Baby Boom (or, Why you should always read the manual first) Chapter 15
Title: Baby Boom (or, Why you should always read the manual first) Chapter 15
'Verse: G1 Transformers
Characters: Seekerlings. Twins. Skyfire.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: TF cussing.
Sideswipe tried to escape. Sunstreaker didn’t let him, tripping the red mech so that he landed on the ground, and Skywarp took over from there, rocketing into the fallen Lamborghini’s chestplates and clinging for all he was worth, cheered on by Thundercracker and Wheeljack (Starscream choosing to express his approval with a smug look). But the sparkling was no match for frontliner strength and Sideswipe soon had the little jet peeled off his torso and held at arm’s length, Skywarp vociferously protesting throughout the process.
Sighing, the Lamborghini tried to stand, and Skywarp teleported out of his grasp to latch about his neck, sending him off balance and back onto his aft. The red frontliner heard laughter coming from somewhere above the pair, and favoured his twin with an unappreciative look as he detached Skywarp from his person a second time, rising from the ground to glare at his brother properly.
Sunstreaker folded his arms, unimpressed, and Sideswipe vented air tiredly as he placed the seekerling on the berth. Skywarp chirred in annoyance, lifting into the air to harangue the mech, only to be caught and carefully set down once more.
“Stop it. You’ll wear yourself out.”
Ignoring the red bot’s words and the concern coming over the trinebond from Starscream and Thundercracker, the little jet launched at him again, darting about in the air, ducking the frontliner’s attempts to catch him.
“ ‘Warp, listen to the voice of experience here. You’ll aggravate your injuries!” The red mech practically begged when he finally snagged the seekerling.
“So quit pushing me away already!” Skywarp shrilled at him, and Sideswipe shook his head.
“You need to rest and I-”
The tiny flier escaped again, warping free and reattaching himself to the red twin. “Then you’re staying here with me.”
“I can’t.” Sideswipe growled, trying to dislodge him from his perch as Skywarp fought to remain where he was.
“You mean you won’t! I thought you liked me!”
“That’s not why-”
“I’ll be good this time! I promise!”
The red mech’s words were quiet as he rested a hand on the baby jet’s helm. “ ‘Warp, I can’t take care of a sparkling. I’m not cut out for that kind of responsibility.”
Intakes hitching, Skywarp clung as best as his abilities allowed, but drained as he was by his earlier exertions, the sparkling was unable to do more than whine miserably when removed from Sideswipe’s neck, optics dim with exhaustion. A tiny hand reached for the frontliner, grasping futilely at his plating as the seekerling was carefully settled on the berth amongst the other sparklings.
“Sideswipe. Stay.”
Skywarp dropped into recharge, unable to remain online any longer, and Sideswipe turned away from Thundercracker and Starscream’s disapproving looks as they huddled closer to their trinemate, ignoring his brother’s solemn expression as well. Then Wheeljack spoke, headfins flashing in an encouraging manner. “You’re not as bad at it as you think, Sideswipe.”
The red mech sighed and made for the exit. “But I’m not good enough either.”
= = =
Starscream frowned at his wingmate, slumped against the side of their ‘playpen’ in a despondent pile of black and purple. Skywarp met his optics, then shifted, flicking his wings to rearrange them before slouching again. Starscream chirped softly, leaning against the teleporter, and Skywarp pressed his helm to his trineleader’s shoulder.
The little Air Commander pulled the other sparkling closer. Their shared quiet was interrupted by Skyfire returning Thundercracker for a nap, the blue seekerling already recharging in the larger flier’s arms. Skywarp lifted his head long enough to chirr at the shuttle, moving to allow Skyfire room to place the third baby jet in the pen.
Starscream sighed. One good thing had come out of all this, his trinemate no longer detested Starscream’s ex-research partner, and was willingly staying with the shuttle in the hopes that having more than one sparkling readily available for observation would help the science mechs find a solution that much faster. Speaking of which…
“Any progress, Skyfire?”
The mech shrugged. “Not really. Perceptor’s got a theory on how the ray regresses its victims, and we’re trying to somehow reverse its effects.”
“But?”
The researcher exhaled quietly at Starscream’s resigned tone. “But there’s only so much we can determine from examining the effects of that weapon. And we don’t have enough data to be comfortable doing real live tests.”
“I should have tried to steal those plans again, Megatron be damned. I knew where they were.”
“We’ve made a lot of progress now that you and Wheeljack can chip in. Who knows? We might have a breakthrough.”
“I’ll go.”
Skyfire blinked, staring at the purple and black sparkling pulling himself upright. Starscream eyed his trinemate warily, already opening his mouth to veto the notion when Skywarp glared at him. “Teleporter, remember? I can get in and out, easy.”
“Hello? Sparkling, remember? Your range is pathetic now. Even if you somehow got inside, then avoided crashing offline midway through looking for the plans, after you’d retrieved them, you’d teleport out and end up in the fragging ocean, under tonnes of water!”
“ ‘Warp-” The shuttle started, and Skywarp snapped at him, waking Thundercracker in the process.
“Don’t call me that!”
Blinking, Skyfire tried again. “Skywarp-”
“I can do it! There’s that spy of yours, right? He can get me to the base, and get me to the surface again.”
“It’s too dangerous!” Starscream argued, and the teleporter countered.
“If getting those plans is going to help fix this, I’ll slagging well go get them, whether you approve or not!”
“Skywarp. You’re not leaving the Ark. We can work around not having the plans. Now, if you’re up to letting Perceptor get some readings off you, I need a volunteer for the next round of scans.”
Skywarp fell silent at the shuttle’s stern words, and sullenly clicked in agreement. As he was borne away by the researcher, Thundercracker turned to his remaining trinemate and asked, expression puzzled. “What was that all about?”
Starscream stared at the other seekerling, and the little blue flier raised an optic ridge at him. “Starscream?”
“You’re not talking like a sparkling anymore.”
'Verse: G1 Transformers
Characters: Seekerlings. Twins. Skyfire.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: TF cussing.
Sideswipe tried to escape. Sunstreaker didn’t let him, tripping the red mech so that he landed on the ground, and Skywarp took over from there, rocketing into the fallen Lamborghini’s chestplates and clinging for all he was worth, cheered on by Thundercracker and Wheeljack (Starscream choosing to express his approval with a smug look). But the sparkling was no match for frontliner strength and Sideswipe soon had the little jet peeled off his torso and held at arm’s length, Skywarp vociferously protesting throughout the process.
Sighing, the Lamborghini tried to stand, and Skywarp teleported out of his grasp to latch about his neck, sending him off balance and back onto his aft. The red frontliner heard laughter coming from somewhere above the pair, and favoured his twin with an unappreciative look as he detached Skywarp from his person a second time, rising from the ground to glare at his brother properly.
Sunstreaker folded his arms, unimpressed, and Sideswipe vented air tiredly as he placed the seekerling on the berth. Skywarp chirred in annoyance, lifting into the air to harangue the mech, only to be caught and carefully set down once more.
“Stop it. You’ll wear yourself out.”
Ignoring the red bot’s words and the concern coming over the trinebond from Starscream and Thundercracker, the little jet launched at him again, darting about in the air, ducking the frontliner’s attempts to catch him.
“ ‘Warp, listen to the voice of experience here. You’ll aggravate your injuries!” The red mech practically begged when he finally snagged the seekerling.
“So quit pushing me away already!” Skywarp shrilled at him, and Sideswipe shook his head.
“You need to rest and I-”
The tiny flier escaped again, warping free and reattaching himself to the red twin. “Then you’re staying here with me.”
“I can’t.” Sideswipe growled, trying to dislodge him from his perch as Skywarp fought to remain where he was.
“You mean you won’t! I thought you liked me!”
“That’s not why-”
“I’ll be good this time! I promise!”
The red mech’s words were quiet as he rested a hand on the baby jet’s helm. “ ‘Warp, I can’t take care of a sparkling. I’m not cut out for that kind of responsibility.”
Intakes hitching, Skywarp clung as best as his abilities allowed, but drained as he was by his earlier exertions, the sparkling was unable to do more than whine miserably when removed from Sideswipe’s neck, optics dim with exhaustion. A tiny hand reached for the frontliner, grasping futilely at his plating as the seekerling was carefully settled on the berth amongst the other sparklings.
“Sideswipe. Stay.”
Skywarp dropped into recharge, unable to remain online any longer, and Sideswipe turned away from Thundercracker and Starscream’s disapproving looks as they huddled closer to their trinemate, ignoring his brother’s solemn expression as well. Then Wheeljack spoke, headfins flashing in an encouraging manner. “You’re not as bad at it as you think, Sideswipe.”
The red mech sighed and made for the exit. “But I’m not good enough either.”
= = =
Starscream frowned at his wingmate, slumped against the side of their ‘playpen’ in a despondent pile of black and purple. Skywarp met his optics, then shifted, flicking his wings to rearrange them before slouching again. Starscream chirped softly, leaning against the teleporter, and Skywarp pressed his helm to his trineleader’s shoulder.
The little Air Commander pulled the other sparkling closer. Their shared quiet was interrupted by Skyfire returning Thundercracker for a nap, the blue seekerling already recharging in the larger flier’s arms. Skywarp lifted his head long enough to chirr at the shuttle, moving to allow Skyfire room to place the third baby jet in the pen.
Starscream sighed. One good thing had come out of all this, his trinemate no longer detested Starscream’s ex-research partner, and was willingly staying with the shuttle in the hopes that having more than one sparkling readily available for observation would help the science mechs find a solution that much faster. Speaking of which…
“Any progress, Skyfire?”
The mech shrugged. “Not really. Perceptor’s got a theory on how the ray regresses its victims, and we’re trying to somehow reverse its effects.”
“But?”
The researcher exhaled quietly at Starscream’s resigned tone. “But there’s only so much we can determine from examining the effects of that weapon. And we don’t have enough data to be comfortable doing real live tests.”
“I should have tried to steal those plans again, Megatron be damned. I knew where they were.”
“We’ve made a lot of progress now that you and Wheeljack can chip in. Who knows? We might have a breakthrough.”
“I’ll go.”
Skyfire blinked, staring at the purple and black sparkling pulling himself upright. Starscream eyed his trinemate warily, already opening his mouth to veto the notion when Skywarp glared at him. “Teleporter, remember? I can get in and out, easy.”
“Hello? Sparkling, remember? Your range is pathetic now. Even if you somehow got inside, then avoided crashing offline midway through looking for the plans, after you’d retrieved them, you’d teleport out and end up in the fragging ocean, under tonnes of water!”
“ ‘Warp-” The shuttle started, and Skywarp snapped at him, waking Thundercracker in the process.
“Don’t call me that!”
Blinking, Skyfire tried again. “Skywarp-”
“I can do it! There’s that spy of yours, right? He can get me to the base, and get me to the surface again.”
“It’s too dangerous!” Starscream argued, and the teleporter countered.
“If getting those plans is going to help fix this, I’ll slagging well go get them, whether you approve or not!”
“Skywarp. You’re not leaving the Ark. We can work around not having the plans. Now, if you’re up to letting Perceptor get some readings off you, I need a volunteer for the next round of scans.”
Skywarp fell silent at the shuttle’s stern words, and sullenly clicked in agreement. As he was borne away by the researcher, Thundercracker turned to his remaining trinemate and asked, expression puzzled. “What was that all about?”
Starscream stared at the other seekerling, and the little blue flier raised an optic ridge at him. “Starscream?”
“You’re not talking like a sparkling anymore.”