#tripleglitch request

Ah, the junkyard. A beautiful array of scrap metal glinting under the sun day after day, perfect for welding and crafting. For the longest time the atmosphere of the place put you off, but your drive to create overtook your fear and replaced it with passion.

The day your life changed was no different than any other. You took your time packing your things, preparing to scavenge once again, though the evening sun was already threatening to advance further down the sky. You didn’t need much, it wasn’t a far trip and certainly not a difficult one. You left in good time, pushing down the uneasy feeling you got when you stepped outside the house.

There was a specific piece of metal you were looking for, one you saw a couple days ago but wouldn’t fit in your cart due to how full it had been. It was the perfect size and shape for what you needed, of course you had to leave behind the one thing you needed now, though it couldn’t hurt to pick up some other materials while you were at it. Masterfully navigating your way through the junk was a special talent of yours, one you were quite proud of, so it struck you as odd when a random truck showed up in the middle of the yard.

It was red and blue, one of those trucks that carried huge cargo boxes and were scary to drive next to. It was pretty beat up, though you can’t imagine why someone would leave it here of all places rather than a used car lot or something. Well, you thought, it wasn’t your problem, so you didn’t treat it as such. You simply continued your search. There were so many great pieces of metal, you ended up staying there until dusk, yet you still couldn’t find the one you were looking for.

Now that you think about it, it must’ve been where that truck was now. Maybe somebody moved it, or worse, took it. It would be a huge bummer to lose such a perfect piece to your puzzle, so you figured staying out to look near the truck wouldn’t hurt anybody.

After around ten minutes of picking through trash, you heard a sound. It wasn’t particularly loud, but it was unnerving to say the least. It sounded like metal scraping together so you brushed it off as the wind blowing on some light metal or something. Five minutes later it happened again, this time louder. Not long after it happened again, and by now you were getting pretty freaked out.

Taking metal from the scrapyard wasn’t particularly illegal, after all you’d learned how to do it properly from your law-abiding friends, however it came with a certain set of risks. Getting cut by rusty metal, stepping on a stray nail, or even getting robbed by someone who preys on scrap pickers like yourself. You didn’t want to know what the sound was and you weren’t about to find out, perfect piece be dammed. It was time to cut your losses.

You didn’t take two steps before it happened.

A strange, mechanical, alien sound rattled from behind you. You whipped your head around despite your survival instincts telling you to run immediately. Before your very eyes the red and blue truck started pulling itself part, little pieces forming a much, much larger figure. It looked nearly human really, if not for being impossibly large and also a robot truck.

A gobsmacked look etched itself on your face, not that you noticed it. You were a little preoccupied at the time, with the giant robot reaching a giant robot hand at you. Just then you realized there was a giant robot hand reaching at you, and you screamed louder than any horror movie victim ever could. The hand froze for a second, taken aback by your sudden noise, but when you remained frozen it continued its pursuit.

It was already too late by the time your body agreed to let you move. Incomprehensibly large fingers wrapped around your comparatively small form, gripping you tight enough to stop any struggles you tried to make. The thing held you up to its face, bright blue eyes shining like headlights in your vision. There were plenty of words that came from your mouth at the time, none of which were at any point comprehendible. To your utter shock, the robot seemed to notice this.

“Perhaps I have downloaded the wrong language pack… or I have found the wrong species…” It said to itself in a distinctly human voice.

“Wh- what the- what are- what are you?” Hooray! You got a sentence out. Your heart was not as excited though, as it felt more like it was going to pound out of your chest.

“So you can speak.” The voice boomed, knocking any hope you had of replying out of your throat.

“What?? What???” You rasped out, two words was better than none, you supposed.

“Did I… break you?”

“Did you- no, no you… didn’t. Please don’t.”

“I do not intend to bring you any harm, little one.“

“Then… stop squeezing… me” The grip immediately loosened. You took in a deep breath of air. “Thank you…”

“My sincerest apologies, I did not mean to hurt you.”

“That’s good to know… but, um, what exactly are you? I asked it before but… you know.” The robot nodded with you, a thoughtful motion but a generally unwelcome one because even the smallest moments it made caused you a bout nausea.

“Yes, introductions. My name is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots.” Optimus Prime… a strange name. Though it’s not like your current situation was any more normal.

“…I’m Whyen, nice to meet you. Could you… put me down, by any chance?” Optimus nodded, gently setting you down. He stood up again, but realized how much you had to crane your neck up to see him, so he resolved to a kneel.

“What are you.” However tough he looked on the outside, you would feel the sheer curiosity oozing off his voice.

“Uh, I’m a human.”

“Human… and you’re the dominant species on this planet?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“I see. I was lucky to find a vehicle mode with your language on it.”

“I… don’t really know what that means but ok. So, what are you?”

“I am Cybertronian, from the planet Cybertron.”

“Huh. Another planet.” You kicked by the oncoming existential crisis in hopes of more answers. “Right… so, if you’re from space, why are you here?” His face suddenly shifted from curiosity to a grim look of remembrance.

“There is a war on my planet. Me and my team have ended up here on accident, I’m afraid.”

“Oh… well, I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be, I have no intention of staying here longer than we have to, doing so could endanger this entire planet.”

“Wait, what? The- all- the whole planet?”

“Yes,” He responded in a low, distant voice. “Our enemies, unlike us, would not hesitate to destroy any planet if it meant winning the war.” You started at him in shock. In an attempt to avoid further panic, you decided to take a different route on questioning.

“Who’s ‘us’?”

“The Autobots, my friends.”

“So you’re saying… you’re leading your side of the war? Like a general?”

“Yes, to put it simply.”

“Wow… this is… a lot. How are you going to find your friends?”

“I… do not know. I was attempting to contact them before I noticed you.“

“Oh…”

“Do not worry. If the Deceptions attack this planet, we will protect it with our very sparks. A young species such as yourselves do not deserve to be punished for our mistakes.” Your expression softened. As this metal titan spoke to you, in gentle, deep tones, you felt strangely at peace. You felt silly for ever being afraid of him, like you’d known this alien for ages. He didn’t even know you, yet he was willing to risk his life for your home.

“…Thank you.”

“Do not thank me now, young human, I have yet to get your people out of harms way.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you going to be okay?” Optimus’s eyes widened for just a second before his face broke into a warm smile.

“…I will be just fine.”

“Well, if it’s my planet at stake… I want to help you.”

“Help me?”

“Yeah. I know more about this planet than you do, so I can show you how things work around here. It’s the least I can do.”

“That is very kind of you, you have my thanks.”

“Well, first I have to get home and sleep- my house isn’t too far from here, and I live alone so you don’t have to worry about anyone else freaking out. Not many people live around here.”

“That is good. I… apologies if I am too bold, is it okay if I carry you back to your home? It would be in our best interest to get to your home as fast as possible.”

“Ah, true. Well, I guess so.” He laid out his hand. It took you a second to climb on a stabilize yourself, nodding when you were ready for him to move. And he did, and you guided him all the way home. You hardly even noticed the junkyard and forgotten scrap metal you’d spent the night collecting.

For a long time you felt alone. No matter where you were, be it in a crowd of people or sitting alone in your apartment. Nothing could match the feelings of isolation that you lived in. It felt damming, desolate, and depressing wherever you went.

And yet, despite everything you’d experienced, something changed.

You’d gone to Jasper for a variety of reasons. Mainly just for a change of scenery, but you’d also heard the small town atmosphere could be comforting. Maybe you could get to know some people, become part of a community, find a sense of purpose. Of course, about a month in you realized how wrong you were. Everybody already had their own lives. So there you were, the secondary character to their stories.

Being there was still suffocating.

On a day like any other you decided it would be a great time to venture out into the vast abyss of the desert. You took your clunky car and overpacked supplies out into the sands and just drove. The destination didn’t matter, all you wanted was something to do. That’s it, that’s all.

About an hour into your drive you saw a jet plane soar above you. It wasn’t unusual for the area, plenty of military bases around or at least an airport or two. This one was a bit strange though, you had to admit. It seemed to be… damaged. Actually it seemed to be falling. Fast.

A adrenaline hit you like a truck. With nothing else to lose you hit the gas on your car like lives were at stake, and for all you knew there were. There was a distinct lack of smoke coming from the thing but that wasn’t exactly what was going through your mind at the time, all you knew is someone could be hurt and you could help.

When you finally arrived at the site of the crash, near the side of a large rock formation, but something stood out to you. There was definitely a jet there, however there was no pilot, rather it was leaking a bright blue liquid. Cautiously you parked your car and stepped towards it, only for a shrill voice to cut through the air.

“DON’T COME ANY CLOSER!” It shouted, almost knocking you off balance from surprise. There was no one around to make such a sound, unless the pilot ejected from the jet without you noticing and was also carrying a megaphone.

“Are you alright? Do you need an ambulance?”

“I need no such thing! Leave here, human, before I wipe you off this miserable planet!” Well that was a weird thing to hear from what you assumed to be another human. Before you could ask anymore questions, though, another sound scraped through the air.

Mechanical whirring radiated from the now moving jet plane. It began to tear itself apart only to reassemble its parts elsewhere, eventually transforming itself into a thin, robotic figure high above your head. A sharp gasp escaped your mouth.

“What, scared? Well you should be! I, the superior- ACK!” The robot lurched forward in pain, holding a nasty looking tear in his side. While fear and confusion wracked your body, your legs pulled you forward anyway. “Hey! Did you not hear what I just said? I’ll destroy you and this entire mudball when I get the chance!”

“What are you?” Wonder and worry filled your voice.

“Wh- well, I, I am a Cybertronian, not that that means anything to you, fleshling.”

“You’re hurt.”

“Oh really? I didn’t notice.”

“What’s your name?”

“Star- Commander Starscream.”

“Um… ok, I’m-” You didn’t get to finish your introduction as you heard a mechanical hiss and Starscream fell to his knees. His metal face scrunched up into an unpleasant expression of what you would call pain and frustration.

“You really look like you need help.”

“No I don’t!” He growled, trying to grab at you but missing and snapping his clawed hand back to the gaping wound on his side. He obviously wasn’t going to let you anywhere near it, so you did the next best thing.

“So, Commander Starscream, where are you from?” Apparently that wasn’t the right thing to say. You saw him cringe, then he grit his teeth and gazed back at you with a writhing death stare.

“Is there something wrong with your processor? Can’t you see I’m infinitely more powerful that you? Why aren’t cowering? Why aren’t you afraid?” He snapped at you, fire in his eyes burning with an emotion you couldn’t describe. Yet you stood there, asking yourself the same question.

“I have… nothing else to lose.” By this Starscream was taken aback. He didn’t consider a human could feel like that. Could feel… similar to himself.

“Cybertron. Are you happy?”

“What?”

“That’s where I’m from.”

“Oh. Cool. Why are you here then?”

“Why you- augh! I’m here because of a war. Alright? Go. Away.”

“What, like a space war?” Starscream scoffed.

“‘A space war’,” He mocked your tone. “Yes, sure, if you want to put it into a language you can understand.”

“Well, sorry that’s happening.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I don’t know that much about war but… well I know it can get pretty bad. So I’m sorry that’s happening to you. Is that where you got your injury from?”

“Well… I… I- yes.” He tripped over his words, recovering just in time to come up with a great lie. “I was damaged in a great battle! I led my squadron to victory but was shot down by my ruthless enemies.” A newfound power entered his voice.

“That sounds intense.”

“It was! It was a dangerous, but I prevailed! I, courageous and powerful Commander Starscream, will always win! You would do well to remember that!”

“You really like the sound of your own name.”

“Wh- you worm, how dare you say that to the likes of-“

“Yes, yes, Commander Starscream. Look, I’m sorry all that happened and I’m glad you’re such a fantastic leader, but right now you’re looking pretty bad. Are you sure I can’t help?” He drew his lips into a thin line before narrowing his eyes at you.

“How could you help me?”

“Well, first I could at least wrap up that wound. I brought some blankets with me when I came out here.”

“How do I know you’re not just going to try and offline me?”

“How would a lowly human like me do that?”

“…fine.” He looked away, obviously annoyed but still in need of help. You got what you could out of you car and approached him once again.

“I’m going to need to get to the wound in order to patch it up.” Starscream grimaced, but ultimately kneeled down to your level. Carefully you wrapped a blanket around his waist, trying to avoid hurting him further. It took time, especially because you were afraid he was going to stab you with his razor sharp claws at any moment, but you got it done. When you finished he puffed out a long breath of air and sat down against the rock face behind him with a THUMP that shook your whole body.

Your ‘band-aid’ seemed to stop whatever blue liquid he kept bleeding, at least preventing it from leaking out more. Your hands were covered in the stuff now, you just hoped it wasn’t poisonous. When you looked up at Starscream you noticed a distinct lack of that narcissistic air about him, like he had given up an act.

“Hey, Commander, are you alright?”

He didn’t respond. And you didn’t try asking again. Instead you walked to the rock face he leaned on and sat next to him. Neither of you spoke. You both simply sat, gazing out into the vast desert. You were surprised when he was the one to break the silence.

“Why would you help me?”

“…’Cause you were hurt.

“That can’t be the reason, what do you gain from this? Do you think I’m going to help you now?”

“No, I helped because it was the right thing to do.”

“The right thing to- agh, that’s a load of scrap! Can’t you tell a dying mech the truth?”

“I’m not lying!”

“Yes you are!”

“Why can’t you just accept someone’s being nice to you? Has no one ever showed you kindness before?” You said it sarcastically, like he obviously would have been showed kindness at some point in his life, but your heart sank when he didn’t reply. “You… have been showed kindness before, right?”

“Kindness doesn’t get you very far in the Decepticons.” He whispered, bitter venom dripping from every word. You hesitated before speaking again, trying to wrap your head around the implications of his statement.

“It can go a long way on Earth.”

“I’m not from Earth.”

“But you’re here now.” Starscream paused.

“…I suppose I am.” Slowly, he turned his head to face you completely. “You really helped me just out of pure… generosity?”

“Yep.”

“What if I hurt you? What if I betray you, even after all you’ve done!?”

“Then you hurt me. And I was wrong.” His eyes flickered to the sky, faceplate bending into an emotion you couldn’t quite place.

“I wasn’t injured in battle.” This time you moved your head to look up at him. “I am nothing to the Decepticons. Not anymore. I am a traitor, a coward, a fraud, not a commander.”

“I figured.”

“Wh- what? How could you know?”

“You aren’t great at hiding it. Sorry if I come off rude, but… somebody would’ve come for you by now, right? You wouldn’t be here… alone. With me.”

“Well, at least you’re better company than Megatron.”

“I’m flattered. I’m sure you don’t just dish out compliments to any old fleshbag.”

“What can I say? You’ve impressed me, human. Maybe I was wrong about your species.”

“Thanks, Commander Starscream.”

“I told you, I’m not a commander. I’m a-“

“I know. But for what it’s worth, you don’t really seem all that terrible to me.” He looked at you, a new kind of feeling welling up in his spark. He didn’t respond, but you got the message. He closed his eyes, and for a second you swore you felt something change in the atmosphere.

“Why are you all alone out here?”

“What makes you ask that?”

“I don’t see many humans wandering around in a wasteland.”

“Good point. If you must know, I was just on a drive.”

“A drive? To where?”

“Anywhere. Or nowhere. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“Don’t you have connections? Other humans to worry about you?”

“…No. Not really.”

“Oh. I’m… sorry, then. I suppose you’re very lonely.”

“Sure. I’ve been alone for a long time. By the sound of it, I assume you have too?”

“You could call it that.”

“Hey, Commander Starscream?”

“Yes?”

As a rule, Tarantulas didn’t interact with humans. That is, any human other than you. It’s not that he hated them or held something against them it’s just… well actually he did hate them and held something against them. Before you showed up he’d been hiding away from the whole planet, ready to scare off anyone who got too close to his cave. Yet… the night you arrived changed his outlook forever.

Rain pelted the forest like bullets in a war zone, thunder clapped behind dark, angry clouds. You were running, looking for anywhere dry enough to make a fire or to even just take a second to breathe. It felt like a miracle when a sizable hole in the side of the mountain entered your vision. Looking back on it now, it was a miracle of sorts.

You stepped inside shivering, cold damp air still pierced your drenched jacket. Despite how it may have looked the cave was leagues better than you could have hoped, perfectly dry enough to begin setting up some sort of camp. However, as you took out your supplies, a horrible realization dawned on you. Your fire starters, kindling, and matches were all too wet to be useful. At that moment, the stress of the day began to set in. Your breathing came out quick and ragged, tears began to add to the water already covering your face.

Because of this, you didn’t notice the skittering noises coming from deeper in the cave. You didn’t notice a shadow begin to creep up on you, and you didn’t notice when something very, very big towered over your crumpled form.

“Human.”

You shrieked.

“Why have you come here?” It asked, voice shaking you to your core. Turning around to look at what it was, you realized why nobody ever came out here. There was a spider. A giant spider. A giant spider that looked to be partially made of metal. A giant spider made of metal that was not happy with you.

“I- I was trying to get out of the… the rain it was… I was… please don’t hurt me…!” You saw the spiders body slump just a little bit. As you pleaded, your words came out bumbling, you expected to be crushed or eaten or something. To your surprise, no pain came.

“I… I was going to ask you to leave. However, I see why you are here.”

“Wh- what?”

“As much as I dislike your race, you… I can sympathize with your plight. If you cause no trouble, I will allow you to shelter here until the storm ends.” The spider boomed.

“…really? But… but what…”

“I wouldn’t argue if I were you.”

And so you didn’t.

And neither did he.

You spent the night in his cave, discovering what he was, who he was, and why he was here. Turns out the spider was called “Tarantulas”, and he was a scientist of sorts. He was trying to get away from others of his kind, and ended up hiding in the cave you found him in. He could also transform into a robot rather than just being a spider, which scared you very bad the first time he did it.

Tarantulas kept his promise to shelter you, even going as far to provide a “bed” made of some sort of synthesized spider silk. You chatted with him the whole night, no matter how much he insisted you sleep. Eventually, a question you asked seemed to catch him off guard.

“Why do you hate humans?”

“Well, they’re, or, you all are pests that keep messing with my plans. I can’t risk having one of you lead an enemy here. Simple.” He fidgeted with various pieces of technology strewn about his makeshift home.

“Then… why did you save me?”

“I- well, I… I couldn’t just leave you there.”

“Yes you could’ve.”

“Well, I didn’t. Maybe I just didn’t want to deal with a dying human in my home.”

“Well, thank you for helping me anyway.” He simply nodded at you. “Hey, you know, Tarantulas?”

“Yes?”

“You said some of your kind is hunting you down, they think you’re evil, right?“

“…Yes.”

“You haven’t told me too much, but I don’t think you’re evil.”

“What makes you say that?”

“For a guy who claims to hate humanity, you have a knack for making very comfy beds.” You smiled at him, and he nodded back, quietly accepting your inference.

For the next couple hours, he softened little by little. The storm went on for longer than either of you had guessed, so you did what you could to pass the time: talk even more.

You told him about your life, your opinions on humanity, and how you ended up in the cave to begin with. He found the idea of “camping” ridiculous, which made you laugh more than it should’ve.

Tarantulas was sweet, even when he needed to work on whatever sciencey project he was occupying himself with. He kept you on his shoulder while he worked in robot mode, and you get to see all of the impossible equations and indecipherable text he was reading. You didn’t understand one bit of it, but he appreciated your confused attempts to help anyway.

When the rain finally stopped and the sun came out from hiding, Tarantulas took you outside to see you off. However, the storm did more damage than previously thought. Branches lay soaked in the mud, entire trees snapped in half like twigs, and a good portion of the land around the cave entrance was flooded. You and Tarantulas looked at each other, and without a word he stepped back inside the cave.

After what was a dozen long strides for him, you were back in the lab. He set you down carefully, kneeling to make the trip easier. This giant, the same that had scared you out if your skin a day before, then let you know you could stay however long you liked.

You giggled, smiling from ear to ear, wrapping your arms around his oversized leg the best you could. He seemed… shaken up by your hug, but after a moment he took one giant finger and placed it on your back.

“Thank you, Tarantulas. I knew you were a good guy.”