< Transformers > You and Me...Plus Two?
Title: You and Me...Plus Two?
Chapter: 1/?
Authors: crazedwolf and cloud_sama
Rating: PG (For now)
Series: Transformers (Mostly G1 based)
Characters: Wheeljack, Ratchet, Ocs
Warnings: I guess OCs would be a warning..nothing else as of right now.
Summary: When Wheeljack was excited, it meant one better be prepared for anything.
Author's Notes:
Hi there! BD Well, this story spawns out of a roleplay that my fiancee and I are currently doing so the story in itself may seem a little choppy here and there. I did my best to clean it up and all that jazz but please bear with me as there may have been things I missed. If I do catch something, I will edit so, essentially, this is a project that is constantly going to be edited and cleaned up as we go.
There are OCs involved, one of mine and one of her's, but they're just lil' sparklings so please don't hate. D:
Comments and critique are love! And we hope you enjoy!
"Ratch'! Ratch'!"
The doors to the med lab slid open with a hiss as Wheeljack practically stumbled in due to his excitement over...Primus only knew what, the inventor's fins flashing with delight. The chief medical officer was buried in his work and startled, standing up straight as Wheeljack looked around for him, not seeing Ratchet right away.
"Ya' in here???"
"What now, 'Jack?" he asked, catching said mech's attention as he set aside the tool in his servo. The inventor beelined for his friend, slinging a servo around his shoulders once close enough, fins lit up brightly, oblivious to the fact that Ratchet was looking more and more nervous with each nanokilk that passed.
"I'm finally finished! Ya' know that project that I've been workin' on for, Primus, I don't even know how long it's been. Feels like forever but, hey, I mean, I lock myself in my lab all the time so this time really isn't all that different I guess!" Wheeljack rambled, a light chuckle following his words, the inventor started to loose the original topic.
"Which project?" Ratchet asked, arching an optic rim and interrupting the excitable mech's rant.Whenever Wheeljack had something he was excited about, it hardly ever ended well for anyone else. And the fact that he'd finished something- "It's not more dinobots, is it?"
"Better!" he said immediately, back on topic now as he pulled Ratchet around so he could rest his servos on the med-bot's shoulders, once more oblivious to the look in the CMO's optics.
Better than the dinobots? Ratchet was already calculating in his processor all the repairs he was going to have to do after whatever this was was over.
"Ten times better!” Wheeljack continued, pulling Ratchet out of his thoughts. “This is my greatest creation yet! Ya' have to see it, Ratch! It's amazing! It's incredible! It's..It's...Just come see!" Before the other could protest Wheeljack was tugging him towards the doors and against his better judgment, the medic followed along, giving a reluctant sigh through his vents.
“Alright, 'Jack, I'm coming. Show me what you created."
Fins still flashing the inventor maneuvered his friend into the lab, babbling on and on about how happy he was and whatnot, fueling the fires of Ratchet's nervousness as the doors hissing shut behind them. Wheeljack immediately slipped away from the CMO and disappeared into one of the side rooms, fins brighter than Ratchet had ever seen them before.
"Just wait right there!" he called back, the sounds of tools hitting the ground echoing from where he had disappeared. It only took a few minutes before he was back, the inventory leading a....sparkling?...by the servo. "Ratch! Meet Velocity!"
Needless to say, describing Ratchet's reaction by saying 'surprised' was an understatement.
Usually when Wheeljack built another bot, it was a full-grown mech, like the dino bots and the protecto-bots. But this...
"Jack... Where did you find him?" Ratchet asked, stepping slowly towards the little one and bending down a bit to get a closer look at him. In response, the sparkling scooted behind his creator's legs, staring at the strange new mech with wonder in his optics. Wheeljack smiled gently, servo letting Velocity's go to rest on top of his head before he focused his attention on Ratchet, optics bright.
"I made him of course!" the inventor said happily, fins flashing brightly. "Building the form wasn't that hard at all! I had plenty of spare parts lyin' around. It was bringing him to life that was the tricky part!"
It took a moment for Ratchet's processor to catch up the idea as it kicked into overdrive, his optics narrowing the slightest bit in a questioning, confused sort of manner.
"Jack, you can't just make something like this. He's a sparkling, he's going to be dependent on you. What do you think will happen when you lose interest and move on to something else?" the medic asked, crouching down now to hold out a servo to the little bot, who didn't seem interested in moving at all from his protected spot behind Wheeljack. The inventor visible slumped a bit, a cross between upset and offended as he looked down and back at the little bot.
"I'm not gonna get bored of him, Ratchet. I wouldn't have made him if I didn't want a sparkling of my own," he said softly, gazing at Velocity with fondness clear on his faceplate. The sight made Ratchet let out a sigh, finding it hard to scold Wheeljack this time around which was odd in itself considering the severity of the whole situation.
"Jack... You can barely take care of yourself half the time. You lock yourself away in your lab and don't come out for cycles. And you don't even have a sparkmate to help you share the responsibility."
Flinching some Wheeljack seemed to shrink back a bit, nudging Velocity back gently.
"I just...I guess I was lonely is all. Like ya' said, I'm always doin' this and that but maybe..for once I just want to do somethin' like other bots." Turning around finally the inventor knelt down and scooped Velocity up, cradling the little sparkling close to his spark as he faced Ratchet once more. "Is that so wrong, Ratch?" he murmured, stroking digits along Velocity's faceplate.
"But this isn't like the other bots, Jack," Ratchet said softly, yet slightly reprimanding. He stood and reached out, offering to take Velocity, a gentle expression on his face so as not to scare the little bot, who had immediately curled up in his father's servos against his spark. "You know I have to report this to Prime."
"Ratch I--" Wheeljack stopped himself, knowing that Prime had to be told, one way or another. Instant fear gripped the inventory though, optics on his sparkling before he moved a bit closer to Ratchet and held the little one out. A few soft clicks escaped the inventor in a reassuring manner, trying to keep the little bot from freaking out as he was handed off to the bot that was, essentially a stranger. There was also a bit of hesitation of Wheeljack's part, the inventor unable to meet his friend's gaze as he cleared his vocal processor a bit, spark fluttering.
It was almost as if he were hiding something.
"Vreep," Velocity chirped in response, looking to his father then the other mech before hesitantly reaching out to Ratchet. Ratchet took him gently and pulled him close, expression softening as Velocity curled up close to his spark casing, optics offlining as he let out a happy chirp. The CMO looked down at the little one with a bit of a confused expression as something in his spark seemed to almost...reach out to the sparkling, staring down at Velocity before looking to Wheeljack. "What-....?"
The inventor's optics were everywhere but on Ratchet, fins flashing nervously as he moved over towards his work bench and started busying himself with cleaning up.
"Need to get this place safe for a lil sparkling. Can't have him gettin' hurt or anythin' like that," he muttered, accidentally dropping some tools and cursing faintly with a sigh, bending down to pick them up.
"Wheeljack," the medic said steadily in a firm tone. "Why does his spark resonate with mine?" Wheeljack froze where he was, fins diming as he slowly glanced over at Ratchet.
"...Because his spark...comes from yours..and mine."
If Ratchet's optics could have gotten any larger, they would have taken over his faceplate at that moment.
"Explain yourself," he demanded after a moment, his harsh tone startling Velocity, who began to whimper. Instantly Wheeljack was up and in front of ratchet, reaching for Velocity as the little bot began to whimper.
"Shh, little one, it's alright, it's alright!" he urged gently, servos cradling the sparkling. "Ratch I....Ya' wouldn't understand."
"Then make me understand," he said with a slight glare, his tone remaining the same as he willingly gave up the sparkling. Wheeljack flinched and held Velocity closer, fins not even lit now as he edged away from Ratchet.
"....I didn't think...I wasn't thinkin' but I....you're...the one bot that I'd want to have a sparkling with..and I--I was just so lonely that I..." Wheeljack was starting to ramble, to stumble over himself as his form began to shake a bit, arms curling around the sparkling a bit tighter though a squeak from the little one kept him from squeezing too hard. It was clear that anger was starting to get the better of the CMO but, remembering himself, Ratchet turned away, taking a deep intake through his vents and unclenching his servos.
"Wheeljack...” He paused again before finally turning around, his expression a little lost. "I... You could have asked my permission," he finally grumbled, moving to close the space between them and wrap his servos around the inventor, keeping the sparkling between them. He was still upset, very much so, but...what was done was done. So he opted for a gentler approach, not wanting to scare the sparkling or hurt Wheeljack in any real way.
The inventor was still a close friend after all, crazing doings or not.
The last thing he had been expecting was for Ratchet to embrace him so when it happened the inventor jerked slightly, processor lifting as he met the med-bot's gaze.
"...I'm sorry, Ratch. I really am. I just...I just wanted a sparkling and I...." His vocal processor choked up on him a bit as he looked back down at Velocity, leaning into Ratchet. "I guess even I get lost sometimes."
"You always get lost, Jack," Ratchet murmured jokingly, optics falling on Velocity who was watching them both curiously, slightly frightened from before. "I think it's time we had a serious talk."
"...Alright," Wheeljack said softly, fins flashing just a bit. For a moment he went quiet, a faint clicking sounding from the inventor before he slowly looked at the CMO again. "....There's something else I need to show ya' though, Ratch."
"Jack," Ratchet said dangerously, pulling away and giving his partner a stern glare.
Wheeljack only acted like this when he was hiding something...
"Tell me you didn't..."
Gently handing Velocity to Ratchet again, the inventory slipped into the side room again, silence following in his wake. It took him a bit longer to return this time but when he did, there was another small frame cradled in his arms but this one...this one was much different than Velocity, much less animated one could say.
"How many, Jack?" Ratchet asked before the other mech could say a word, shifting Velocity into one servo and lifting the other to pinch the bridge of his nose between his digits, offlining his optics.
"Just these two...only Velocity has your spark though, Ratch," he said softly, optics on the little frame in his arms. It was a mess of black and brown unlike Velocity's silver and white, a mask much like Wheeljack's covering his vocal processor and a glowing red visor obscuring his optics. "...They're twins...sorta."
"Is he functional?" Ratchet asked, dropping his servo back to Velocity and looking curiously at the other frame. He noted a puff of steam rise from it, and he blinked, tensing and turning slightly as if shielding Velocity.
"Did it explode?” Wheeljack couldn't help but chuckle a bit as he shook his processor.
"No, he's just different is all. I tried somethin' new...tried to make a bot that would function more efficiently...thats where lil Steam Rider came in."
"Steam Rider? I suppose its systems use steam, then?" He asked, inclining his head a bit, slightly curious but still put off by everything, an edge still lingering in his voice.
"Ya', you'd be right to think that. A mix of steam and Energon, moreso steam than anythin' else though," he explain, lifting the little sparkling a bit at the same time that he leaned down, touching foreheads with the little bot who made a faint little noise.
"I'm going to need to examine them both."
“I figured as much, Ratch.”
"And his spark. You said it wasn't mine so is it only yours?" Ratchet pressed, motioning with his head for Wheeljack to follow him back to the med bay with the sparklings. Velocity, who had heard his brother's little noise, was scrambling around with indignant squeaks, trying to peer over the much larger mech's shoulder. The CMO adjust his hold on the tiny bot, pushing him up a bit so he could see back, Velocity calming as he caught sight of both his creator and brother. Wheeljack's optics softened and the little sparkling in his arms shifted slightly, peering over towards the pair in front of them.
"Sorta...he...his spark is different too. He's not made from another bot's spark at all."
"Oh?" This definitely caught the med-bot's attention, and he glanced over his shoulder where Velocity was peering at the steam-powered sparkling. "You're definitely going to have to explain this one to me."
"I will, I promise," he said with a nod, following Ratchet into the med lab. Steam Rider seemed a little more aware of things now as his processor turned this way and that, a faint noise escaping him as he snuggled close to Wheeljack's spark. "Where do ya' want um?"
"Over here," he ordered as he set Velocity down on a repair table, the little bot starting to whine as he made grabby servos for his parent spark, not wanting to be left alone right now. In the mean time, Ratchet had moved away from the table to gather the tools he would need for the examinations. Seeing the impending tantrum Wheeljack hurried over and gently set Steam Rider down, the little black bot tilting his processor at Velocity. He was almost like a doll without strings though his movements were fairly fluid in most ways, the sparkling hesitating a moment before moving over to his 'twin'. Velocity chirped happily, scooting over to close the space between himself and Steam Rider, wrapping his arms around his brother with a sloppy grin on his faceplate. The darker colored sparkling made a faint cooing sound, leaning into his brother, servos staying at his sides as his visor began to glow a bit brighter.
"Ratch, this isn't gonna take long is it? They both need to recharge soon."
"You shoulda thought of that before you brought them to me. They need full examinations," Ratchet said sternly, gathering the last of his tools and returning to the sparklings to begin. Tossing the med-bot a sheepish sort of look, Wheeljack sighed and moved to help.
"Alright, alright, I'm sure they'll be fine. If they start gettin' upset though, I'm takin' them to berth."
"I've dealt with unhappy sparklings before, I doubt these two could be any more unbearable," he mumbled as he began with Velocity, knowing he'd be the easier of the two while letting Steam Rider get accustomed to his presence. Said sparkling was watching Ratchet with fascination, processor cocked to the side still, servos in his lap.
"You'd be surprised," Wheeljack muttered, a fond look crossing his faceplate as he reached out and touched first Velocity's processor then Steam Rider's.
As the examination progressed, Velocity kept trying to grab hold of Ratchet's servos and tools, trying to turn them over to look at them curiously. Ratchet, for his part, was being very patient, gently pushing Velocity's servos away, scolding him gently for getting in the way, and moving along as quickly and efficiently as he could. The inventor tried not to laugh at his sparkling's antics, helping where he could but otherwise just standing by like a protective creator, doing his best to keep either of the sparklings from trying to bolt. Finally it came to Steam Rider's turn after the silver mechling was given a clean bill of health, the medic extended a servo to him, allowing the odd little mech to have the first move.
"Hey there, Steam Rider," he greeted softly. Peering up at Ratchet from behind his visor, the little bot hesitated for a long moment before he squeaked softly in greeting, attempting to lift a servo to take a hold of Ratchet's only to have his arm drop right back into his lap.
"Oh little one!" Wheeljack murmured, moving in and helping the little sparkling a bit until his servo was resting in Ratchet's. "There you go!" Giving a worried frown to the little one, Ratchet glanced up at Wheeljack.
"Take Velocity to berth. I'll get Steam Rider to sleep and we'll see what improvements we can make," he said softly, reaching out to stroke Steam Rider's helm crest gently. It was clear that Wheeljack was hesitant to leave, looking from Ratchet to Steam Rider and back again before he finally nodded and moved to pick Velocity up. The little bot crawled happily into Wheeljack's arms, purring softly as he curled up, optics already dimming in exhaustion.
"Come little one," he murmured, nuzzling the little one gently before he left the med lab, leaving Steam Rider with Ratchet, the little sparkling leaning into the med-bot's embrace. Seeing that his touch was accepted, Ratchet scooped the little mechling up in his arms, adjusting him how he assumed he would be most comfortable, rocking him gently.
"Rest now," he cooed. Staring up at Ratchet, Steam Rider's visor flickered some as he slowly rested against Ratchet's chassis, arms settled in his lap as he blew out a breath of steam. "There we are... Just let yourself drift of," he said softly, pacing a bit as he rocked the sparkling. After a few moments, he began to hum softly, just a gentle noise to facilitate recharge, a move that seemed to work as the visor flickered more and more until it began to dim as Steam Rider began to slip into recharge. He snuggled closer to Ratchet's spark, managing to lift a servo and let it flop against the med-bot's spark case, little digits curling into a fist as he drifted off.
-
Taking Velocity back to the lab, Wheeljack navigated into the back room that served as his berth and now a berth for the twins, the inventor clicking and whistling at the little bot. Clicking twice in return followed by a soft, low whistle, Velocity reached out and took hold of his creator's audio fins, giggling gleefully, the inventor echoing the sound as he sank down onto the edge of his berth
"Well aren't you just about the most lovable thing ever?" Wheeljack cooed, laughter still in his voice, the inventor keeping his head ducked low so Velocity could hang on. A gurgling noise escaped the silver and white sparkling, and after a moment, he finally withdrew his servos, curling them up against himself. His optics offlined as he heaved through his vents something akin to a sigh, and they never bothered to online again as the little one entered sleep mode. Holding Velocity for just a bit longer Wheeljack finally turned to rest the sparkling on his berth, making sure he was safe and secure with no risk of falling off before he stood and exited the room, glancing back several times before he was actually out the door and back into the lab itself.
"Tungsten, keep an eye on him for me," he said as he passed the little drone, receiving a 'Meep meep!' in response before he was on his way back to the med lab, passing by a few bots whom he said quick hellos to but otherwise just kept moving.
-
With the sparkling in his care finally in recharge, Ratchet set him gently down on the exam table, sighing softly before examining his seams, seeing how best to open him. It was definitely one of Wheeljack's more unique designs, Ratchet having never seen anything like the little bot before, digits carefully stroking here and there as he examined the little one in full. He almost didn't notice the inventor's return, tossing a quick glance at him as he caught movement out of the corner of his optics, the inventor absently wringing his servos as Ratchet nodded to him in greeting.
“Need some help, Ratch'?”
"Open him up for me?" Ratchet asked in a hushed tone, trying to keep from waking the mechling. "I want to see his inner workings, if you don't mind." Nodding the inventor moved around the table opposite Ratchet now, reaching forward to gently undo the little one's spark case and chassis cover. The interworkings of the little bot were revealed then and, in place of a normal spark, there seemed to be a combination of steam and Energon that made something of a spark all its own. It pulsed just like a normal spark would but it was clear just by looking at it that it was not something the AllSpark or two bots could have made.
No, it was something unlike anything Ratchet had ever seen before. Wheeljack had certainly gone above and beyond.
Gears were also present, clockwork style gears at that, keeping the sparkling alive and well, internal processes all run off the gears which were fueled, in a sense, by the steam flowing through the veins that, on any other mech, would have been filled with Energon. It was definitely a sight and it took Ratchet a moment to get used to what he was seeing as Wheeljack looked down at his creation, his sparkling, with a proud glint in his optics.
"He'll get stronger once the steam fills up everythin'. He was just brought online so...it's still gotta make it's way through."
"Understood. But there has to be a way we can make it flow more efficiently," Ratchet muttered, deep in thought as he began poking around at the steam lines, examining each one and each connection, looking the odd make over and noting every detail, committing it all to memory for future examinations.
"There probably is but, ya know me. I don't always see the obvious," Wheeljack said with a sheepish chuckle, gazing down at the little bot.
"No, you see what everyone else misses," Ratchet complimented, a small smile on his lip components. The compliment made Wheeljack's fins flicker a bit, an embarrassed air surrounding the other mech suddenly. Pretending not to notice, Ratchet looked back down at the sparkling on the table, making a thought sound in the back of his vocal processor.
"Hm... Maybe if we connected this to bypass..." He muttered, trailing off as he used a clamp to cut off the steam in the veins he wanted to disconnect and relocate. Wheeljack watched his fellow mech work, embarrassment forgotten for the moment, processor tilting a bit.
"Ya know, that just might be exactly what the little guy needs Ratch." Ratchet was silent for a moment in concentration as he finished that connection, releasing the clamps and watching the steam move through the veins, looking carefully for any leaks.
"Any other connections like that you can think of?"
"Don't think so, Ratch. That was the central line, sorta like the main pump in us that moves all the Energon throughout our frames. As long as that line--" He motioned to the one that Ratchet had clamped. "--is pumping properly, the rest should follow suit." On the table, Steam Rider made a noise as the steam did in fact start to get through his entire frame, the little mech's processor moving.
"Good, then," Ratchet nodded, content if Wheeljack was. "Close him up, then, before he wakes and wonders what's going on."
Scaring the little one was the last thing he wanted to do after all.
Wheeljack did as he was told, gently securing the little sparkling's chassis plate and spark case, stroking his fingers gently along the seem once he was finished. The little mech shifted some, visor dimly coming back online as he made a curious noise as he looked from Wheeljack to Ratchet, a very light squeak escaping the sparkling as he lifted an arm and reached for the med-bot who was more than a bit surprised that he was the one reached for rather than the mechling's creator, but he wasn't going to object, and scooped Steam Rider up in his arms, holding him close to his spark.
“Shall we lay him down with his brother?" he suggested softly, rocking gently with the sparkling. A smile in his optics, Wheeljack nodded and motioned for his friend to follow, leading the way back towards his lab. They went in silence, luckily not passing any other bots (oh the questions they would have gotten), Wheeljack hushing Tungston before the drone could make any loud noises as the group entered the lab. The inventor slipped into the berth where Velocity was, optics softening even more.
"Just set him there, Ratch," he murmured, looking over to the med-bot whom Steam Rider was happily curled against. The sparkling was laid down gently beside his twin, who stirred lightly and rolled over to wrap his arms around his brother before he fell back into full recharge. Ratchet took a seat at the end of the berth, looking with soft optics to the pair.
"... You did a good job, Jack," he said after a moment, a comment that made the inventor look at his friend in surprise, digits stilling where they had been stroking along the twins' processors.
“...Thank ya, Ratch," he murmured, fins flashing happily as he moved over and sat down beside the med-bot. "I tried...I really did."
"You always do," he nodded, leaving his meaning ambiguous. "So... what are we going to do with them, is the question," the CMO muttered, resting an elbow on his knee and resting his chin in his palm.
"Raise them of course," Wheeljack said with a light shrug, looking over at the sparklings again. "Raise them as my own."
"You can't do it alone," was the immediate response, almost like a reminder. "One is more than enough, but two?" Ratchet shook his processor, glancing at the twins again in thought before speaking again. "I'll help."
The inventor glanced over at the other mech, once more surprised.
"Ratch, I don't want to burden ya' or anythin'. I can handle it. I'll have Tungston to help me!"
"You can't possibly hope to give two sparklings enough care and attention and still get your work done by yourself, Wheeljack. As much as I may not like it, Velocity has my spark, and Steam Rider's taken to me. I'll help you. But if it turns out we can't do this, we give one or both of them off to a real pair," he said stern tone slipping into place again. Wheeljack flinched some but nodded all the same, processor hanging like a scolded sparkling.
"Alright Ratch. That's how we'll do it then," he mumbled, glancing at the med-bot out of the corner of his optic. "Thank ya'."
"You're welcome.” Watching the two for a breem more Ratchet lifted a servo and reached out to stroke each of their cheeks before pushing up to stand, joints creaking a bit as he shifted some and stretched. "Call me if you need anything."
"I will," the inventor said as his fins flashed softly, a smile in his optics as he looked at his friend. The two shared a look, various emotions playing out over their faceplates before Ratchet took his leave, giving the inventor some time alone with his newest charges.
Chapter: 1/?
Authors: crazedwolf and cloud_sama
Rating: PG (For now)
Series: Transformers (Mostly G1 based)
Characters: Wheeljack, Ratchet, Ocs
Warnings: I guess OCs would be a warning..nothing else as of right now.
Summary: When Wheeljack was excited, it meant one better be prepared for anything.
Author's Notes:
Hi there! BD Well, this story spawns out of a roleplay that my fiancee and I are currently doing so the story in itself may seem a little choppy here and there. I did my best to clean it up and all that jazz but please bear with me as there may have been things I missed. If I do catch something, I will edit so, essentially, this is a project that is constantly going to be edited and cleaned up as we go.
There are OCs involved, one of mine and one of her's, but they're just lil' sparklings so please don't hate. D:
Comments and critique are love! And we hope you enjoy!
"Ratch'! Ratch'!"
The doors to the med lab slid open with a hiss as Wheeljack practically stumbled in due to his excitement over...Primus only knew what, the inventor's fins flashing with delight. The chief medical officer was buried in his work and startled, standing up straight as Wheeljack looked around for him, not seeing Ratchet right away.
"Ya' in here???"
"What now, 'Jack?" he asked, catching said mech's attention as he set aside the tool in his servo. The inventor beelined for his friend, slinging a servo around his shoulders once close enough, fins lit up brightly, oblivious to the fact that Ratchet was looking more and more nervous with each nanokilk that passed.
"I'm finally finished! Ya' know that project that I've been workin' on for, Primus, I don't even know how long it's been. Feels like forever but, hey, I mean, I lock myself in my lab all the time so this time really isn't all that different I guess!" Wheeljack rambled, a light chuckle following his words, the inventor started to loose the original topic.
"Which project?" Ratchet asked, arching an optic rim and interrupting the excitable mech's rant.Whenever Wheeljack had something he was excited about, it hardly ever ended well for anyone else. And the fact that he'd finished something- "It's not more dinobots, is it?"
"Better!" he said immediately, back on topic now as he pulled Ratchet around so he could rest his servos on the med-bot's shoulders, once more oblivious to the look in the CMO's optics.
Better than the dinobots? Ratchet was already calculating in his processor all the repairs he was going to have to do after whatever this was was over.
"Ten times better!” Wheeljack continued, pulling Ratchet out of his thoughts. “This is my greatest creation yet! Ya' have to see it, Ratch! It's amazing! It's incredible! It's..It's...Just come see!" Before the other could protest Wheeljack was tugging him towards the doors and against his better judgment, the medic followed along, giving a reluctant sigh through his vents.
“Alright, 'Jack, I'm coming. Show me what you created."
Fins still flashing the inventor maneuvered his friend into the lab, babbling on and on about how happy he was and whatnot, fueling the fires of Ratchet's nervousness as the doors hissing shut behind them. Wheeljack immediately slipped away from the CMO and disappeared into one of the side rooms, fins brighter than Ratchet had ever seen them before.
"Just wait right there!" he called back, the sounds of tools hitting the ground echoing from where he had disappeared. It only took a few minutes before he was back, the inventory leading a....sparkling?...by the servo. "Ratch! Meet Velocity!"
Needless to say, describing Ratchet's reaction by saying 'surprised' was an understatement.
Usually when Wheeljack built another bot, it was a full-grown mech, like the dino bots and the protecto-bots. But this...
"Jack... Where did you find him?" Ratchet asked, stepping slowly towards the little one and bending down a bit to get a closer look at him. In response, the sparkling scooted behind his creator's legs, staring at the strange new mech with wonder in his optics. Wheeljack smiled gently, servo letting Velocity's go to rest on top of his head before he focused his attention on Ratchet, optics bright.
"I made him of course!" the inventor said happily, fins flashing brightly. "Building the form wasn't that hard at all! I had plenty of spare parts lyin' around. It was bringing him to life that was the tricky part!"
It took a moment for Ratchet's processor to catch up the idea as it kicked into overdrive, his optics narrowing the slightest bit in a questioning, confused sort of manner.
"Jack, you can't just make something like this. He's a sparkling, he's going to be dependent on you. What do you think will happen when you lose interest and move on to something else?" the medic asked, crouching down now to hold out a servo to the little bot, who didn't seem interested in moving at all from his protected spot behind Wheeljack. The inventor visible slumped a bit, a cross between upset and offended as he looked down and back at the little bot.
"I'm not gonna get bored of him, Ratchet. I wouldn't have made him if I didn't want a sparkling of my own," he said softly, gazing at Velocity with fondness clear on his faceplate. The sight made Ratchet let out a sigh, finding it hard to scold Wheeljack this time around which was odd in itself considering the severity of the whole situation.
"Jack... You can barely take care of yourself half the time. You lock yourself away in your lab and don't come out for cycles. And you don't even have a sparkmate to help you share the responsibility."
Flinching some Wheeljack seemed to shrink back a bit, nudging Velocity back gently.
"I just...I guess I was lonely is all. Like ya' said, I'm always doin' this and that but maybe..for once I just want to do somethin' like other bots." Turning around finally the inventor knelt down and scooped Velocity up, cradling the little sparkling close to his spark as he faced Ratchet once more. "Is that so wrong, Ratch?" he murmured, stroking digits along Velocity's faceplate.
"But this isn't like the other bots, Jack," Ratchet said softly, yet slightly reprimanding. He stood and reached out, offering to take Velocity, a gentle expression on his face so as not to scare the little bot, who had immediately curled up in his father's servos against his spark. "You know I have to report this to Prime."
"Ratch I--" Wheeljack stopped himself, knowing that Prime had to be told, one way or another. Instant fear gripped the inventory though, optics on his sparkling before he moved a bit closer to Ratchet and held the little one out. A few soft clicks escaped the inventor in a reassuring manner, trying to keep the little bot from freaking out as he was handed off to the bot that was, essentially a stranger. There was also a bit of hesitation of Wheeljack's part, the inventor unable to meet his friend's gaze as he cleared his vocal processor a bit, spark fluttering.
It was almost as if he were hiding something.
"Vreep," Velocity chirped in response, looking to his father then the other mech before hesitantly reaching out to Ratchet. Ratchet took him gently and pulled him close, expression softening as Velocity curled up close to his spark casing, optics offlining as he let out a happy chirp. The CMO looked down at the little one with a bit of a confused expression as something in his spark seemed to almost...reach out to the sparkling, staring down at Velocity before looking to Wheeljack. "What-....?"
The inventor's optics were everywhere but on Ratchet, fins flashing nervously as he moved over towards his work bench and started busying himself with cleaning up.
"Need to get this place safe for a lil sparkling. Can't have him gettin' hurt or anythin' like that," he muttered, accidentally dropping some tools and cursing faintly with a sigh, bending down to pick them up.
"Wheeljack," the medic said steadily in a firm tone. "Why does his spark resonate with mine?" Wheeljack froze where he was, fins diming as he slowly glanced over at Ratchet.
"...Because his spark...comes from yours..and mine."
If Ratchet's optics could have gotten any larger, they would have taken over his faceplate at that moment.
"Explain yourself," he demanded after a moment, his harsh tone startling Velocity, who began to whimper. Instantly Wheeljack was up and in front of ratchet, reaching for Velocity as the little bot began to whimper.
"Shh, little one, it's alright, it's alright!" he urged gently, servos cradling the sparkling. "Ratch I....Ya' wouldn't understand."
"Then make me understand," he said with a slight glare, his tone remaining the same as he willingly gave up the sparkling. Wheeljack flinched and held Velocity closer, fins not even lit now as he edged away from Ratchet.
"....I didn't think...I wasn't thinkin' but I....you're...the one bot that I'd want to have a sparkling with..and I--I was just so lonely that I..." Wheeljack was starting to ramble, to stumble over himself as his form began to shake a bit, arms curling around the sparkling a bit tighter though a squeak from the little one kept him from squeezing too hard. It was clear that anger was starting to get the better of the CMO but, remembering himself, Ratchet turned away, taking a deep intake through his vents and unclenching his servos.
"Wheeljack...” He paused again before finally turning around, his expression a little lost. "I... You could have asked my permission," he finally grumbled, moving to close the space between them and wrap his servos around the inventor, keeping the sparkling between them. He was still upset, very much so, but...what was done was done. So he opted for a gentler approach, not wanting to scare the sparkling or hurt Wheeljack in any real way.
The inventor was still a close friend after all, crazing doings or not.
The last thing he had been expecting was for Ratchet to embrace him so when it happened the inventor jerked slightly, processor lifting as he met the med-bot's gaze.
"...I'm sorry, Ratch. I really am. I just...I just wanted a sparkling and I...." His vocal processor choked up on him a bit as he looked back down at Velocity, leaning into Ratchet. "I guess even I get lost sometimes."
"You always get lost, Jack," Ratchet murmured jokingly, optics falling on Velocity who was watching them both curiously, slightly frightened from before. "I think it's time we had a serious talk."
"...Alright," Wheeljack said softly, fins flashing just a bit. For a moment he went quiet, a faint clicking sounding from the inventor before he slowly looked at the CMO again. "....There's something else I need to show ya' though, Ratch."
"Jack," Ratchet said dangerously, pulling away and giving his partner a stern glare.
Wheeljack only acted like this when he was hiding something...
"Tell me you didn't..."
Gently handing Velocity to Ratchet again, the inventory slipped into the side room again, silence following in his wake. It took him a bit longer to return this time but when he did, there was another small frame cradled in his arms but this one...this one was much different than Velocity, much less animated one could say.
"How many, Jack?" Ratchet asked before the other mech could say a word, shifting Velocity into one servo and lifting the other to pinch the bridge of his nose between his digits, offlining his optics.
"Just these two...only Velocity has your spark though, Ratch," he said softly, optics on the little frame in his arms. It was a mess of black and brown unlike Velocity's silver and white, a mask much like Wheeljack's covering his vocal processor and a glowing red visor obscuring his optics. "...They're twins...sorta."
"Is he functional?" Ratchet asked, dropping his servo back to Velocity and looking curiously at the other frame. He noted a puff of steam rise from it, and he blinked, tensing and turning slightly as if shielding Velocity.
"Did it explode?” Wheeljack couldn't help but chuckle a bit as he shook his processor.
"No, he's just different is all. I tried somethin' new...tried to make a bot that would function more efficiently...thats where lil Steam Rider came in."
"Steam Rider? I suppose its systems use steam, then?" He asked, inclining his head a bit, slightly curious but still put off by everything, an edge still lingering in his voice.
"Ya', you'd be right to think that. A mix of steam and Energon, moreso steam than anythin' else though," he explain, lifting the little sparkling a bit at the same time that he leaned down, touching foreheads with the little bot who made a faint little noise.
"I'm going to need to examine them both."
“I figured as much, Ratch.”
"And his spark. You said it wasn't mine so is it only yours?" Ratchet pressed, motioning with his head for Wheeljack to follow him back to the med bay with the sparklings. Velocity, who had heard his brother's little noise, was scrambling around with indignant squeaks, trying to peer over the much larger mech's shoulder. The CMO adjust his hold on the tiny bot, pushing him up a bit so he could see back, Velocity calming as he caught sight of both his creator and brother. Wheeljack's optics softened and the little sparkling in his arms shifted slightly, peering over towards the pair in front of them.
"Sorta...he...his spark is different too. He's not made from another bot's spark at all."
"Oh?" This definitely caught the med-bot's attention, and he glanced over his shoulder where Velocity was peering at the steam-powered sparkling. "You're definitely going to have to explain this one to me."
"I will, I promise," he said with a nod, following Ratchet into the med lab. Steam Rider seemed a little more aware of things now as his processor turned this way and that, a faint noise escaping him as he snuggled close to Wheeljack's spark. "Where do ya' want um?"
"Over here," he ordered as he set Velocity down on a repair table, the little bot starting to whine as he made grabby servos for his parent spark, not wanting to be left alone right now. In the mean time, Ratchet had moved away from the table to gather the tools he would need for the examinations. Seeing the impending tantrum Wheeljack hurried over and gently set Steam Rider down, the little black bot tilting his processor at Velocity. He was almost like a doll without strings though his movements were fairly fluid in most ways, the sparkling hesitating a moment before moving over to his 'twin'. Velocity chirped happily, scooting over to close the space between himself and Steam Rider, wrapping his arms around his brother with a sloppy grin on his faceplate. The darker colored sparkling made a faint cooing sound, leaning into his brother, servos staying at his sides as his visor began to glow a bit brighter.
"Ratch, this isn't gonna take long is it? They both need to recharge soon."
"You shoulda thought of that before you brought them to me. They need full examinations," Ratchet said sternly, gathering the last of his tools and returning to the sparklings to begin. Tossing the med-bot a sheepish sort of look, Wheeljack sighed and moved to help.
"Alright, alright, I'm sure they'll be fine. If they start gettin' upset though, I'm takin' them to berth."
"I've dealt with unhappy sparklings before, I doubt these two could be any more unbearable," he mumbled as he began with Velocity, knowing he'd be the easier of the two while letting Steam Rider get accustomed to his presence. Said sparkling was watching Ratchet with fascination, processor cocked to the side still, servos in his lap.
"You'd be surprised," Wheeljack muttered, a fond look crossing his faceplate as he reached out and touched first Velocity's processor then Steam Rider's.
As the examination progressed, Velocity kept trying to grab hold of Ratchet's servos and tools, trying to turn them over to look at them curiously. Ratchet, for his part, was being very patient, gently pushing Velocity's servos away, scolding him gently for getting in the way, and moving along as quickly and efficiently as he could. The inventor tried not to laugh at his sparkling's antics, helping where he could but otherwise just standing by like a protective creator, doing his best to keep either of the sparklings from trying to bolt. Finally it came to Steam Rider's turn after the silver mechling was given a clean bill of health, the medic extended a servo to him, allowing the odd little mech to have the first move.
"Hey there, Steam Rider," he greeted softly. Peering up at Ratchet from behind his visor, the little bot hesitated for a long moment before he squeaked softly in greeting, attempting to lift a servo to take a hold of Ratchet's only to have his arm drop right back into his lap.
"Oh little one!" Wheeljack murmured, moving in and helping the little sparkling a bit until his servo was resting in Ratchet's. "There you go!" Giving a worried frown to the little one, Ratchet glanced up at Wheeljack.
"Take Velocity to berth. I'll get Steam Rider to sleep and we'll see what improvements we can make," he said softly, reaching out to stroke Steam Rider's helm crest gently. It was clear that Wheeljack was hesitant to leave, looking from Ratchet to Steam Rider and back again before he finally nodded and moved to pick Velocity up. The little bot crawled happily into Wheeljack's arms, purring softly as he curled up, optics already dimming in exhaustion.
"Come little one," he murmured, nuzzling the little one gently before he left the med lab, leaving Steam Rider with Ratchet, the little sparkling leaning into the med-bot's embrace. Seeing that his touch was accepted, Ratchet scooped the little mechling up in his arms, adjusting him how he assumed he would be most comfortable, rocking him gently.
"Rest now," he cooed. Staring up at Ratchet, Steam Rider's visor flickered some as he slowly rested against Ratchet's chassis, arms settled in his lap as he blew out a breath of steam. "There we are... Just let yourself drift of," he said softly, pacing a bit as he rocked the sparkling. After a few moments, he began to hum softly, just a gentle noise to facilitate recharge, a move that seemed to work as the visor flickered more and more until it began to dim as Steam Rider began to slip into recharge. He snuggled closer to Ratchet's spark, managing to lift a servo and let it flop against the med-bot's spark case, little digits curling into a fist as he drifted off.
-
Taking Velocity back to the lab, Wheeljack navigated into the back room that served as his berth and now a berth for the twins, the inventor clicking and whistling at the little bot. Clicking twice in return followed by a soft, low whistle, Velocity reached out and took hold of his creator's audio fins, giggling gleefully, the inventor echoing the sound as he sank down onto the edge of his berth
"Well aren't you just about the most lovable thing ever?" Wheeljack cooed, laughter still in his voice, the inventor keeping his head ducked low so Velocity could hang on. A gurgling noise escaped the silver and white sparkling, and after a moment, he finally withdrew his servos, curling them up against himself. His optics offlined as he heaved through his vents something akin to a sigh, and they never bothered to online again as the little one entered sleep mode. Holding Velocity for just a bit longer Wheeljack finally turned to rest the sparkling on his berth, making sure he was safe and secure with no risk of falling off before he stood and exited the room, glancing back several times before he was actually out the door and back into the lab itself.
"Tungsten, keep an eye on him for me," he said as he passed the little drone, receiving a 'Meep meep!' in response before he was on his way back to the med lab, passing by a few bots whom he said quick hellos to but otherwise just kept moving.
-
With the sparkling in his care finally in recharge, Ratchet set him gently down on the exam table, sighing softly before examining his seams, seeing how best to open him. It was definitely one of Wheeljack's more unique designs, Ratchet having never seen anything like the little bot before, digits carefully stroking here and there as he examined the little one in full. He almost didn't notice the inventor's return, tossing a quick glance at him as he caught movement out of the corner of his optics, the inventor absently wringing his servos as Ratchet nodded to him in greeting.
“Need some help, Ratch'?”
"Open him up for me?" Ratchet asked in a hushed tone, trying to keep from waking the mechling. "I want to see his inner workings, if you don't mind." Nodding the inventor moved around the table opposite Ratchet now, reaching forward to gently undo the little one's spark case and chassis cover. The interworkings of the little bot were revealed then and, in place of a normal spark, there seemed to be a combination of steam and Energon that made something of a spark all its own. It pulsed just like a normal spark would but it was clear just by looking at it that it was not something the AllSpark or two bots could have made.
No, it was something unlike anything Ratchet had ever seen before. Wheeljack had certainly gone above and beyond.
Gears were also present, clockwork style gears at that, keeping the sparkling alive and well, internal processes all run off the gears which were fueled, in a sense, by the steam flowing through the veins that, on any other mech, would have been filled with Energon. It was definitely a sight and it took Ratchet a moment to get used to what he was seeing as Wheeljack looked down at his creation, his sparkling, with a proud glint in his optics.
"He'll get stronger once the steam fills up everythin'. He was just brought online so...it's still gotta make it's way through."
"Understood. But there has to be a way we can make it flow more efficiently," Ratchet muttered, deep in thought as he began poking around at the steam lines, examining each one and each connection, looking the odd make over and noting every detail, committing it all to memory for future examinations.
"There probably is but, ya know me. I don't always see the obvious," Wheeljack said with a sheepish chuckle, gazing down at the little bot.
"No, you see what everyone else misses," Ratchet complimented, a small smile on his lip components. The compliment made Wheeljack's fins flicker a bit, an embarrassed air surrounding the other mech suddenly. Pretending not to notice, Ratchet looked back down at the sparkling on the table, making a thought sound in the back of his vocal processor.
"Hm... Maybe if we connected this to bypass..." He muttered, trailing off as he used a clamp to cut off the steam in the veins he wanted to disconnect and relocate. Wheeljack watched his fellow mech work, embarrassment forgotten for the moment, processor tilting a bit.
"Ya know, that just might be exactly what the little guy needs Ratch." Ratchet was silent for a moment in concentration as he finished that connection, releasing the clamps and watching the steam move through the veins, looking carefully for any leaks.
"Any other connections like that you can think of?"
"Don't think so, Ratch. That was the central line, sorta like the main pump in us that moves all the Energon throughout our frames. As long as that line--" He motioned to the one that Ratchet had clamped. "--is pumping properly, the rest should follow suit." On the table, Steam Rider made a noise as the steam did in fact start to get through his entire frame, the little mech's processor moving.
"Good, then," Ratchet nodded, content if Wheeljack was. "Close him up, then, before he wakes and wonders what's going on."
Scaring the little one was the last thing he wanted to do after all.
Wheeljack did as he was told, gently securing the little sparkling's chassis plate and spark case, stroking his fingers gently along the seem once he was finished. The little mech shifted some, visor dimly coming back online as he made a curious noise as he looked from Wheeljack to Ratchet, a very light squeak escaping the sparkling as he lifted an arm and reached for the med-bot who was more than a bit surprised that he was the one reached for rather than the mechling's creator, but he wasn't going to object, and scooped Steam Rider up in his arms, holding him close to his spark.
“Shall we lay him down with his brother?" he suggested softly, rocking gently with the sparkling. A smile in his optics, Wheeljack nodded and motioned for his friend to follow, leading the way back towards his lab. They went in silence, luckily not passing any other bots (oh the questions they would have gotten), Wheeljack hushing Tungston before the drone could make any loud noises as the group entered the lab. The inventor slipped into the berth where Velocity was, optics softening even more.
"Just set him there, Ratch," he murmured, looking over to the med-bot whom Steam Rider was happily curled against. The sparkling was laid down gently beside his twin, who stirred lightly and rolled over to wrap his arms around his brother before he fell back into full recharge. Ratchet took a seat at the end of the berth, looking with soft optics to the pair.
"... You did a good job, Jack," he said after a moment, a comment that made the inventor look at his friend in surprise, digits stilling where they had been stroking along the twins' processors.
“...Thank ya, Ratch," he murmured, fins flashing happily as he moved over and sat down beside the med-bot. "I tried...I really did."
"You always do," he nodded, leaving his meaning ambiguous. "So... what are we going to do with them, is the question," the CMO muttered, resting an elbow on his knee and resting his chin in his palm.
"Raise them of course," Wheeljack said with a light shrug, looking over at the sparklings again. "Raise them as my own."
"You can't do it alone," was the immediate response, almost like a reminder. "One is more than enough, but two?" Ratchet shook his processor, glancing at the twins again in thought before speaking again. "I'll help."
The inventor glanced over at the other mech, once more surprised.
"Ratch, I don't want to burden ya' or anythin'. I can handle it. I'll have Tungston to help me!"
"You can't possibly hope to give two sparklings enough care and attention and still get your work done by yourself, Wheeljack. As much as I may not like it, Velocity has my spark, and Steam Rider's taken to me. I'll help you. But if it turns out we can't do this, we give one or both of them off to a real pair," he said stern tone slipping into place again. Wheeljack flinched some but nodded all the same, processor hanging like a scolded sparkling.
"Alright Ratch. That's how we'll do it then," he mumbled, glancing at the med-bot out of the corner of his optic. "Thank ya'."
"You're welcome.” Watching the two for a breem more Ratchet lifted a servo and reached out to stroke each of their cheeks before pushing up to stand, joints creaking a bit as he shifted some and stretched. "Call me if you need anything."
"I will," the inventor said as his fins flashed softly, a smile in his optics as he looked at his friend. The two shared a look, various emotions playing out over their faceplates before Ratchet took his leave, giving the inventor some time alone with his newest charges.