( GN!USR )

Spark suffered and tormented herself over the injustice of what had happened. She did everything right: followed the instructions, never deviating or straying from a single point. It all went wrong because of Orion Pax! So why was she demoted instead of him being taken apart bolt by bolt?

Although the desire to turn Orion's head into a flattened tin can didn't last long, fading as she accepted what had happened, moving past the stage of denial. She'd have to start all over again, slowly and patiently climbing back up. She managed it once, she could do it now.

But the resentment over the unfairness of it all wouldn't subside. Elita tried to convince herself to forget about it and each time sighed with such weariness, as if the entire weight of Cybertron rested on her shoulders.

"Orion is an idiot. Although his actions were admirable, he risked everything for a comrade, but still..." — Elita couldn't calm the agitation within herself, looking at her own servos. — "I worked so hard for so long to earn that rank, and what's the result? Starting all over from the beginning?"

The shift ended, and now Elita could spend this time with herself and pour out what was churning unpleasantly in her spark. You said something that Elita, too absorbed in herself, didn't quite catch. Your voice soothed her, and the disappointment stopped feeling like a seized mechanism causing pain.

"Well, um... At least we're together again. Yes, that's definitely one of the upsides of this situation," — Elita twitched the corner of her lip, torn between bitterness and the joy of now being able to see you as often as before.

Unlike Elita, you never strived to move forward. While Elita climbed upward, getting promoted each time, you preferred to stay down below and keep clearing away the scrap. At least it didn't interfere with your meetings with Elita, though they became less and less frequent.

Now Elita is back where she once started.

"The only thing I should be grateful to that idiot for is that I'm working side by side with you again." Elita squeezed your wrist, wanting to cheer herself up with this.