Short and the Beast: Part 10 - Picture This
Title: Twisted Tales: Shorty and the Beast (Part 10 - Picture This)
Rating: G
Verse: G1ish?
Character: Cliffjumper, Megatron, Starscream
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 6
Part 2 Part 7
Part 3 Part 8
Part 4 Part 9
Part 5
The next day dawned clear and bright, with only the clean, rain-washed streets to stand as testimony of the ferocity of the storm. But Cliffjumper, who’d only stepped out to pick up some essentials for the evening’s meal, wasn't able to appreciate it at all, as Megatron loomed over him as he pontificated about the importance of his job as a Hunter, with Starscream lurking nearby.
Ugh. Cliffjumper knew Hunters were important - every town near a forested area had to have one by order of the Prime - but something about the way Megatron went about it just rubbed him wrong. Taking down the dangerous beasts that threatened Spark and frame of his nearest and dearest; well, he’d do that in a sparkpulse, Hunter or not. But Megatron would often head off into the forest on ‘cleansing runs’ in which he’d endeavor to clear the patch of Forest closest to town of as many organics - dangerous or not - as he could, sanctimoniously explaining that it was his duty as a properly-trained Hunter. If being a Hunter meant hunting down harmless creatures that never did anyone any damage, Cliffjumper didn’t want any part of it.
He was just about to make a hasty excuse or six and make his escape when Megatron said something that nearly made him short circuit.
“And so, I would make you my apprentice,” Megatron offered magnanimously.
“What?” Starscream screeched. “You can’t - that’s not -!”
“Shut up, Starscream.”
“But I don’t want to be a Hunter!” Cliffjumper blurted. Megatron’s optics darkened.
“What?”
“You see, Megatron? The twerp is clearly aware of his low grade status and - ow!”
“Shut up, Starscream.” Megatron snarled, and Starscream backed prudently out of reach of another smack. “What do you mean you don’t want to be a Hunter? Surely you are aware of the honor I am affording you here.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want it,” Cliffjumper retorted. “Besides, Smokey’s gonna introduce me to some of his contacts, and…”
Starscream cackled shrilly. “A Trader? You?” he asked derisively. Megatron chuckled in agreement, and Starscream went on. “Besides, your brother isn't even a very good Trader. Everyone knows how he always gambles away all his profits.”
“Shove it up your exhaust pipe!” Cliffjumper snapped. “My brother is-” Just what Smokescreen was, Cliffjumper never said, because he was interrupted by the shrill beeping of his comm. unit. Cursing, he accessed the channel and opened the line, ignoring Starscream and Megatron’s laughter as he accepted the call. “What?” he demanded, and then Bumblebee’ s frantic babbling penetrated his processor. “Whoa, slow down, ‘Bee, what’s wrong with Smokey?”
Starscream snickered. “What isn't wrong with Smokescreen, you mean?”
Cliffjumper gave him a very rude gesture with his free hand and focused on Bumblebee’s voice.
::There’s a note,:: Bumblebee explained. ::It’s…oh, CJ, just come home, please!::
“Calm down, I’m coming,” he told Bumblebee, and without another word to Starscream or Megatron, he transformed and peeled out of town as fast as his wheels would take him, the mocking laughter of his would-be teacher and teacher’s pet following his exhaust trail.
On to Part 11!
Rating: G
Verse: G1ish?
Character: Cliffjumper, Megatron, Starscream
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 6
Part 2 Part 7
Part 3 Part 8
Part 4 Part 9
Part 5
The next day dawned clear and bright, with only the clean, rain-washed streets to stand as testimony of the ferocity of the storm. But Cliffjumper, who’d only stepped out to pick up some essentials for the evening’s meal, wasn't able to appreciate it at all, as Megatron loomed over him as he pontificated about the importance of his job as a Hunter, with Starscream lurking nearby.
Ugh. Cliffjumper knew Hunters were important - every town near a forested area had to have one by order of the Prime - but something about the way Megatron went about it just rubbed him wrong. Taking down the dangerous beasts that threatened Spark and frame of his nearest and dearest; well, he’d do that in a sparkpulse, Hunter or not. But Megatron would often head off into the forest on ‘cleansing runs’ in which he’d endeavor to clear the patch of Forest closest to town of as many organics - dangerous or not - as he could, sanctimoniously explaining that it was his duty as a properly-trained Hunter. If being a Hunter meant hunting down harmless creatures that never did anyone any damage, Cliffjumper didn’t want any part of it.
He was just about to make a hasty excuse or six and make his escape when Megatron said something that nearly made him short circuit.
“And so, I would make you my apprentice,” Megatron offered magnanimously.
“What?” Starscream screeched. “You can’t - that’s not -!”
“Shut up, Starscream.”
“But I don’t want to be a Hunter!” Cliffjumper blurted. Megatron’s optics darkened.
“What?”
“You see, Megatron? The twerp is clearly aware of his low grade status and - ow!”
“Shut up, Starscream.” Megatron snarled, and Starscream backed prudently out of reach of another smack. “What do you mean you don’t want to be a Hunter? Surely you are aware of the honor I am affording you here.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want it,” Cliffjumper retorted. “Besides, Smokey’s gonna introduce me to some of his contacts, and…”
Starscream cackled shrilly. “A Trader? You?” he asked derisively. Megatron chuckled in agreement, and Starscream went on. “Besides, your brother isn't even a very good Trader. Everyone knows how he always gambles away all his profits.”
“Shove it up your exhaust pipe!” Cliffjumper snapped. “My brother is-” Just what Smokescreen was, Cliffjumper never said, because he was interrupted by the shrill beeping of his comm. unit. Cursing, he accessed the channel and opened the line, ignoring Starscream and Megatron’s laughter as he accepted the call. “What?” he demanded, and then Bumblebee’ s frantic babbling penetrated his processor. “Whoa, slow down, ‘Bee, what’s wrong with Smokey?”
Starscream snickered. “What isn't wrong with Smokescreen, you mean?”
Cliffjumper gave him a very rude gesture with his free hand and focused on Bumblebee’s voice.
::There’s a note,:: Bumblebee explained. ::It’s…oh, CJ, just come home, please!::
“Calm down, I’m coming,” he told Bumblebee, and without another word to Starscream or Megatron, he transformed and peeled out of town as fast as his wheels would take him, the mocking laughter of his would-be teacher and teacher’s pet following his exhaust trail.
On to Part 11!