Twisted Tales: Shorty and the Beast (Pt 4)
Title: Twisted Tales: Shorty and the Beast (Part 4)
Rating: G
Verse: G1ish?
Character: Cliffjumper, Bumblebee. (Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker)
Warnings: AU. Crack.
Summary: Once-upon-a-times and might-have-beens paint a story most fair. A beauty stalks a tower in a guise most foul, and only one bot has optics to see past the grisly exterior.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
It was just another day in Altihex, and Cliffjumper was bored.
It seemed like nothing in this dried up little town ever changed. The biggest excitement was when a new shipment rolled in, and most of the time that was just mundane goods required for basic sustenance. Oh, there was the new shipment of weapons that had just come in. He’d been looking over them with sharp optics and there were some gorgeous pieces to admire, although still nothing that beat his personally modified arm cannon. Cliffjumper was smugly proud of that little piece, although Smokescreen had mentioned more than once that it was an utterly useless upgrade since the most danger their town ever faced was the rare rogue organic from the Forest, and that was what they had a Hunter for, anyway. Cliffjumper always argued back that it was always good to be prepared; after all, you never knew what could be waiting in the wings to jump out at you. Smokescreen would retort that he just liked firepower, which Cliffjumper couldn’t really refute.
Smokescreen was currently off on a trading trip, and Cliffjumper wished, for just a moment, that he was out there with him. At least then he would be away from this tiny town and its quiet streets and absolute lack of anything interesting. But Smokescreen was the one with the contacts, and neither of them felt very comfortable leaving Bumblebee alone. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust their neighbors - well, they trusted most of them; Cliffjumper wouldn’t trust Starscream with an empty canister, and Megatron gave him the creeps - but Bumblebee was the sparkling of the family and, despite his upcoming Promising, it was hard to remember he wasn’t still the little brother that Cliffjumper chased schoolyard bullies around for. Bumblebee put up with their coddling for the most part with his customary good nature, only rarely telling them with any kind of firmness to knock it off. (When he did, Cliffjumper and Smokescreen complied with alacrity. Bumblebee was sweet and easy-going, but when he told you to jump, you were generally already in the air before the words left his vocalizer. It was a devastating power and one that he, thankfully, used rarely.)
Maybe after the Promising he would feel comfortable enough to leave for a time. Arcee was strong and sharp and unwilling to take nonsense from anyone. She complimented Bumblebee nicely, and it was easy for anyone to see that the two of them were in love. Bumblebee’s smile was always a little brighter when she was around, and her manner was a little more at ease when he was in her sight. It was a good match, and practically the whole town agreed. The Promising ceremony was scheduled to take place in the next few orns, and they were to be Bonded in a vorn.
Yeah, that would work. He’d talk to Smokescreen once he got back. Cliffjumper wasn’t really sure he’d want to become a trader, too - he wasn’t really one for the bargaining table, for starters - but maybe just seeing something of the outside world would sate just a little of the wanderlust that was stirring him up lately.
And maybe - just maybe - he’d get a little of the adventure he was craving.
“Come now,” Starscream said silkily, “it’s hardly seemly for a bot of your…stature to be so enamored of a weapon that size.”
“Go slag yourself,” Cliffjumper retorted, caressing his cannon.
“No, I don’t think I will. It would be much more fun to…”
The two were just leaving the market; well, Cliffjumper was leaving and Starscream was following him with obvious intentions, given the gleam in his optics. Bumblebee took one look at the situation in the offing and zipped over to intervene before things could get out of hand. “CJ!” he said brightly, grabbing his hand. “Are you ready to go home yet?”
“Well…”
“Arcee’s coming over for dinner. You haven’t forgotten, have you? You promised to help me get ready.”
“Yes, do run along,” Starscream said, smiling wickedly. “After all, we all know just how talented you are in the kitchen…”
“Why, you…!” Cliffjumper lunged towards the jet, but Bumblebee hauled back on his arm.
“CJ!” Bumblebee cast around for a distraction. The crowd in the market was thinning as the day wore on, and those who remained were staying conspicuously out of reach. No one wanted to be near when the inevitable explosion occurred. No one, but…over there, loitering by the wall! Bumblebee brightened as he spotted Thundercracker drifting closer with Skywarp in tow. Thundercracker must have seen the somewhat desperate look in Bumblebee’s optics because he sighed and joined the fray.
“Starscream,” he interrupted, neatly stepping in front of the jet. Starscream scowled but Thundercracker folded his arms and gave him a Look. “’Warp wanted to ask you something.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah!” Skywarp bounced over the rest of the way, grinning madly. “So, ‘Screamer, I was thinking…”
“You, thinking? Primus preserve us.” Skywarp didn’t even waver under Starscream’s disdainful comment, latching on to his arm in high spirits. Bumblebee sent Thundercracker a grateful look. Thank you, his optics said.
Thundercracker shot him a fleeting crooked smile before turning back to his trine mates. Bumblebee took that for the hint it was and tugged on Cliffjumper’s arm. They left the market square in silence, although not without Cliffjumper throwing a few annoyed glances over his shoulder. Bumblebee let out a sigh of relief and Cliffjumper shot him a look, his mouth twisting up into a wry smile.
“I could’ve taken him,” Cliffjumper said, just to be clear.
“I know,” Bumblebee replied. Then he grinned mischievously. “But could you take Arcee if we make her wait?”
Cliffjumper laughed at that, and Bumblebee knew that his foul mood had been broken. He smiled to himself and quickened his pace, dragging his brother along with him.
After all, he wasn’t certain if he could take Arcee if they made her wait, either.
Part 5!
Rating: G
Verse: G1ish?
Character: Cliffjumper, Bumblebee. (Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker)
Warnings: AU. Crack.
Summary: Once-upon-a-times and might-have-beens paint a story most fair. A beauty stalks a tower in a guise most foul, and only one bot has optics to see past the grisly exterior.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
It was just another day in Altihex, and Cliffjumper was bored.
It seemed like nothing in this dried up little town ever changed. The biggest excitement was when a new shipment rolled in, and most of the time that was just mundane goods required for basic sustenance. Oh, there was the new shipment of weapons that had just come in. He’d been looking over them with sharp optics and there were some gorgeous pieces to admire, although still nothing that beat his personally modified arm cannon. Cliffjumper was smugly proud of that little piece, although Smokescreen had mentioned more than once that it was an utterly useless upgrade since the most danger their town ever faced was the rare rogue organic from the Forest, and that was what they had a Hunter for, anyway. Cliffjumper always argued back that it was always good to be prepared; after all, you never knew what could be waiting in the wings to jump out at you. Smokescreen would retort that he just liked firepower, which Cliffjumper couldn’t really refute.
Smokescreen was currently off on a trading trip, and Cliffjumper wished, for just a moment, that he was out there with him. At least then he would be away from this tiny town and its quiet streets and absolute lack of anything interesting. But Smokescreen was the one with the contacts, and neither of them felt very comfortable leaving Bumblebee alone. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust their neighbors - well, they trusted most of them; Cliffjumper wouldn’t trust Starscream with an empty canister, and Megatron gave him the creeps - but Bumblebee was the sparkling of the family and, despite his upcoming Promising, it was hard to remember he wasn’t still the little brother that Cliffjumper chased schoolyard bullies around for. Bumblebee put up with their coddling for the most part with his customary good nature, only rarely telling them with any kind of firmness to knock it off. (When he did, Cliffjumper and Smokescreen complied with alacrity. Bumblebee was sweet and easy-going, but when he told you to jump, you were generally already in the air before the words left his vocalizer. It was a devastating power and one that he, thankfully, used rarely.)
Maybe after the Promising he would feel comfortable enough to leave for a time. Arcee was strong and sharp and unwilling to take nonsense from anyone. She complimented Bumblebee nicely, and it was easy for anyone to see that the two of them were in love. Bumblebee’s smile was always a little brighter when she was around, and her manner was a little more at ease when he was in her sight. It was a good match, and practically the whole town agreed. The Promising ceremony was scheduled to take place in the next few orns, and they were to be Bonded in a vorn.
Yeah, that would work. He’d talk to Smokescreen once he got back. Cliffjumper wasn’t really sure he’d want to become a trader, too - he wasn’t really one for the bargaining table, for starters - but maybe just seeing something of the outside world would sate just a little of the wanderlust that was stirring him up lately.
And maybe - just maybe - he’d get a little of the adventure he was craving.
“Come now,” Starscream said silkily, “it’s hardly seemly for a bot of your…stature to be so enamored of a weapon that size.”
“Go slag yourself,” Cliffjumper retorted, caressing his cannon.
“No, I don’t think I will. It would be much more fun to…”
The two were just leaving the market; well, Cliffjumper was leaving and Starscream was following him with obvious intentions, given the gleam in his optics. Bumblebee took one look at the situation in the offing and zipped over to intervene before things could get out of hand. “CJ!” he said brightly, grabbing his hand. “Are you ready to go home yet?”
“Well…”
“Arcee’s coming over for dinner. You haven’t forgotten, have you? You promised to help me get ready.”
“Yes, do run along,” Starscream said, smiling wickedly. “After all, we all know just how talented you are in the kitchen…”
“Why, you…!” Cliffjumper lunged towards the jet, but Bumblebee hauled back on his arm.
“CJ!” Bumblebee cast around for a distraction. The crowd in the market was thinning as the day wore on, and those who remained were staying conspicuously out of reach. No one wanted to be near when the inevitable explosion occurred. No one, but…over there, loitering by the wall! Bumblebee brightened as he spotted Thundercracker drifting closer with Skywarp in tow. Thundercracker must have seen the somewhat desperate look in Bumblebee’s optics because he sighed and joined the fray.
“Starscream,” he interrupted, neatly stepping in front of the jet. Starscream scowled but Thundercracker folded his arms and gave him a Look. “’Warp wanted to ask you something.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah!” Skywarp bounced over the rest of the way, grinning madly. “So, ‘Screamer, I was thinking…”
“You, thinking? Primus preserve us.” Skywarp didn’t even waver under Starscream’s disdainful comment, latching on to his arm in high spirits. Bumblebee sent Thundercracker a grateful look. Thank you, his optics said.
Thundercracker shot him a fleeting crooked smile before turning back to his trine mates. Bumblebee took that for the hint it was and tugged on Cliffjumper’s arm. They left the market square in silence, although not without Cliffjumper throwing a few annoyed glances over his shoulder. Bumblebee let out a sigh of relief and Cliffjumper shot him a look, his mouth twisting up into a wry smile.
“I could’ve taken him,” Cliffjumper said, just to be clear.
“I know,” Bumblebee replied. Then he grinned mischievously. “But could you take Arcee if we make her wait?”
Cliffjumper laughed at that, and Bumblebee knew that his foul mood had been broken. He smiled to himself and quickened his pace, dragging his brother along with him.
After all, he wasn’t certain if he could take Arcee if they made her wait, either.
Part 5!