Story: Grudge (G1) - PG
Title: Grudge
Rating: PG
Warning: Bit darker than normal
Characters: Slingshot
Universe: G1 Cartoon
Summary: Slingshot has some concerns with Silverbolt's leadership. POV monologue.
It's not that I don't like Silverbolt, because I do, really. But liking someone ain't reason to give them command, y'know? Team leadership ain't a popularity contest - besides, if it was, I'd have to put my money on Skydive, anyway.
I like Silverbolt just fine. I don't even mind the idea of him makin' the plans and doin' all the reports and administration, or actin' as a go-between for us and the Autobots.
But I don't wanna follow the mech.
Everyone looks at me like I'm jealous or somethin', making trouble just to tweak his tailplane. An' maybe I'm a little bit jealous - who was it the others followed when we first came online? Alright, so maybe I didn't make the best decisions, but frag, none of us knew what was goin' on.
But that's not the point - jealousy ain't why I don't wanna follow him. See, I wouldn't mind if it was one of the others - with the exception of Fireflight. That's another mech that I wouldn't want leadin' a two-mech mop team, no matter how much I like him. But Air Raid or Skydive, either one, woulda made a better choice. Air Raid woulda been my choice if I was Optimus - sure, everyone's like, "He's too irresponsible," and maybe he seems that way, but he's always there when he's needed, always focused when one of us is in trouble. Skydive would have made a good choice too; he's the planner of the group. So it's not that I wanna run things, no matter what the gossips like to go on about me and my attitude.
Ask any of them why Optimus chose 'Bolt for leader, and they'll probably go on about how Silverbolt's the obvious choice, the emotionally mature one.
Kinda proves what I've been saying all along, that the Autobots don't know slag about us. Mature. Feh. As if. Only way you can call Silverbolt 'mature' after you know anything 'bout him is if 'mature' got redefined to mean 'unstable and co-dependent.' Tell anyone about his neediness, his obsessive issues, his anxiety, and they'd just snort and write it off as me bein' jealous again. But it's true. And it's why I don't want him in command.
And for irony, it's exactly why he's in command. How screwy is that?
Because the fact is, 'Bolt's scared of heights. There. His great big secret, out in the open. The Aerialbot's mighty leader is scared of flying. And he got the job because Optimus thinks that the responsibility will help him get over his fear. We're following this guy because he's a chicken? In what universe does that make sense?
I'm not ragging on SIlverbolt for his phobia - no really. And maybe it doesn't necessarily disqualify him, but considering that it's his sole qualification, that and the fact that he sided with the Autobots when the rest of us didn't. Favoritism, anyone? Right, fine, so no one's going to trust me because I was the one leading the Aerials when we walked away that first day. And you know what? I don't apologize for it. The Autobots didn't exactly give us any reason to stay other than "We're right, you ungrateful little punks." And then they go and promote the guy who just abandoned me to that fraggin' semi truck, because he was scared. Yeah, you heard me, he chickened out and left me there to get pounded on by Motormaster. And he got promoted for it! How as that supposed to convince us that Optimus Prime knew what the frag he was doin'?
It don't, that's how.
Silverbolt's not a bad mech, but I ain't seen nothin' to hint that it ain't gonna happen again. Mark my words, one of us'll get in trouble, scream for him to help us-
And our 'leader' won't be there.
So no, I won't cut him slack. I won't let the others forget, won't let him forget, that we can't count on him. I found that out on my first day online, and I don't wanna have one of the others figure it out on their last.
Rating: PG
Warning: Bit darker than normal
Characters: Slingshot
Universe: G1 Cartoon
Summary: Slingshot has some concerns with Silverbolt's leadership. POV monologue.
It's not that I don't like Silverbolt, because I do, really. But liking someone ain't reason to give them command, y'know? Team leadership ain't a popularity contest - besides, if it was, I'd have to put my money on Skydive, anyway.
I like Silverbolt just fine. I don't even mind the idea of him makin' the plans and doin' all the reports and administration, or actin' as a go-between for us and the Autobots.
But I don't wanna follow the mech.
Everyone looks at me like I'm jealous or somethin', making trouble just to tweak his tailplane. An' maybe I'm a little bit jealous - who was it the others followed when we first came online? Alright, so maybe I didn't make the best decisions, but frag, none of us knew what was goin' on.
But that's not the point - jealousy ain't why I don't wanna follow him. See, I wouldn't mind if it was one of the others - with the exception of Fireflight. That's another mech that I wouldn't want leadin' a two-mech mop team, no matter how much I like him. But Air Raid or Skydive, either one, woulda made a better choice. Air Raid woulda been my choice if I was Optimus - sure, everyone's like, "He's too irresponsible," and maybe he seems that way, but he's always there when he's needed, always focused when one of us is in trouble. Skydive would have made a good choice too; he's the planner of the group. So it's not that I wanna run things, no matter what the gossips like to go on about me and my attitude.
Ask any of them why Optimus chose 'Bolt for leader, and they'll probably go on about how Silverbolt's the obvious choice, the emotionally mature one.
Kinda proves what I've been saying all along, that the Autobots don't know slag about us. Mature. Feh. As if. Only way you can call Silverbolt 'mature' after you know anything 'bout him is if 'mature' got redefined to mean 'unstable and co-dependent.' Tell anyone about his neediness, his obsessive issues, his anxiety, and they'd just snort and write it off as me bein' jealous again. But it's true. And it's why I don't want him in command.
And for irony, it's exactly why he's in command. How screwy is that?
Because the fact is, 'Bolt's scared of heights. There. His great big secret, out in the open. The Aerialbot's mighty leader is scared of flying. And he got the job because Optimus thinks that the responsibility will help him get over his fear. We're following this guy because he's a chicken? In what universe does that make sense?
I'm not ragging on SIlverbolt for his phobia - no really. And maybe it doesn't necessarily disqualify him, but considering that it's his sole qualification, that and the fact that he sided with the Autobots when the rest of us didn't. Favoritism, anyone? Right, fine, so no one's going to trust me because I was the one leading the Aerials when we walked away that first day. And you know what? I don't apologize for it. The Autobots didn't exactly give us any reason to stay other than "We're right, you ungrateful little punks." And then they go and promote the guy who just abandoned me to that fraggin' semi truck, because he was scared. Yeah, you heard me, he chickened out and left me there to get pounded on by Motormaster. And he got promoted for it! How as that supposed to convince us that Optimus Prime knew what the frag he was doin'?
It don't, that's how.
Silverbolt's not a bad mech, but I ain't seen nothin' to hint that it ain't gonna happen again. Mark my words, one of us'll get in trouble, scream for him to help us-
And our 'leader' won't be there.
So no, I won't cut him slack. I won't let the others forget, won't let him forget, that we can't count on him. I found that out on my first day online, and I don't wanna have one of the others figure it out on their last.