Transformers: Prime: Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 3: Dinner Invitation

It had been hours since Firestar was crying in her room, which the beast gave her, she sobbed softly on her pillow as she was heartbroken about never seeing her adopted mother again. Then, a gentle knock was heard and Firestar jolted in shock feeling scared and nervous. "W-Who is it?" Firestar asked feeling sad still. "My name is Knockout. I've come to bring you some tea to drink." A man's kind voice spoke on the other side of the door. Firestar soon walks towards the door and opens it, but to her surprise...she sees a giant cherry-red male robot. "My goodness, you're not a human!" Firestar said backing up from the robot, and onto the bed. Then another male robot named, Dreadwing, dressed like a butler while holding a tray of tea, sugar, and milk with a cloth to help dry Firestar's tears. "Please don't be scared young child, no one will hurt you. But, I deeply am sorry for what our master said in raising his voice and anger to you. Please, come to have tea with us, it'll help your spirit to feel calm and at ease." Dreadwing said to Firestar as he sat beside her. "Knockout, may we have the tea for our guest?" he asked the red robot. "Of course, and be careful, the tea is hot and filled with little milk and sugar," replied Knockout before kneeling to Firestar's level. "Thank you..." Firestar said before she sipped the tea.

Dreadwing then held the cloth gently in his hands and gently dries the crying woman's eyes. "It was a very brave task your mother and you have done. We all think you're very brave and pure-hearted." Knockout spoke as he gave a smile to Firestar like a father to her child. "But...but I lost my adopted mother, my freedom, my dreams...everything," said Firestar as he looked down at her hands and trying not to shed more tears. "Cheer up my young girl, everything will be turning alright in the end...you'll see. For this, Breakdown will soon come to help you be dressed for dinner." Knockout said, hoping to calm Firestar in a gentle comforting hug. "I don't feel like going, but...I need more time to calm down before I can go." Firestar softly spoke, still not feeling at ease with the beast from earlier. "I understand, but do not be afraid to come to see me and Dreadwing if you wish to have comforting and help." Knockout said to help Firestar feel at ease. Firestar didn't want to go near the beast, but seeing the trust in Knockout and Dreadwing, she will try to come, trusting the residents of the castle. "Pardon me, but I've arrived with three dresses for our guest." A female voice spoke, and a female robot came in and she seemed to be dressed in a black and silver Gothic royal dress as she seemed to be some kind of spider-like creature...but beautiful as well. "Of course, we shall inform the master while you will stay to keep Firestar safe in the room." Knockout said, staying close to Dreadwing. As the two male robots began to leave, Firestar then saw the spider-like female robot named Airachnid enter the room with three beautiful and different-colored dresses in her arms. "As the castle's best tailor in designing the best clothes, I am hoping that you'll love them and pick which one is your liking." Airachnid said to Firestar kneeling to the young woman's level with a smile while showing a few of her fangs. Firestar gulped a little bit while looking at the dresses, she didn't know what the two robots will inform the beast even if she'd refused to eat with him. "That's very kind of you, but I'm not going to dinner," Firestar told Airachnid. Airachnid gasped. "But you must!" she said before Starscream came to inform Firestar that dinner is served. "Ahem. Dinner...is served."

Downstairs, the beast also known by the residents of the castle as their master or as 'Megatron' which is his actual name was waiting in the dining room for Firestar, but he felt a little impatient for a second earlier. There were many robot servants in the room with him, each was different and dressed in uniforms as servants, butlers, maids, and room cleaners, and even to also have uniforms of their task of duty like librarians, garden workers, animal caretakers, and more. However, Megatron was trying to keep calm before talking to the male robots known as Breakdown, Skyquake, Shockwave, and Soundwave were watching in silence during his talk with the three male robots. "What's taking her so long? I told her to join me for dinner. Why isn't she here yet?!" Megatron asked, feeling impatient. "Oh, try to be patient, sir. The lady has lost her mother and her freedom all in one day," said Breakdown. "Master? Have you thought that perhaps this woman could be the one to break the spell?" Shockwave asked. "Of course I have! I'm not a fool," said Megatron. "Good! So, you fall in love with her, she falls in love with you, and poof! The spell is broken! We'll be human again." Breakdown said. "Oh, it's not that easy, Breakdown. These things take time," said Skyquake. "But the rose has already begun to wilt." Shockwave reminded Skyquake. "It's no use. She's so beautiful and I'm...Well, look at me!" Megatron said angrily. "Oh, you must help her to see past all that." Knockout said as he arrived at the dining room when he heard what his master just said. "I don't know how," said Megatron. "Well, you can start by making yourself more presentable. Straighten up! Try to act like a gentleman and when she comes in, give her a dashing smile. Come on, show me the smile." Knockout told Megatron. Megatron tries to smile, showing his sharp teeth, but fails.

"But don't frighten the poor woman," said Skyquake. "Impress her." Knockout added. "But be gentle," said Breakdown. "Shower her with compliments but be sincere and above all..." Knockout said before everyone else in the dining room told Megatron, "You must control your temper!" Suddenly, they hear the door to the dining room opening. "Oh. Here she is!" said Knockout. The door opens and Megatron sees Firestar in a beautiful red dress while she was looking shy and nervous about seeing her captor again. Starscream takes Firestar to the dining table and he helps her take a seat.

Megatron was at first speechless at seeing Firestar in the dress and in slightly blushing too, but as he shook the feeling off, he turned to look at Shockwave, Knockout, Skyquake, and Breakdown, he soon takes a deep breath and tries his best to keep his temper in check during the dinner. Starscream could tell that one wrong move and the temper will get out of hand, it is why he had to join and keep an eye on the two either if one at the dining table spoke or not. Firestar in the meantime was still feeling nervous about eating with the beast, but she also began to look at the other robots before seeing the one named Soundwave serving the food on a food tray with some drinks to place on the table. Firestar began to notice something odd about the selection of the Beast's food as some kind of blue liquid was covering parts of the food like gravy for potatoes and any kind of meat. Even his drink had a drop of the liquid as it began to shine a little. Luckily for her, her food was neither sauced nor her drink not spiked in the blue liquid. So within minutes, they began to eat as to Firestar, the food tasted delicious and excellent, it was like nothing she'd eaten before though it was as good as her mother's cooking. "I...I hope the food will be to your liking." That was all Megatron said in trying to be on his behavior, however, Firestar began to soon see him having anger issues though being too stubborn to admit it. "I thank you for the meal, but...is there anything that I can pass you like salt or pepper for your meal?" Asked Firestar, making sure to not trigger the beast's anger. Megatron was silent for a minute, and the servants start to feel a little nervous. Starscream gulped in feeling the same. "Yes...please?" Asked Megatron. Firestar could tell he'd never used manners before, nor had even spoken to people like this...this was going to be odd and hard for both sides of the table. After dinner, Starscream was tasked to escort Firestar back into her room as a bath and her nightgown was prepared. But during her walk back to her room, she looks up to Starscream in trying to ask a question to him. "Excuse me, your name is Starscream is it? Why are most of the residents here all like...your master?" "I'm afraid it be something we cannot inform you yet. For now, we have been like this for years and our friends who once lived in the castle escaped to the village feeling afraid of what they witnessed." Starscream calmly answered not wishing to give a straight answer to the young woman.

At the time they've arrived at Firestar's room, Starscream opened the door for her and kneels down. "To inform you, Shockwave will come in the morning to serve breakfast for you with tea and allow you to try speaking with our master when there is time. However, I wish to warn you if there is a slight sight of his anger rising, you must run to escape his temper and attacks, trust me...I'd been hurt the most even before the years passed. Always, I wish you goodnight for now." Starscream added to then take his leave with a bow. Firestar began to feel a little surprised by what Starscream told her, but having no choice, she had to follow the plan for the morning. However, Firestar still felt like a prisoner in the castle despite it being her new home...she'd wish to see her friends and family from the village again, even her best friend Paint Stroke would feel in concern about Firestar's disappearance if she haven't returned. Meanwhile, in Megatron's room, he was in gazing out his broken window as parts of the glass were broken. He slightly growled feeling like he wanted to hit an object, but somehow...he didn't feel like of doing so. "I cannot take this anymore, how could the woman really be the one to break the spell? I may not know but...she was brave in taking her mother's place earlier today." Megatron spoke softly before in reaching to the mirror on the table. "Show me the woman named Firestar to me." He spoke to the mirror. As the mirror soon glows, it shows Firestar in her bed after her bath and fully dressed in the night dress that was light purple, with white and pink cherry blossoms surrounding the parts of the skirt. Firestar somehow was silently crying in bed as she felt heartbroken like this morning. Megatron sighed feeling guilty about seeing this and gently places the mirror back on the table as its power rests. "I must be just fooling myself into thinking of such thoughts, but she will never see me as anything...but a monster. I fear it is hopeless for us..." Said Megatron placing his right hand over his face as he felt sad and guilty at the same time while the wind's breeze flew through the window cracks. To this, Megatron was in needing a miracle, and his hope could be in the choice he...and Firestar will make with each other as the days will go by.