustworthy, no matter what it takes. It's our duty as members of this army to prove to our teammates that we can be relied upon. Optimus Prime expects it of us."

"Do you really think that Optimus Prime expects us to just accept being ostracized and insulted by our own supposed allies, Silverbolt?"

"No, I think he expects us to stop picking fights with the other Autobots. Slingshot and Air Raid give just as good as they get. You know that, Skydive!"

"If you call losing your temper and punching Sunstreaker after he's insulted and threatened Fireflight for ten minutes because of a slight scratch to his paint "picking fights", I suppose." Fireflight whimpered at the memory. Sunstreaker was scary when he was mad.

"Sunstreaker's a frontliner. He's been through a lot, especially at the hands of Seekers," Silverbolt said weakly.

"And that gives him free reign to threaten Fireflight with mutilation?"

"He wouldn't have really-"

"It's Sunstreaker, Silverbolt. He absolutely would have." Silverbolt sighed wearily.

"I...I need some time to think. You're both dismissed." Skydive saluted and exited the room.

"Bye, Silverbolt. I hope you feel better after you do some thinking," Fireflight said. Then, he, too, left the room...only to hear Silverbolt let out an exhausted-sounding groan.

"What am I going to do?"