A Little Curiosity

[4_toteachus]

WHO: Four and Prime!Starscream
WHERE: Liege's Fortress
WHEN: Forward dated to... whenever Drift's party is
WHAT: Four
WARNINGS: Stitchpunk mauling

Four wasn't inclined to leave his safe little area too often. Sure, he wanted to go out and explore the world like anyone else, but he did have to keep in mind that he was only seven inches tall in a land of giants. In the end he decided that one couldn't discover things if they never took the risk, so he set out to seek this 'party' that was apparently going on. He didn't plan to mingle too much, but he did want to see how the Cybertronians interacted with each other... it would make a fascinating study!

The tiny stitchpunk crept out of his safe area and into the hallway, mindful of his surroundings, but excited to be going someplace new. What could go wrong?

Comments

A little torture fun. We can have our own party

[my_own_trope]

Where Four had to walk everywhere, and saw it as nothing but one more tool at his disposal when it came to learning about the world around him, Starscream saw walking as a curse at this point, and had sullenly sequestered himself away in Liege's temple in a similar fashion, but for a completely different reason.

He too knew about the 'party' going on, and was bitter as hell that he couldn't join in with those reindeer games. So instead he stalked down Liege's halls, looking for something to pilfer for one of the projects he was currently working on.

In lieu of a lab full of little tools all alone, begging to be adopted by Lord Starscream, the seeker's attention was caught by something else. Some small movement on the floor.

Starscream slowed down.

"What do we have here?"

[4_toteachus]

Four felt the vibrations of Starscream's magnificently heeled feet long before he saw him. Instinct told him to run and hide but he decided to ignore them again. His encounters with robots giants haven't been too bad so far, so there was no need to be too overly worried right?

Starscream appeared and Four realized that maybe he should have listened to himself. While he didn't believe really believe he was in any danger; he was still nervous that... something might happen.

The tiny stitchpunk wrung his hands anxiously and looked waaay up at Starscream.

He managed a tentative wave. Maybe this robot was friendlier than Four thought?

[my_own_trope]

Starscream's smile wasn't a very nice one in any light, but at least he was smiling. That had to count for something, didn't it?

"I know you," he said, head tilting, "you're that little creature from before. 4th out of nine, wasn't it? The one who insulted me."

Very suddenly Starscream was leaning down, and quickly getting even closer. "That wasn't very polite of you..."

A huge hand descended, going for a grab.

[4_toteachus]

Having Starscream lean over and try to grab him was the equivalent of a mountain coming after the little stitchpunk. If he had a voice he would have screamed in terror. Instead he turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Four realized he would have to rely on his agility to keep himself away from Starscream's giant claws. Who knew what would happen to him if he was caught.

Maybe if he got back to his own place he'd be able to lose his giant attacker...

[my_own_trope]

If Four thought Starscream was trying his hardest, he was sadly mistaken. No, Starscream was half about the chase, making exaggerated movements, and stomping his feet so the vibrations might cause the tiny creature to stumble.

"Ah, ah, ah~" he chided, slamming one hand down one the ground, blocking a bit of the path Four was trying to flee in, "not that way~."

[4_toteachus]

As nimble as Four was, having the ground tremble like that was more than he could handle. Tripping over his own feet he sent himself sprawling onto the ground, dangerously near that giant clawed hand. Out of everything that could have happened today, this was the absolute worse scenario he could have imagined for himself.

Frightened beyond reason, he did the first thing that came to mind and curled up into a tiny ball. Maybe by some miracle Starscream would get bored of him and leave?

Just think. In an alternate reality, you could be smoozing at a party with all the nicest robots.

[my_own_trope]

"Oh now you're just making it too easy. Are you sure you don't want to run?" Starscream asked, even as he snatched up the tiny, curled little form.

"I could be convinced to give you another chance you know~~."

You suck Starscream

[4_toteachus]

Four wiggled frantically inbetween Starscream's fingers. All he had wanted was to go somewhere and interact with people! As he was lifted higher and higher, he was almost certain that if he fell from this point it would kill him.

There was hope though. Four glanced up at Starscream with pleading eyes, silently begging the Decepticon to put him down and let him go on his way. Four hadn't done anything really to him, and there was nothing to be gained with tormenting the stitchpunk, right?

Surely Starscream had some shard of decency to him...?

What can he say. He knows how to show someone a good time. Right now that someone is: HIM

[my_own_trope]

"I think I want to hear you beg."

[4_toteachus]

And any hope Four had was abruptly crushed.

He shook his head frantically and pointed to his mouth, trying to get the robot to understand that he couldn't speak!

Let him go Starscream!

[my_own_trope]

In a hand that could EASILY easily hold 3 children comfortably, Four wasn't more than a speck being pinned down by the very tip of a single talon.

"Is that the best you can do?" Starscream leaned down, face blocking out light and all hope. "Because I'm not impressed."

The claw tip pressed down just a touch.

"Are you sure you don't want to try harder? Because I'm not entirely convinced you actually want to leave~."

[4_toteachus]

Four had spent his life with the prospect of his destruction somewhere around the corner. From the very beginning he learned that anything could kill you. His vast curiosity and his desire to explore were the only things that stopped him from becoming jaded and fearful.

The difference now was that he was completely alone and at the mercy of a giant being who he could tell would not hesitate to squish him like an insect the moment he grew tired of this game. In his mind he could see his family clearly. All of them, and the prospect of his death caused him to be filled with an almost blinding fear. What if he never saw his family again? Aside from his purpose, Three, Seven, and Nine were all he had left in his world. He wasn't in his world anymore. If he died here... what would become of Three?

The crushing loneliness was enough to make him want to cry if he were capable of it.

Starscream wasn't even applying that much pressure, but it was more then enough to crush something inside his body. Four's face light up in pain as he smacked the giant claw with his tiny little hands made of copper.

[my_own_trope]

"You're a fragile little thing, aren't you? Well, I'll just have to be careful then. Wouldn't want that tiny spark of yours to extinguish before I've had a chance to see it."

With that, tiny creature still in hand, Starscream chooses a room at random and after locking the door, drops Four onto the top of the single berth in that room.

[4_toteachus]

Spark? Four didn't have a spark!

He had the feeling that Starscream was going to find this out soon anyway.

Under normal circumstances Four would have been able to land on his feet just fine after being dropped onto a tabletop. Right now he realized that something important was broken and he couldn't force himself to stand up. All he could do was flop uselessly to his side like a rag doll and watch Starscream loom over him.

He couldn't give up! Straining, he forced his arms to move, and slowly he tried to drag his body across the giant surface. Freedom had to be close by somewhere....

[my_own_trope]

Starscream took a step back, smiling that same not-entirely-kind smile of his, and jusr left the stitchpunk to its own devices for that moment. He wasn't curious to see what the child would do, no, that he was all but certain of -- what he was after was the simply indulgence of watching for a bit.

It was a shame Starscream had dropped him in the middle of the very large, very wide berth.

[4_toteachus]

From Four's point of view it looked as if he was stuck on a vast plain. There was nowhere to hide, and he was out in the open for this monster to do what he wanted with him. Four wanted to curl up and hope his ending came quickly, but his desire to survive pushed him to continue trying to drag himself to safety, even if there wasn't any in sight.

He had to survive... somehow.