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Chapter 1
The Discovery
This was a bittersweet mission. The Autobots rolled along the road without saying anything to one another. Nothing needed to be said. On the positive side, there were no Decepticons waiting to ambush them this time. On the negative side, they were going to collect a fallen comrade.They didn't know the designation of this deceased Autobot, but it didn't matter. In the end it was still an Autobot. Skyfire had been especially upset about this discovery due to the details of their macabre find.It all started when human archaeologists were digging around a sacred burial site of ancient warriors of Papua New Guinea. They had found several interesting things, but one man in particular found a giant metal construct and was immediately flabbergasted by such an odd occurrence. They thought it might be an alien space ship, and in a roundabout sort of way, it was.It had turned out to be the dead gray shell of a Cybertronian. Further analysis by the scientists showed that the body had been there for possibly 4-7 million years! The insignia showed that it had been an Autobot. The bot was of a similar design as Skyfire; a Cybertronian shuttle. It was a femme, but obviously hadn't been attractive even in life. Pictures told the Autobots that much, but Perceptor and Ratchet wanted to examine the body before they gave it a proper send-off in the depths of space.They finally arrived and were greeted by a team of humans digging up surrounding areas around the body. The Autobot corpse was surrounded by police tape to prevent anyone from messing with it before the Autobots got there to retrieve it."Welcome, Prime! Welcome!" An old pale man with a tiny mustache greeted the red and blue leader of the Autobots, "We have been expecting you. I am Dr. Fritz, and I was the one that discovered the alien. Well, alien to us. I'm sure you'll know exactly what it is! You may even know who it is!"The little man was very excited to show the Autobots his discovery, as well as to tell them about the many things his team had uncovered. It felt wrong somehow for one to show so much enthusiasm when a femme was lying dead just a few mechano-meters away from them. Still, Optimus knew the human meant no harm. To him it was just another curiosity; like the dead human remains at this same dig sight.Ratchet and Bluestreak were the first ones to arrive at the spot where the dead femme lay. The elements had taken their toll on the shell. It was covered in moss and beginning to rust. Still, her frame was holding up despite the eons it had been there. She was still in shuttle mode, but had been halfway through transformation when she died. Her helm was visible; her black dead optics staring at nothing and mouth open in a silent scream.Bluestreak shuddered at the sight of the poor unfortunate femme. Ratchet didn't have time to think about the horror of the situation, however. He needed to take readings of the femme to see how long she had been dead and if they could determine who she was in life. For all he knew she could've worked with Elita One and her group.Perceptor showed up in that moment and began to scan the body for working parts, interior composition, and anything else that might be necessary to know about. Ratchet was glad Perceptor was there. Bluestreak was too busy staring like a lost turbo rat to be of any use to him. Optimus arrived at their side soon after."Ratchet," Optimus addressed his medic when he got there, "Do you believe you will be able to determine cause of death?""I don't know," Ratchet replied, "I'll do my best."For several minutes the four Autobots milled around and scanned the body of the fallen femme. Skyfire had been too upset to look at the corpse. He doubted he would know her, but the idea of seeing another shuttle in that condition sickened him. He wasn't like the other Autobots. He wasn't used to war. He had been frozen on this planet long before the war even started, and since there had been no casualties on earth for as long as they'd been there Skyfire never had to come to terms with that grim reality.Finally, after a few minutes of scanning her measurements and areas of damage, Perceptor shouted "Ratchet! Come quick! I've found something!"Ratchet raced over to where Perceptor was pointing and stopped in front of the door hatch on the femme's side. Ratchet didn't know what was so special about that, but he made no snide remarks and hoped Perceptor would get to the point before he lost his patience. Perceptor tended to be long-winded when he explained things."Ratchet...You're not going to believe this!" Perceptor breathed incredulously, "My scans are picking up four spark signatures!""Four?" Ratchet gasped, "But there is only one body, and it is just a body. There is no spark signal to be had.""But my scans show four very faint signals, and they are coming from inside the dead femme!" Perceptor insisted."Great Cybertron!" Ratchet breathed incredulously.Wasting no more time, Ratchet took a laser scalpel to the door of the deceased femme and carefully cut it away. Ratchet and Perceptor then pried the steel away so that they could walk inside the dark shell of the fallen Autobot. Bluestreak looked like he was going to be sick, but he still followed them anyway. He didn't want to be alone in such a foreboding atmosphere.Perceptor turned on a light so that they could see inside. The femme was almost as spacious as Skyfire, but the air was decidedly stale due to rust and poor ventilation. Bluestreak wanted to purge his fuel tanks when he smelled the stench of metallic death all around her! The trio scanned the surrounding area for any signs of life. Perceptor turned to the terminal that controlled her navigation and found a recording device that acted as the black box for the shuttle femme.Meanwhile Ratchet had turned on his own light and was scanning the floor of the shuttle. Everything was in disarray! It was obvious that she had suffered a horrible crash landing. It was too soon to tell, but Ratchet theorized that the crash was likely what killed the femme in the first place. Bluestreak followed closely behind Ratchet; leaving Perceptor to his work decoding the record box.Bluestreak was too busy looking ahead at Ratchet and all around the room to see where he was going. He suddenly tripped! When Bluestreak looked down to see what had caused him to fall on his aft, he screamed an ear piercing scream!"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!""Bluestreak, what the slag is your problem?!" Ratchet snapped irritably.Ratchet looked down at what Bluestreak was looking at, and realized this was what they were looking for!There were four bodies intertwined in a pile of connected parts and malfunctioning circuits! Discovering four bodies was bad enough, but when Ratchet saw what they were, his spark broke.They were sparklings! Four innocent sparkling femmes were lying on the ground in a heap of mangled torture! They had likely tried to hold onto each other during the crash and instead were knocked offline as their systems were damaged one by one. He could make out one seeker femme, and one with gold paint, but the rest of the pile was too close together to make out anything more."Is this where the spark signatures came from?" Bluestreak asked; bringing Ratchet back to reality.Ratchet's optics went wide as he realized he needed to scan the pile of bodies in front of him! He took out his scanner and deftly ran it over every chassis to find their spark chambers. Sure enough, they were all still alive, but barely."Perceptor!" Ratchet yelled at his microscope colleague, "Subspace anything you want to examine! I need you to help us carry these sparklings out of here!""Sparklings? My word!" Perceptor exclaimed as he quickly got out of the chair and went to help his friends.Ratchet had trouble getting their limbs apart. He needed the sparklings to separate from each other so they could be carried away, but it was proving difficult. They were tangled together very tightly, and prying them apart was like trying to unravel a knot made of iron! Bluestreak put aside his apprehension to help Ratchet with the task, and soon they had the four little femmes freed!Once they were out of the knot, the three Autobots grabbed the little sparklings and quickly ran outside with them! Perceptor carried the seekerlet, Ratchet carried two more, and Bluestreak brought up the rear carrying the little gold one.When they made it outside Optimus Prime was speaking with Skyfire and Prowl about their mission. They were to retrieve the femme's body for a proper send-off, but Ratchet knew that would have to wait. He needed to inform Prime of their new passengers…The ride in Skyfire had been tense. Ratchet worked feverishly to stabilize the little patients, but their systems had been degrading for millions of years and would likely require extensive surgeries to correct the damages. Perceptor assisted him, but there wasn't a lot either of them could do until they made it back to the Ark.This had been a simple salvage mission. They were supposed to retrieve a body and nothing more! Now everything was so complicated! Ratchet knew it would break his spark to lose even one of these little patients, but the threat of losing all of them was a very real possibility. Sparklings weren't made for long-term stasis.Seeing them in the full light of day showed him another complication...Their frame types.The seeker would be difficult to treat because the Autobots didn't have many seekers. Most seekers were Decepticons, and Ratchet didn't have a lot of information on how to treat a seeker's injuries; let alone how to treat a seeker sparkling! Her wings were bent, and if she woke up that would be very painful. Her head also had curious blades that almost looked like a cross between a pair of boomerangs and humans pigtails. Her dark blue, black, and white body looked surprisingly fragile considering she would someday grow up to be a war make. There were hairline cracks all over her body! It looked like if one even touched her she would break!Ratchet made his way to the next patient. This one was white with black thighs and black upper arms. She had a black screen in the middle of her chest and two separate compartments on either hip. He scanned her and found three more half-sparks inside her left hip door! This little one was a carrier frame type, and somehow despite her young age already had cassettes in her possession! This just kept getting more and more complicated for the medic!The next one he examined was the gold femme. Her frame type seemed fairly standard for a femme discounting her long fingernails and gold paint. She looked like a femme version of the Academy Award! Her spark seemed to be the closest to offlining. If she pulled through it would be a miracle!The last one was another standard femme except for one obvious difference...She had no mouth! This one was blue-grey with a black helmet lining her face and a black chassis, and she had a mostly normal faceplate except for the fact her mouth was missing. Ratchet assumed she took in energon from a port in the front or back of the chassis (ex: Shockwave Or Wheeljack), but he couldn't find the opening to the fuel tank! If he couldn't feed her she would starve to death!In total Ratchet would have seven patients to work on when they made it back to the Ark; 4 standard sparklings and 3 cassettes. He couldn't even hope to examine the cassettes until he had the proper equipment to extract them without harming the little white carrier.Ratchet groaned when he looked at them. He hadn't seen sparklings in ages, and he certainly didn't want to lose these! Still, he didn't know if their sparks had degraded beyond salvaging or not. He didn't know if he could save them, but he knew he would try with every fiber of his being!
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Chapter 2
Tearjerker
When they made it back to Autobot Headquarters the first thing Ratchet did was rush to the medbay! Perceptor, Bluestreak, First Aid, and Hound rushed in after him with the gurneys that contained his young patients! Time was of the essence if they were going to pull through!Ratchet and First Aid started working on the critically injured femmes, and soon Hoist and Swoop joined them. Ratchet worked with the seekerling, Swoop worked on the blue-grey and black femme, First Aid tended to the golden femme, and Hoist took care of the carrier. Hoist had to gingerly open the left door so he could remove the cassettes. He was surprised to find the cassettes inside were already adults!""Hey, you Ratchet!" Swoop called, "Her sparkling has no mouth!""Yes, I know!" Ratchet snapped as he worked on the delicate wings of his patient."But how me Swoop going to get energon into her sparkling?" Swoop asked."Just look for an intravenous port," Ratchet said without looking away from his work, "I'm sure there should be one near the wrist.""Do you require assistance, Swoop?" Hoist asked, "My patient seems to be stable for the moment.""No. Me Swoop find energon tube," Swoop said as he lifted a small pink tube from the right wrist of the sparkling, "It tube going into funny holes on her sparkling's hand.""What?" Ratchet exclaimed, hoping he wasn't hearing what he thought he was hearing, "You don't mean-?"Ratchet ran to the trainee's side at once, and saw with his own optics that the young femme did indeed have "funny holes" in her hands. They were silver-lined ports that almost looked like washers. There were three on each hand, and each one was connected to an energon port that led to the spark chamber."Holy Cybertron!" Ratchet breathed in horror, "She's an energon leech!""What that?" Swoop asked obliviously."Energon leaching is a very rare sigma ability, or rather sigma disability depending on your viewpoint," Ratchet explained, "An energon leech can't drink energon like a normal mech. They must siphon it from the living bodies of other Cybertronians. This vampiristic behavior has made their type the targets of violence on Cybertron since before the Golden Age. I honestly didn't think there were any left…""So...Her sparkling is vampire?" Swoop asked nervously."Not exactly," Ratchet sighed, "For one thing she isn't dead. She's just a normal sparkling with a strange ability.""Ahh!" First Aid yelped in pain from his station, "I can't move my hand!""Oh, now what?" Ratchet groused.When Ratchet went to check on First Aid he had a golden fingernail in his hand and was trying to use a pair of tweezers to get it out of the area where the nail dug in and was fizzing pink and yellow. First Aid looked ready to cry!"What happened?" Ratchet demanded to know."Sorry to bother you, sir!" First Aid apologized as he pulled the offending nail out of his hand, "I think the gold sparkling has a sigma ability, too. Her fingernails eject and cause temporary paralysis. At least, I hope it's temporary…"Ratchet muttered something unintelligible under his breath and stomped back to where he left his own patient. The seekerling's condition had not changed, and her face looked no less pained. Ratchet began to remove the chassis armor in an attempt to survey the damage. When he did, he was in for yet another shock."Oh, you are kidding me!" Ratchet snapped in frustration as he warily eyed the offending piece of machinery just below the spark chamber, "Ratchet to Optimus Prime! Come in, Prime!"/Prime here,/ Optimus answer on the comm link."Optimus! We have a bomb! Repeat, we have a bomb!"Perceptor, meanwhile, was in his lab preparing the black box to play its last recorded logs. There were four from the day of the shuttle femme's final flight. Blaster was with him to scan for any residual sounds that might give them a clue as to where this femme came from and what caused her to crash. That was, assuming, she didn't tell them over the recordings.They readied the first message. The voice on the other end was deep and had a sepulchral quality to it, but it was still obviously feminine."This is Tearjerker calling any Autobots in the area…" the static-filled recording played out, "...I humbly request a response if there are any Autobots in the area...Are there any Autobots in the area? … Please. Are there any Autobots in the area? I have four sparklings on board. Please, I just need to know where to go!"The voice on the other end of the black box had remained composed until the very last word, when her desperation finally seeped through. The second recording was not a transmission, but rather a log."This is Tearjerker stating an oral record of our journey. If anyone finds this, then I want you to know what happened. There will be conflicting reports on the bombing of the Altihex Foundling Home, but I want to set the record straight. I started working at the foundling home as a caretaker less than a vorn ago. Most of the foundlings here don't have a future beyond cannon fodder or menial labor. Then of course, there are the typical enterprises built into young femmes…"Perceptor and Blaster exchanged a pained and knowing look with those last cryptic words."...Anyway, when the bombing happened, I was in the office arguing with one of my superiors for the rights of these young femmes. I know that's irrelevant, but if you should happen to find the sparklings in my charge, well...I beg you to spare them the fate of a pleasure consort. They deserve better than that. Anyway, when the bomb went off, I searched the compound for survivors. Of course Quantum Boom survived. I expected no less. I also found Honey Venom, Terrabyte, and Phobia. The four femmes were huddled together under a part of the collapsed roof that managed to get caught in a beam. I took them and flew off with them. I do not know where we will go, but I hope that if you find this that you are not allied with the Decepticons. These young ladies have suffered enough. Please find it in your spark to help them. I do not know if I will survive the journey. My fuel reserves are dangerously low…""Hm...That transmission contains several more breems of static, but she says no more," Perceptor said after a moment."Play the next one. I'm not picking up anything unusual yet," Blaster ordered.
"This is Tearjerker calling any available ships! I require assistance! My navigation has been knocked offline! I'm flying blind! Please, if anyone can hear me! Please respond quickly! There are planets in this solar system and the likelihood of crashing is 57.5% under current circumstances! Please respond! There are sparklings aboard me! I repeat, there are sparklings aboard me!"
Perceptor wasn't the most demonstrative of mechs, so his emotions rarely showed. He only hoped they weren't showing now, because he felt like his spark was breaking when he heard that low-toned plaintive voice calling fruitlessly for help. He imagined the lifeless corpse they found in the jungle and realized this voice was all that was left of her. Her designation had been Tearjerker, and she worked at a home for orphans. The bombing that had been the turning point in her life wasn't even recorded in the history books since so many other places had likewise been destroyed by the war.Blaster played the last recording, but the voice wasn't that of Tearjerker. It was a voice that sounded more like an adolescent girl (if the voice had been human)."This is shuttle captain Honey Venom transmitting in the blind guard," The voice tried to sound official, but it was also clearly young, "Is there anyone out there? We are seeking friendlies. Please respond…" a minute later, "Please respond. We are unarmed and require assistance now…" Blaster could hear crying in the background, "Phobia, shut up! I repeat, we are transmitting in the blind guard. Our aircraft is down on an unknown planet and we need assistance. There are 4 surviving members of the crew remaining."
"Tearjerker! Wake up!"
"Phobia shut up or I'll rip a hole in your face where your mouth should be!" Honey Venom snapped, "Alright, if anyone is receiving us on this frequency, then we are going into stasis lock. Please revive us when you arrive. We promise full cooperation if you rescue us. Consider us salvage. Once again, transmitting in the blind guard and awaiting a signal. … Alright then. Come on, Sigma Sisters, huddle! We need to conserve energy so we're going into stasis. We're going to be okay…"The last two sentences were softer than the rest of the transmission, so it was clear that it wasn't meant to be recorded. Those soft placating words we're going to be okay were haunting to the two Autobots listening to the final desperate words of a sparkling forced to grow up before her time and comfort her friends despite her own pain and loss."Um, Perceptor?" Blaster asked after a moment of silence for the fallen Tearjerker, "What did that little femme mean when she said consider us salvage?"Perceptor sighed wearily. He didn't want to explain it, but he supposed Blaster should know. After all, this would have to go in their report…"When she mentioned salvage...She was offering herself and her sisters as slaves in exchange for their rescue," Perceptor informed him somberly, "It was common among the Decepticons to claim everything on a downed ship as salvaged, including the crew. She was covering her bases in case Decepticons found them.""Oh…" Blaster didn't know what he could say to that; it made him sick to think of what would've happened if the Decepticons had captured a group of innocent sparklings that had just lost their caretaker."So...The one without a mouth is named Phobia?" Blaster asked in an effort to change the subject, and Perceptor nodded, "Alright then. So which one do you think was Honey Venom?""If I had to guess? The gold one," Perceptor replied."What makes you say that?" Blaster asked; curious now."When Ratchet and I scanned them, the gold one seemed to be the oldest. She was probably around 5 vorns old when she was placed into stasis. Practically ready for her first upgrade. The one called Phobia is the youngest. We doubt she's even 2 vorns old yet," Perceptor explained."Mm," Blaster shook his head sadly as he thought of the situation.Neither one of them knew if the younglings could be saved, but they desperately hoped so. To go from an orphanage in Altihex, one of the deadliest and most lawless neutral battlegrounds on Cybertron, to a crashed Autobot shuttle that was once their caretaker...It was more than either mech wanted to think about.Optimus Prime showed up at the medbay and saw mechs cowered against any berth or cabinet they could get behind! They were all waiting for the bomb to go off; believing the femme had been set as some sort of Decepticon trap. Only Ratchet was brave enough to get close to the little seeker and the deadly spark bomb inside of her."Ratchet, have you managed to disarm the bomb yet?" Prime asked worriedly."No...And from the looks of it, I never will," Ratchet said distractedly as he scanned the bomb inside the seekerling's chest, "The bomb is built into the seeker, and it regenerates.""Pardon?" Prime asked; sure he heard that wrong."This femme is a regenerator, otherwise known as a Cybertronian grenade," Ratchet explained, "She's rigged to explode whenever she chooses and has a blast radius of 10 feet. This number will substantially increase when she is older.""How can she get older if she's dead?" Ironhide asked from behind a berth."The bomb doesn't kill the spark, and her body is designed to reassemble itself seconds after the initial explosion," Ratchet explained, "I don't believe we are in any danger, but I will still need to keep her in isolation just in case.""That would be wise," Prime replied agreeably, "So, what of the other patients?""The closest one to recovery is the carrier," Ratchet reported, "She has three adult cassettes, but I don't know if they are kin to her or not. They seem to be uninjured. The carrier herself, however, has a damaged vocalizer. It was caused by prolonged strangulation, so she was likely attacked by a Decepticon soldier. The damage is old, and the only way to fix her is to replace the vocalizer. Unfortunately, I don't have any parts small enough for a sparkling, so I will have to order the part from Cybertron and hope it gets here soon. She's ready to be awakened now if you want."That was the first bit of good news they'd had all day! One of the sparklings was going to live, and they could meet her right then if they wanted! Optimus nodded his head as a silent order to awaken the sparkling, and Ratchet carefully set the subroutine that would force the sparkling into consciousness.The little white and black femme's system whirred to life and her optics slowly onlined as several Autobots watched and waited."Back up, you glitch heads!" Ratchet snapped, "We don't need to crowd the poor thing before she even knows where she is!"The little carrier's large round optics lit up, and everyone could see then that her optics were yellow. That meant she was likely either a neutral or a member of the nobility like Mirage. The latter seemed unlikely given her practical and colorless design."Hello little one, my name is Ratchet and I'm your doctor," Ratchet said in a soft careful tone that seemed out of place on the gruff medic, "Can you talk yet, little one? Can you tell me how you're feeling?"The little carrier looked Ratchet up and down warily. She seemed to be scanning every inch of the Autobot medic. Finally, she tried to scream, but no sound came out!"OH YeEah," the sparkling said in a grating modulating voice, "I forgOt. ScrEAming dOeSn't WOrk AnyMOre."A few Autobots actually backed away after hearing that spark-breakingly awful voice! It sounded like a cross between a car horn and an old computer trying to shut down! It actually sounded like it would be painful for the sparkling to talk!"Don't strain yourself, sparklet," Ratchet chided her gently, "Now, do you have a name little one?"She looked at him a minute, as if she were trying to determine how much to tell him, and finally said "My nAme is...TErraBYte."Her speech pattern was slow and halting, but Ratchet just assumed that was due to the damaged vocalizer and the embarrassment it caused her.The other Autobots crowded around to get a good look at the little sparkling. They hadn't seen one so young in vorns, and they all wanted a chance to hold her and say hello. She looked at all the strange giant sized adults and tried to curl in on herself. She then frantically looked around and saw her friends lying unconscious on medical berths! She offlined her optics, as if that action could make the bad stuff go away! The others wanted to comfort her, but they weren't sure how to do so."Ratchet!" Hoist called from the other side of the room, "I think these might make her feel better."Hoist then handed Ratchet the three little cassettes; two white and one silver. Ratchet handed them to the shivering sparkling and watched with relief as she hesitantly took them and then looked up at him calmly. She didn't smile, but he got the feeling she was grateful.The door whooshed open then and admitted Sideswipe and Sunstreaker."Hey Ratchet, I need you to repair my foot!" Sideswipe called out jovially despite the injury to his pede, "I accidentally got it run over!""It was your own fault!" Sunstreaker snapped irritably, "If you hadn't bad mouthed me in front of those schoolchildren it never would've happened!"Both twins stopped in their tracks when they saw the crowd gathered around the berth. They couldn't see what was going on, so they pushed through the others to get a good look at what was so interesting."Do you really think I have time to repair you slag heaps every time something goes wrong with one of your stupid games or pranks?" Ratchet barked; causing the little sparkling to flinch, "Oh no! It's alright little one, nothing's wrong! Nobody is going to hurt you…""Hey, look bro! A sparkling!" Sideswipe called out excitedly when he saw the little white femme.She whipped her helm around to gaze upon Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, and her optics froze on Sunstreaker. For a few tense seconds, she didn't move or make a sound. Then, out of nowhere, she grabbed her cassettes and shouted "SHRIIIEK! SCRewBall! TURreT! RUUuUN!"She threw the cassettes, and they turned into a white bird that looked like Laserbeak or Buzzsaw, a silver mech that looked like a bulldog with shark teeth, and a white spider looking thing that shot styrofoam pellets out of it's mouth! The three cassettes ran out of the room as quickly as possible; the spider still shooting pellets as it ran!"Oh great!" Ratchet groused, "First Aid, help me chase down those cassettes! Hoist, keep an eye on our patients! Ironhide, watch the sparkling!""What do we do?" Sideswipe asked innocently."Don't touch anything, you scoundrels!" Ratchet bellowed at Sideswipe and his gold colored twin. The red twin pouted, but said nothing.Ratchet didn't know if he could save the other three sparklings, but for now they had one recovering nicely, and it was going to be quite a challenge to take care of her.
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Chapter 3
A Second Chance
Ironhide decided to take the little sparkling to the rec room before they headed for his quarters. She would need energon, and it would give the other Autobots a chance to see the little carrier before it was time for her nap.Ratchet had placed her age around 3 vorns old, so she was coherent but not stable enough to make calculated decisions like an adult. In human terms she was probably 9 or 10 years old emotionally. To be fair though even that wasn't quite accurate. She could calculate like a computer, she required constant surveillance like a toddler, and she had the emotional instabilities of an older child.Ironhide remembered back when he was Bumblebee's caregiver, and what a handful the little 'Bot was at this age. He briefly wondered if it was slightly different with femmes, or if this one would start causing mischief as soon as she was comfortable with everyone. He was just grateful at this point that she could walk on her own, though he carried her anyway.When they made it into the rec room Ironhide was immediately mobbed by a group of Autobots that wanted to see their new little blessing! The sparkling was nervous, and hid her face inside Ironhide's chassis."Oh, she is adorable!" Bluestreak cooed, "Hey, little one! Remember me? Well, I guess you were unconscious then, but I helped save you and your friends from the shuttle. My name is Bluestreak. What's yours?"She turned around and looked at Bluestreak, but she didn't say anything to him. She looked like she was trying to determine if he was a friend or a foe."Outta my way!" Ironhide groused, "I gotta get the little thing some energon! Don't you worry little lady, we'll be at our table soon enough."The sparkling touched the left hip pocket where her cassettes were resting. It seemed like she was trying to reassure herself that they were still there.Ironhide poured a cube of mid-grade for himself, and then poured a small cube of low-grade for the little carrier. She would need to eat often, but they had to make sure she didn't receive a grade of energon her system couldn't handle. She was still small, after all. Terrabyte didn't comment or act too eager for her energon. She just watched Ironhide with those large yellow optics.Ironhide sat down with a group of his friends; Jazz, Inferno, Red Alert, and Brawn. He sat the sparkling on his lap and gently handed her the cube of energon. She looked up at the smiling faces of the mechs at their table, and then turned her attention to the cube. She drank it as carefully as an empress at a tea ceremony."Aw, ain't she just the cutest thing?" Jazz said with a wide grin."I don't know, something about this doesn't feel right!" Red Alert said caustically, "I mean, that other one had a bomb on her! What if they're all rigged to explode?""Don't be so paranoid, Red," Inferno chided his friend, "They're just sparklings. They can't hurt you.""IS ShE OKaY?" Terrabyte suddenly asked."Huh?" Ironhide asked dumbly."Q-BoOM?" Terrabyte specified, "ShE is the SeeKer. Is SHe OKaY?""Ah, don't worry about that, little one," Ironhide said as he rubbed her helm in a soothing manner, "Ratchet's the best medic we have. If anyone can save your friends then it's him! Your seeker friend will be alright."Terrabyte nodded silently and went back to ignoring the adults. They talked on for a few minutes before Terrabyte felt it was safe enough to leave the security of the red mech's lap. She jumped down, and then looked up to see if Ironhide had seen her. Of course he hadn't. She was silent and nearly unnoticeable when she moved. That was why Honey Venom always asked her to listen in on the other orphans back at the foundling home.She looked around from under the table to see what she could see. There was the mech with the chevron on his head that claimed to have salvaged her. Would he be her new master? She shook her head and willed the thought away. She saw several minibots, but most were still taller than her. Finally she saw something that made her spark lurch in fear...Sunstreaker and Sideswipe!So...Sunstreaker was here...Terrabyte weighed her options. She could return to her position on Ironhide's lap and pretend she never saw the golden frontliner. She could go to Bluestreak and see if he claimed salvage over her like Honey Venom said they would. No...This was an opportunity she couldn't pass up! She would have a family if it killed her, and she knew just what to do to get it!Sideswipe was talking to Bumblebee while Sunstreaker sat there looking bored. He wanted Bumblebee to leave already so he and his brother could talk in private, but of course Sideswipe was the sociable one and had to be the center of attention!"...So I roll into town and wouldn't you know it! Prowl is right there waiting for me! It just wasn't fair!" Sideswipe finished an anecdote he was telling Bumblebee, "Why won't that guy just get off my case?""Maybe it has something to do with the vanilla pudding you left in his desk drawer the other orn," Bumblebee replied with a wry smile.The two laughed over this while Sunstreaker just wished they would talk about some other (more interesting) topic. He held his chin in his hand and looked like the picture of tedium. A moment later, however, he noticed something brush up against his leg! He looked down, and the sparkling from the medbay was tracing her finger over a shiny spot on his paint job."Hey, you!" Sunstreaker cried out in shock, "Get away from that!"Sunstreaker hated it when anyone messed with his paint, and the thought of where those little digits might have been made his circuits crawl!The sparkling flinched back as if she had touched a live wire and stared up at him in horror. She didn't scream, she couldn't, but she seriously considered running away. Sunstreaker just glared at her, and Sideswipe knew he had to step in."Hey, bro! She doesn't know any better! She's just a sparkling!" Sideswipe said as he got up and went around the table to meet her, "It's okay kiddo. Sunny didn't mean it. He's just a big ol' grouch, but he's harmless once you get to know him."She backed away as Sideswipe advanced. Sideswipe stopped moving, and tried to think of another way to reassure the youngling."Say, do you like energon goodies?" Sideswipe asked with a big goofy smile on his face, "I've got some energon goodies if you want one."The sparkling's face took on a skeptical look. It was probably the first animated looking expression her porcelain doll face had made all day! Sideswipe couldn't help but laugh a little, but this didn't help Terrabyte's unease. Still, she looked up at Sunstreaker, who was watching with a critical optic. She inched toward him again now that she had his attention."Well...What do you want?" Sunstreaker finally asked when she wouldn't stop staring at him with those huge almost creepy optics."YoU will take CAre of me," Terrabyte said matter-of-factly."Excuse you?" Sunstreaker asked rudely.She didn't repeat herself. She knew he heard her. To illustrate her intent, Terrabyte walked around and sat in the chair where Sideswipe had been sitting a moment ago. She looked back at him, and while her face was impassive her spark was thrumming in her chest as if it were trying to escape! She was terrified, and she knew no help would come if someone decided to hurt her, but she would not give up. Sunstreaker was going to adopt her, and that was all there was to it.Optimus Prime, meanwhile, was with Prowl in his office trying to determine the best long-term candidate to adopt Terrabyte and the other sparklings. Many mechs had taken an interest in the welfare of the little additions, but he wanted to be sure the personalities and environments were compatible."Hm...According to this, Wheeljack has expressed an interest in adopting the young seeker with the bomb in her chest," Optimus mused as he read his data pad."Of course he has," Prowl said dryly as he recalled last week's latest catastrophe thanks to Wheeljack's exploding gadgets, "I believe the more pressing matter at this time, however, is the care of the sparkling that is already online.""Of course," Optimus agreed, "Ironhide has expressed interest in adopting her, but his duties take him away from the Ark fairly often. I don't believe an officer would be the best option. Skyfire has said he would be willing to take in a sparkling. Being a field scientist coupled with his gentle nature would make him a good candidate to be a foster parent. There is also Perceptor, though I'm not sure his quarters are exactly child friendly. He keeps a lot of breakable objects and display cases in his room.""Logically I believe Blaster would be the best option," Prowl stated, "Terrabyte should be with a fellow carrier, and their frame type is quite rare these days. I would venture to say carriers nearly became extinct due to the war. Most were not equipped for battle and therefore made easy targets for the Decepticons."Optimus sighed deeply at that statement. He hated to think of how many frame types and sigma ability codes were lost forever because of the war. Cassettes couldn't live without carriers, so that made their loss especially difficult. It didn't merely mean the death of a single mech, but of several at once.Optimus and Prowl's discussion was interrupted when Sunstreaker came strolling into the office; a little white shadow in tow. He didn't even bother to ask permission to enter, but that wasn't exactly news with Sunstreaker."Prime, we need to talk!" Sunstreaker said abruptly.Terrabyte stared with trepidation at first Sunstreaker, then Optimus, and then finally at Prowl. She tried to huddle into herself when she saw these big important mechs and understood that they were deciding her fate. Still, she didn't want to appear timid before them, so she forced herself to stand firm and not run away like she wanted to. She was so close to having a home again!"Sunstreaker, we are busy right now," Prowl answered for Prime, "Come back later.""This can't wait!" Sunstreaker insisted, "This little brat won't leave me alone! She keeps saying she wants me to adopt her! Tell her that is impossible!"Optimus raised his brows slightly in mild surprise. For whatever reason the sparkling had attached herself to Sunstreaker. He managed not to laugh, but he was smiling behind his face mask nonetheless."Terrabyte," Optimus addressed the sparkling directly, and felt a twinge of hurt when she backed away from him in fear, "Don't be afraid, Terrabyte. I only want to ask you a few questions."Terrabyte forced her shaking left hand to press against her hip compartment. She was grateful that her cassettes were still there, but part of her wanted to throw them out the window and watch them fly away to freedom since she couldn't."Terrabyte, why do you want Sunstreaker to be your foster parent?" Optimus asked gently; trying to avoid spooking the little thing again.Terrabyte did have a good reason, at least in her mind, why Sunstreaker had to be the one to care for her. She wasn't about to tell anyone else however, and especially not the one mech in all the universe that could veto her plans. She knew, everyone knew, of Optimus Prime! She never in her life thought she would be standing before the leader of the Autobots himself! Honey Venom read military history books like most sparklings read comics, and had told Terrabyte all about the mighty battles Optimus Prime had fought against Megatron and others. He was a warrior. This mech could crush her if he were so inclined, and she knew it. Terrabyte had never felt so small..."I heard you were from the Altihex foundling home," Optimus continued when Terrabyte refused to speak, "Is that the city you were born in?""Yes SIR," Terrabyte replied in a garbled voice, "ALTihex has one of the LARGest enerGon dePOSITs on...CYBERtron."Sunstreaker remembered Altihex quite well. He was stationed in Altihex shortly after he and Sideswipe had left the gladiatorial pits of Kaon. Decepticons had tried to overtake the city for vorns, and the Autobot forces fought back valiantly. In the end, however, it was a waste; one of far too many in this war. The energon river in Altihex was sucked dry by both forces even as they fought over who could claim it. The city was left in ruins for no reason.That made Sunstreaker think of something else. He and Sideswipe had been orphaned by the war just as Terrabyte was. Their creator was killed by Decepticons, and they had also been sent to a foundling home. At that time they were neutrals. They were never adopted, they were frequently beaten by their caretakers, and they received their adult upgrades in that accursed foundling home! The twins became gladiators to fuel themselves and stay together; knowing they could only count on each other.Sunstreaker still remembered saving his credits and gradually improving his body bit by bit until he was the most beautiful Cybertronian imaginable; a living work of art! He and Sideswipe had never truly known acceptance until they joined the Autobots, and even then it was clear they didn't quite fit in; especially Sunstreaker. They never had a creator to guide them through life...but maybe Terrabyte could."I'm sure there are many suitable guardians here on the Ark," Optimus said to the sparkling, "I'm going over the files of those who have volunteered to care for you now. You're very lucky, little one. There are many mechs on board that would love to adopt you. Would you like to meet some of them?""NOoo!" Terrabyte exclaimed resolutely, "It Must be SunSTrEAker."Ugh! Sunstreaker was having seconds thoughts already! Did he really want to take in a sparkling? It would mean less time, more responsibility, watching his language in front of her, and having a perpetually messy room because of her toys and other scrap! Not to mention she had a voice so bad that it made Starscream's screeching sound like an angelic choir!Sunstreaker sighed a defeated sigh; knowing how he would answer. He didn't really want to be a parent, but he understood what she was going through. She wasn't just an orphan; she was a war orphan. Her mangled voice box was a battle wound! She was probably tortured and left for dead, or maybe even saw her parents die before her optics! He could understand that better than most, and wanted to pass along his experience and help her grow to be strong. Besides that, she had absolute faith in his ability to take care of her. He didn't know why she did, but for some reason that was important to him."Prime, wait!" Sunstreaker found himself saying before he could stop himself, "I'll take her.""What? What are you saying?" Prime asked; concerned and confused."I'll take her. I want her," Sunstreaker said with more confidence than he felt, "She wants me to adopt her, so that's what I'm going to do. I can do it, Prime. Besides, I have Sideswipe to help me. Between the two of us she'll have more than enough attention. What do you say? Can I keep her?"Prowl looked dubious of the situation. While it was true that Sunstreaker wasn't as immature as Sideswipe, he also wasn't the best influence for a young mind. Truth be told, he was selfish and borderline sociopathic. The fact that he would even want the sparkling was kind of a shock. It would've made as much sense for Megatron to blast a hole in the wall and adopt Terrabyte! Actually, given the circumstances, that would make more sense!Prime, however, looked thoughtful. Everyone in the room waited for Prime's response to Sunstreaker's impromptu request.Finally, after a moment to gather his thoughts, Optimus leveled his optics to the gold warrior and said "I don't want to rush into anything, but I also want to consider the physical and emotional wellbeing of the sparkling. I will allow you to care for her for the next orn. If you and Terrabyte both feel that this is a suitable arrangement after that, we'll discuss making your guardianship permanent."Sunstreaker let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding! He looked down at Terrabyte to gauge her reaction, but she didn't seem to have one. She looked from him to the Prime to Prowl as if she weren't sure what had just happened. Then again, given how short a sparkling's attention span usually was, maybe she had stopped paying attention.Sunstreaker gave the sparkling an indifferent look and said "Ready to go?" As casually as he could without sounding rude. It still sounded a little rude.Terrabyte stared up at him for a brief second, and then held up her hand for him to grab it. They walked out of the room in silence, neither one sure what they had just gotten themselves into.
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Chapter 4
Carriers
Sunstreaker brought Terrabyte to his room that he shared with Sideswipe. His red twin wasn't in yet, so Sunstreaker felt this would be a good time to introduce the sparkling to her new living arrangements as well as lay down a few ground rules."Okay Terrabyte, these bunk berths belong to Sideswipe and me," Sunstreaker explained, "I recharge on the bottom, and Sideswipe recharges on the top. You'll get your own berth as soon as I find one in the supply room. Under no circumstances are you to climb into my berth! I don't care if you're scared of storms or the dark or whatever! You recharge in your own berth. Understand?"Terrabyte nodded; never taking her eyes off Sunstreaker's face."Good," Sunstreaker, satisfied that she was paying attention, continued, "Also, when you play with your toys I expect you to pick them up and put them away when you're done. No exceptions!""I DOn't have Any toys," Terrabyte stated matter-of-factly."I'm going to get you toys," Sunstreaker explained impatiently, "And you will be careful with them, because I don't plan on replacing them every orn. You will also keep your berth clean. A clean room means a happy guardian. You want me to be happy, don't you?"Terrabyte nodded vigorously."Good femme," Sunstreaker patted her helm affectionately, "You will energize in the rec room when I do. If I'm unavailable then you'll go with Sideswipe, but under no circumstances are you to wander off on your own. Understand me?"Terrabyte nodded."Good. Any questions?" Sunstreaker asked after giving her the orientation."MaY I releaSe my CAssetteS Now?" Terrabyte asked politely.Sunstreaker sighed and said "I don't see why not, but they better not mess with anything!""THEy WON't!" Terrabyte promised pleadingly, "They will Be gOod.""Alright then," Sunstreaker replied with a nod, "I have to go get your berth. Stay here! I mean it!"Terrabyte nodded and released Shriek, Screwball, and Turret from her compartment. Sunstreaker sighed tiredly. This was too easy. No way could it be this easy! He heard so many stories about how difficult sparklings were to handle. He knew something was going to go wrong. He just wasn't sure what.Sideswipe found his twin in the supply room carrying a berth that was designed for a minibot. He wondered what was going on, and decided to pester his brother for answers."Hey Sunny, did you get roped into helping the sparkling move into her new room?" Sideswipe asked with a lopsided grin."Something like that," Sunstreaker answered curtly."So, where's she staying?" Sideswipe asked."She's staying with us. I adopted her," Sunstreaker replied as if he were talking about the weather."What?!" Sideswipe asked; floored, "No way! You actually adopted a sparkling? This is crazy! Hey, can we take her with us when we pull pranks on the other Autobots?"Sunstreaker just glared at Sideswipe for a moment, but then he said something completely unexpected..."I'm in over my head, Sides!" Sunstreaker suddenly exclaimed, "I don't know how to take care of a sparkling! I barely know how to manage you! What if she had special needs? What if I accidentally kill her or something? They're fragile! What am I doing?! A berth and a few toys aren't going to be enough! What if I mess up?""Oh, you will," Sideswipe replied nonchalantly."Gee thanks, you're a real help…" Sunstreaker muttered sarcastically."Look, it's not a big deal. Lots of parents mess up," Sideswipe said reassuringly, "You'll mess up, but everybody else does too. Besides, it was obvious in the rec room that the little femme likes you. Pit, you're the only one she'll let get near her besides Ratchet! Hm, now that I think about it, that sparkling has really bad taste in character. First Ratchet the Hatchet and now you! Scrap, I wouldn't be surprised if she thought Gears was all sunshine and rainbows!"Sunstreaker smirked despite his misgivings. Sideswipe was always good at putting a situation in perspective and cracking a joke just when he needed to hear one...and sometimes when he didn't need to hear one."So, how do I find out more about caring for sparklings?" Sunstreaker asked, "I know Ironhide has experience with younglings, but I don't know if he'd know anything about femmes or not.""Maybe you're looking at it from the wrong angle," Sideswipe suggested, "Terrabyte is a carrier frame type, so you should probably learn more about their needs. It's kind of like how seekers have different needs from grounders, and racers have different needs than cargo trucks. Carriers generally don't have mobile alt modes, so she might not get too restless, but there could be other things she needs because of her frame type. We should do some research.""I suppose," Sunstreaker replied apprehensively, "The only carrier aboard the Ark is Blaster. Maybe he'll have some suggestions."Sideswipe nodded and pat Sunstreaker on the back; hoping to reassure his unsure twin. They went to their room to set up the berth and found Terrabyte sitting on the floor with her cassettes. They were in a circle, and Terrabyte was speaking too softly for the twins to hear. When Terrabyte saw the twins, she ordered her cassettes to return to her and quickly stepped out of the way."Hey, sparklet!" Sideswipe greeted her cheerily as they walked in with her new berth, "I hope you like orange. The only other colors they had in berths were orange and orange. I guess if you don't like it we can get you orange.""ThAt won'T Be NECEsary," Terrabyte replied seriously, "AnY COLOr is FiNe."Sideswipe sighed at her lack of response. Normally that joke got laughs! Why was she just staring at them while they worked? Was this normal for carriers? The sooner they saw Blaster about this the better.Blaster was repairing a speaker on his console when Sunstreaker and Sideswipe came in to see him. He was actually pleased to see them. He heard about them adopting the new sparkling, and he wanted to know how she was doing. He had trouble getting the little femmes out of his head after listening to the gold one give an imploring speech over the comm of their dead caretaker."Hey, my mechs!" What's happenin'?" Blaster greeted them amiably as Sunstreaker stepped around some broken equipment on the floor."Hey, Blaster!" Sideswipe greeted back with a wide grin, "Actually, we were wondering if we could pick your processor for a moment.""Certainly," Blaster replied warmly as he shoved bits of junk out of two chairs for them to sit down on, "What's up?"Sunstreaker grimaced when he looked around Blaster's office. It was filthy! There was junk, spare parts, and even used energon cubes everywhere! He hoped his sparkling wouldn't have habits like these, but then again he thought that might be too judgmental. It probably wasn't a carrier thing so much as a Blaster thing.Reluctantly, Sunstreaker sat down on the proffered chair and asked his question to Blaster."Special needs, huh?" Blaster repeated after Sunstreaker finished explaining what he was worried about, "Well, for the most part carriers are pretty mellow. We're not so different from other Cybertronians. We have different personalities, different goals in life, and different ideas on ideology. There is one thing though you might wanna look out for.""And that is?" Sideswipe asked so Sunstreaker wouldn't have to."Carriers that young go through what is known as a loyalty bond," Blaster explained, "Truth is some adult carriers do it too. I never did after I received my adult upgrade, but I'm just sayin' it happens. Loyalty bonding is when a carrier finds one special person, it can be a parent or a best friend or an authority figure, and they devote themselves completely to that individual. When I say completely, I mean they follow that person around like a shadow, they obey that person's every word, and are even willing to die for that person. It's a level of selflessness that most sparklings could never hope to achieve. I suppose most adults don't have this issue because they create cassettes to dote over and devote themselves to. Carriers are social creatures and go crazy if they have to be alone. I should know, I've been there before.""Really? When?" Sideswipe asked out of curiosity."During a battle in Polyhex 6 million years ago," Blaster related, "I was captured by the Decepticons under Megatron's command and held prisoner for 3 orns. Of course Soundwave, bein' a carrier, knew my weak spot. He suggested to Megatron that I be placed in sensory isolation. I almost went mad! Carriers have some of the most sensitive audios of any Cybertronian, and when we can't hear sounds it's as if we're dead! I almost didn't make it out of there alive. If I'd had the means, I would'a offlined myself in that cell…""So what Terrabyte needs is noise and company?" Sunstreaker asked; changing the subject in the hopes of avoiding a PTSD flashback from Blaster."Exactly! Other than that, I don't think yall'll have any problems," Blaster said jovially; his mood brightening as if nothing had happened.The war had left scars on every Autobot on the Ark. Sunstreaker knew this, but he didn't think he'd ever get used to seeing a chill guy like Blaster reminisce about the darkest time in his life like that. He began to wonder how much of the war Terrabyte had seen, and how much it had affected her.
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Chapter 5
A Friend In Need
It was late in the day before Sunstreaker remembered that Terrabyte had not eaten since she had been with Ironhide. He was still on patrol, so he comm'ed Sideswipe and asked him (ordered him) to accompany Terrabyte to the rec room. He took her along and watched as several mechs crowded her to get to hold the new sparkling. Terrabyte wasn't thrilled with the attention but didn't resist.After she had drank her fill of energon Sideswipe had said they could go anywhere she wanted. He suggested several fun activities like the shooting range, the game room, and Red Alert's office so they could scare him. Terrabyte, however, insisted that they go to the medbay.Sideswipe groaned when she suggested that! He did not want to see Ratchet and get a wrench thrown at his head for wasting the medic's time. Terrabyte, however, said it was important that she see her friends, and said she especially needed to see Phobia before the day was through.When the pair got to the medbay the first thing Sideswipe noticed was Ratchet's dim optics and tired looking face as he leaned over a tray of equipment. It was obvious that whatever he had to do to keep the sparklings alive was taking its toll on him. He looked at Sideswipe and scowled, but then looked down at Terrabyte and became openly concerned."Has something happened with the sparkling?" Ratchet asked hurriedly, "Is she alright? Should I run some scans?""No, she's fine!" Sideswipe waved away Ratchet's concerns, "She just insisted on coming here. I guess she must've missed your company, oh endearing one!"Ratchet frowned humorlessly at Sideswipe's sarcasm. He was far too busy to have to deal with the red twin's antics!"Sideswipe, take the sparkling and leave," Ratchet said as patiently as he could manage, "Right now I'm in the middle of research! Frankly, I think..." Ratchet walked closer to Sideswipe so the sparkling wouldn't hear, "...I think one of the sparklings is going to die soon. I can't figure out how to feed the energon leech, and her systems are starting to shut down one by one. I'm trying to figure out an alternative way to feed her, but I can't find anything. Intravenous fluids are rejected and purged through her hands, as is energon from a cube. She needs the kind of energon only a mech's body can refine. I don't know what I'm going to do…"While Sideswipe and Ratchet were talking, Terrabyte had made her way to the medical berths. Q-Boom was nowhere to be found, and that worried her. Had the seeker already died? Why wouldn't they tell her?She looked over at Honey Venom and a pang of sorrow hit her like a physical blow. Honey Venom was her best friend. She was the one that made the Sigma Sisters the most feared gang in the foundling home and kept them safe. She had saved Terrabyte's life on more than one occasion. How could such a mighty youngling be reduced to this?Terrabyte remembered when she first got to the foundling home. She had only been 1 and ½ vorns old at the time, and didn't understand how the hierarchy worked at first. The foundling home was in neutral territory with orphans from both factions as well as neutrals. Most of the caretakers were Decepticons, and didn't care for weak sparklings. That meant if you weren't in a gang, you were slagged.At first no one wanted anything to do with the bland sparkling with the horrible voice and unruly cassettes. She felt she would never make friends, but then Honey Venom introduced herself as well as Q-Boom, and Terrabyte's life was never the same. Phobia had joined their gang last; being dumped at the foundling home when she was a newspark, and not needing friends until her first vorn of life.She had to will the thought away, however. She wasn't here to reminisce. She was here for Phobia. She turned to the mouthless femme and felt of her spark. Sure enough, these jokers were forgetting to feed her! She wasn't surprised. The caretakers at the foundling home always starved Phobia in the hopes that she would die and they wouldn't have to deal with an energon leech anymore. Why would these adults be any different? Adults were too superstitious for their own good in Terrabyte's opinion."Just hAng on," Terrabyte said quietly, "I'm hERe…"Terrabyte then took Phobia's left hand and gently worked the suction tubes with her thumb. The action caused the systems to come alive hungrily, and Terrabyte placed the eager appendage over her right upper forearm. The leech, despite being out cold, began to feed off of Terrabyte's energon!Terrabyte had drank almost to the point of purging in the rec room with Sideswipe because she knew she would lose most of her supply to Phobia. This wasn't new. In the founding home the other three Sigma Sisters would take turns feeding Phobia so she wouldn't shut down. It was very risky back then. Altihex Foundling Home was in a war zone and therefore barely had enough energon to keep half its orphans alive. To give up energon to a leech was seen by most as suicide! Fortunately, when their caretaker Tearjerker had started working there she would also give Phobia a share of her energon.Terrabyte waited until her systems were down to 46% before gently disconnecting herself from Phobia. 46% wasn't enough energon to function well, but Terrabyte was used to less, so this was no sacrifice. She would have to come back later and repeat the process if the medic still refused mercy by then. Terrabyte still didn't know that Ratchet was trying to save Phobia. She thought he was doing it on purpose!"You could try letting her feed off of you!" Sideswipe insisted after Ratchet explained his plight."Don't you think I've tried that?!" Ratchet snapped defensively, "I have, but the poor thing is unconscious! I can't get her to latch onto me!"Terrabyte walked up to Sideswipe but wasn't really paying attention to the adults. She was still staring at the prone forms of Honey Venom and Phobia. She wanted to talk to them so badly. She needed them! How would she survive her new home without her friends?Before she knew what was happening, Sideswipe had taken her little hand and was pulling her away from the medbay. She didn't resist, but part of her wished she wasn't leaving. What if her sisters woke up without her? Sideswipe said they were going back to her room and she could play with her cassettes, so Terrabyte forced herself to forget the medbay for now.Ratchet, alone again, returned to the sparklings. He looked down at Phobia and wondered what he was going to do with her, when he noticed that her vital signs had changed! Her systems, while not ready to support consciousness yet, were starting to come back online! Her energon readings were at 78%!"Wait a minute...The sparkling!" Ratchet exclaimed as he realized what must have happened, "Sideswipe! Wait! You need to give Terrabyte more energon!" Ratchet cried out as he ran down the halls after Sideswipe.Terrabyte had gone into recharge that night before Sunstreaker even made it back to his quarters. Sideswipe had told her a bedtime story about an earth train that could climb a hill. It was a boring story, but it did put her to sleep, so who were they to complain?Sunstreaker had come in to see Terrabyte recharging peacefully and Sideswipe on a data pad playing a game on the top bunk. It was the picture of a perfect family, and Sunstreaker almost found himself wanting to smile. Almost."Hey Sides, you have any trouble with the kid?" Sunstreaker asked nonchalantly as he crawled into his own bunk."Nah, it was easy, kinda boring actually," Sideswipe admitted, "I thought we'd play games or prank the other Autobots together, but all she did was eat and walk around. Oh, and show Ratchet a technique for feeding the energon leech.""She knows how to do that?" Sunstreaker raised an optic ridge at that one."Yeah, she's pretty smart," Sideswipe said approvingly as he killed another virtual Decepticon on his game, "Ratchet said the other sparkling would've died without Terrabyte. She still seems nervous around the other 'Bots, but I think she's starting to get used to us.""Hope so," Sunstreaker replied, "Glad to see the room is still clean.""Yeah, she took your advice to spark," Sideswipe commented, "I think she's worried about disappointing you. I guess the kid has abandonment issues. I don't know. I'm no doctor."Sunstreaker grunted a reply and settled in to get some recharge of his own. The first day had gone surprisingly well with the sparkling. If every day was this uneventful then Sunstreaker could see himself adopting Terrabyte permanently. His sparkling would be the best behaved sparkling ever, and would grow up to be a beautiful and fierce warrior like himself. Sunstreaker drifted off to recharge content with these thoughts…Sunstreaker awoke with a start when he heard out-of-tune screaming! He could tell it was Terrabyte, but he wasn't alert enough to know what was going on! Was it a Decepticon attack? Was her spark having troubles again? Did her body reject some bad energon? What was happening?"NNOOooooOOOoO!" He heard the distressed wailing of his sparkling."Sideswipe, wake up!" Sunstreaker hollered up to the top bunk, "Terrabyte's in trouble and I might need you for backup!"Sideswipe at first was slow to awaken, but when he heard the screaming of the little carrier he shot up immediately!They looked around in the darkness only to find Terrabyte was stil in her berth; her tiny fists clutched at her sides and her optics still offline."PleEEeEaaAaSSe!" Terrabyte's cries were so loud the twins had to turn down the sensitivity of their audio sensors."Uh, Sunny…? I don't think she's conscious," Sideswipe pointed out, "I think she's having a nightmare.""Well, I can't sleep like this!" Sunstreaker declared in exasperation, "I'm waking her up!"...
Altihex. The front. The sky was red and smoke billowed from the ruined buildings. Terrabyte's mother tugged her along by the arm while her father provided backup fire. Her father was a boat-former, so his steps were clumsy and awkward on land. Her mother would frequently have to stop to wait for him.
Her parents were soldiers, but that didn't make this any easier. Terrabyte wasn't normally on the front lines with them, but the enemy had destroyed their camp and killed most of the others. They had to get away before those monsters found them! Her mother touched her front compartment again to make sure her cassettes were still inside. Shriek, Screwball, and Turret were the only ones they could save. Scramble was dead.
Their steps became even more halted as they climbed over chunks of rubble and debris. Once proud buildings lay on the ground in ruins, and bodies of dead mechs with freshly spilled energon littered the ground. That told the family that someone had been here recently to kill all these mechs, and her parents had a pretty good idea who it was.
As they climbed up another batch of rubble, a large mech came out of the ground at them! His eyes glowed unholy fury at them, and his hands were stained with the energon of his claimed victims! This was clearly the monster that had killed the others at the camp! Except no, it wasn't, because not a minute later he was joined by another monster; this one almost glowing amid the chaos and destruction! Energon draped over their bodies like a royal robe, and optics glowed like bare sparks! These two were going to kill them...That was all too obvious.
Her mother, in an act of pure desperation, shoved Terrabyte into a crevice and took out her cassettes; placing them in the small hole with her. Her father attacked the first monster; a blood red creature with a vibroblade in his hand!
Terrabyte saw with horrible clarity the struggle! Her mother went up against the second monster, the glowing one, and didn't even get in one good blow before he ripped out the circuitry from her empty cassette compartment! He ripped away vital wiring and energon lines with his bare hands! Terrabyte's mother went slack in his grip before she could even cry out in agony!
The blood colored one held her father in a vice-like grip; choking the ventilation systems and trying to cut crucial wires from his neck! Terrabyte had to save him! She left the cassettes behind and rushed toward the monster! These enemy soldiers weren't counting on one thing: a sparkling with a sigma ability!
Terrabyte screamed at the enemy mech; her voice producing a pitch that could scramble processors and cause temporary paralysis! The noise was oddly beautiful, but then again Terrabyte was always praised for her angelic voice.
The blood mech crumpled under her sonic waves, but it was too late for her father. He was already dead. Terrabyte was so focused on his dead body that she didn't even notice the glowing mech until he was right upon her!
She turned around swiftly when she saw his shadow, but before she could get away he had his massive hands around her tiny throat! He grit his denta in blind fury, and gave her a withering look that was more filled with hate than anything she had ever seen! She tried to cry out, but her vents were being constricted! Her voice, what little of it could be heard, sounded wrong!
No! No! Please! I'll do anything! She wanted to cry out, but no words came. She was trapped! The monster was staring her right in the face! He was so close to her she could see her reflection in his paint!
No! No! Nooooo!
...
"NooOooOO!" Terrabyte cried out as her systems suddenly and violently onlined.Sunstreaker was face to face with her, and was grateful to see she was finally awake.Terrabyte looked him in the face, but she didn't recognize yet where she was! It was dark! Why was it dark? The monster was going to kill her!"NooOOo!" PLEasE! LET me GO!" Terrabyte thrashed violently as she tried to free herself from Sunstreaker's protective grip, "I'M SOrRY! DOn't KILL ME! PLEEaASE!""Terrabyte! Calm down! It's me! Sunstreaker!" Sunstreaker held her arms tightly to prevent her from hurting herself, "It was just a dream! You're safe!""Yeah, come on, sparklet," Sideswipe said encouragingly from the other side of her berth, "We're here for you."She darted her head to Sideswipe, and then back at Sunstreaker. Her optics were still wide in fear, but she stopped struggling. Content that she wasn't going to fall off the berth, Sunstreaker let go of her arms. What she did next both confused and frustrated Sunstreaker."ShRIEk, ScrewBall, TURret, RUN!" Terrabyte shouted as she threw her cassettes at the door and watched them unfold and escape through the air vent!Sunstreaker groaned; realizing he and Sideswipe would both have to chase down cassettes on the middle of the night. He knew this arrangement was going too smoothly! He knew there had to be a catch!
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Chapter 6
Mischief
Sunstreaker had endured the two week trial with Terrabyte, but just barely. He still wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to keep the sparkling, but he knew he needed to come up with an answer for Prime today. If only he could make heads or tails of everything that had happened in the past orn…Sunstreaker knew Terrabyte would get bored easily just sitting in their room doing nothing but talking to three primitive cassettes, so he asked Blaster what activity would properly enrich his little carrier sparkling. Blaster said music was a sure fire way to get Terrabyte to come out of her shell. Armed with this knowledge, the yellow twin made his way to Jazz to ask if he would sparkling-sit Terrabyte and introduce her to some music appropriate for her age.Sunstreaker had monitor duty that day, and did his job without worry; confident that Jazz was a suitable sparkling sitter. When he went to pick up Terrabyte, Jazz said she behaved well for him but that she was nervous in his presence. Sunstreaker was confused, but saw that no harm came to Terrabyte and promised to allow Jazz to watch her again in the future.When they got back to his quarters, however, Sunstreaker saw a side to Terrabyte he wasn't aware of before."I FOUnd a SoNg that...REminds me of yOu," Terrabyte said innocently as she turned a disc carefully around in her digits."Really? You gonna play it?" Sunstreaker asked in an effort to show interest in his new daughter."Yes, SunStREAker," Terrabyte replied dutifully as she placed the disc in her chassis for it to play.
They call him The Streak! (Look at that! Look at that!) The fastest thing on two feet!
As Sunstreaker listened at first he was flattered, but then he realized the song was about a naked human running around, and he felt scandalized!"What the-?" Sunstreaker started to exclaim, but before he could finish Terrabyte was already releasing her cassettes into the hallways of the Ark! He growled and ran out to collect the wayward cassettes, and when he got back Terrabyte was gone! It took him nearly a joor to find her, and she was hiding in the medbay under the gold sparkling's berth. Figures...Other than The Streak incident, most of Terrabyte's music choices were a mystery. She played her music over her internal comm system so she wouldn't disturb her surrogate father. Sideswipe snuck a listen once and found a human song by One Republic called Apologize. It sounded boring, but that wasn't exactly news. Terrabyte, as it turned out, was generally a very placid and boring sparkling. She sat around with her cassettes and frequently asked to be taken to the medbay, but not much else. It was as if they were raising Baby Prowl!Well, there was one other thing she was interested in...pets.Terrabyte would sometimes go outside with Sideswipe or Bumblebee or whoever was watching her that day, and it always seemed she came home with an animal in her arms begging to be allowed to keep it."CaN I KeeP Him?" Terrabyte asked."No. Take that dog back outside!" Sunstreaker snapped."Yes, SunSTREAkeR," Terrabyte replied respectfully.The next day…"CaN I KeeP Him?" Terrabyte asked."No. Get rid of the cat!" Sunstreaker snapped."Yes, SunSTREAKer," Terrabyte replied sadly.The next day…"CaN I KeeP HeR?" Terrabyte asked."Oh, Pit!" Sunstreaker cursed, "Get that skunk out of my room!""Yes, SunstREAkeR," Terrabyte replied sorrowfully.Later that same day…"CaN I KeeP Him?" Terrabyte asked; holding out another pet."Terrabyte…" Sunstreaker said flatly, "...That's a construction worker. Put that human back where you found him.""Yes, SunStrEAKeR," Terrabyte replied dutifully.This went on day after day with only two days where she didn't bring anything home! It was so annoying! Why would he give her more pets when she unleashed her three cassettes every time someone even looked at her funny? Frankly, Sunstreaker was at a loss to figure out her strange behavior. At least, he was, until the day before his review with Prime, when Terrabyte formally met Prowl…The day before...Sideswipe couldn't quite figure out what Sunny's problem was. He had a sparkling at home that needed his attention, and yet today he volunteers for a double shift! His twin was really screwed up sometimes. Sideswipe knew that this probably meant they wouldn't get to keep Terrabyte, and part of him was sorry about that. Despite her lack of enthusiasm, she really was a sweet little sparkling.That was why he was in Lamborghini mode with her in his front seat today. If she was going to have to live with someone else, then he wanted to give her something cool to remember of their time together.They were on a curvy mountain road about 20 miles from the Ark, and Sideswipe was the only car within sensor range."Alright kiddo, buckle up! We're about to go really fast!" Sideswipe warned playfully as he hit the gas and was going nearly 200 MPH.At first Terrabyte didn't seem to change. She didn't clench the seat and she didn't scream or whoop. She seemed neither delighted or frightened. The perfect picture of calm. Sideswipe was disappointed by that.Then, after a few minutes of Sideswipe driving fast and doing ridiculous stunts over the curves, Terrabyte let out a strange sound that sounded like a cross between a squeal and a howl! Sideswipe had heard a similar sound before when she was startled, but this didn't sound distressed. She did it again a minute later, and then again. It took Sideswipe a few times before he realized she was literally saying "LOL!" in a high-pitched squeal. That was when Sideswipe realized he had never heard her laugh before, and hypothesized that this LOL sound was her laughing!"You wanna go off-road, Terra?" Sideswipe asked excitedly."Yes, SiDeSWIPE," Terrabyte replied blandly, though there seemed to be a hint of anticipation in her tone.Sideswipe swerved off the next curve and started driving through a sparsely wooded area! He swerved around trees and even used a boulder as a ramp to jump high in the air before landing on the leaf-covered ground! He had trouble finding purchase a few times, but he was having the time of his life! Judging from the LOLing, Terrabyte was having fun, too.Sideswipe found the road on the other side of the forest and drove recklessly onto it as he blasted the radio on maximum! Terrabyte turned the dial to the kids tunes channel, and it started playing "Let It Go". Sideswipe got annoyed with that song pretty quickly, so he switched it to classic pop and rock. Terrabyte switched it back to "Let It Go" and Sideswipe kept switching it to "Billie Jean". Before long it was an all-out battle as they both vied for control of Sideswipe's radio!That was why they didn't notice they were being chased by a police car!"Come on, kid! My radio, my rules!" Sideswipe argued as he drove."I LIke THis SONg," Terrabyte contested as she switched it back to the tail-end of "Let It Go".The next song on the kids channel was "The Farmer In The Dell", and Terrabyte didn't care about that, so she allowed Sideswipe to switch it to a song called "Barracuda". When that crisis was settled, Sideswipe was finally able to focus all of his attention on his surroundings, and that was when he noticed the police car behind them!"Oh, scrap!" Sideswipe cursed, "It's Prowl!"Terrabyte's optics widened, but she made no sound or movement beyond that. This was bad. If Sideswipe was nervous, then she had reason to be nervous.Sideswipe pulled over, and Prowl said over the comm link "Turn around and head back to the Ark immediately. I will see you in my office when we get back."Letting out in intake of air, Sideswipe defeatedly did as he was told. Terrabyte heard the stern tone Prowl had used over the radio. Was she in trouble too? Would her cassettes be in trouble even though they were in her hip the entire time? Would their innocence even matter to this Prowl person? Terrabyte shuttered her optics and tried not to think about it too much.Sideswipe and Terrabyte sat on two chairs in Prowl's office. Terrabyte's feet didn't even touch the floor from where she sat! They both looked at Prowl as he continued to work on whatever office work he had left to do. He didn't even look at them the entire time he was finishing his task. He was clearly ignoring them on purpose. That made Sideswipe angry, but what he didn't realize was how unnerved it was making his brother's sparkling.Terrabyte sat there and contemplated all the horrible things that could happen now that she was at the mercy of this strange black and white mech. He looked like a Praxian. She had only ever seen one Praxian before coming to the Ark, and it wasn't an experience she intended to repeat. That Praxian had been a sparkling from a rival gang named Hangar, and he once tried to completely rip out her voice box because he hated her distorted vocal tones. Would Prowl remove her voice for this infraction? Would she spend the rest of her life in the brig? Would he kill her?When Prowl finished his last bit of office work, he turned to face the two juvenile delinquents."Sideswipe, do you understand the danger you put yourself, your niece, and the human population in today?" Prowl asked harshly, "Your reckless driving could have killed someone today, and if I had not reigned you in it likely would have. Not only are you setting a bad example for little Terrabyte here…" She flinched when he said her name, "...But you are also giving the humans the wrong impression about what the Autobots stand for.""Listen Prowl," Sideswipe interrupted, "I've heard this lecture before. Could we skip the formalities and get straight to my punishment already? The sooner you dole it out, the sooner I can finish it."Terrabyte's spark felt like it was seizing in its casing! Why would Sideswipe provoke the second in command of the entire Autobot faction?! If this mech ordered their execution no one other than the Prime himself could save them, and why would he save her? Terrabyte was just a useless sparkling! She knew she was expendable to everyone here, and didn't want to do anything to cause trouble.Prowl sighed at Sideswipe's blasé attitude, though he silently admitted that he wasn't surprised. Still, he and Sunstreaker wanted to take care of a sparkling, and they had to understand that their actions had consequences that went beyond themselves. If anything happened to that innocent little femme because of these leadheads Prowl would never forgive himself for not stepping in sooner."Sideswipe, before I discipline you I need you to understand something," Prowl said solemnly, "You're not a youngling anymore. I know Sunstreaker is technically this femme's guardian, but you are also an influence on the child's behavior, and I don't want her to suffer because of choices you made for her. If Sunstreaker decides to keep her and you continue on this destructive path, then I might have to move you to separate quarters from your brother and his sparkling.""What? You can't do that!" Sideswipe shouted; causing Terrabyte to shrink further into herself in an effort to hide, "Look, we were just having fun! She wasn't in any danger, and neither was I! I would never let something bad happen to Sunny's kid like that! You know me better than that!""Exactly," Prowl said dryly; letting the implications speak for themselves, "You are confined to the brig for one orn starting next week. Hopefully this will give you time to figure out how to be a more responsible uncle."Sideswipe muttered under his breath about injustice and where Prowl could stick his rules, but didn't protest the punishment."And as for you, Terrabyte," Prowl now turned his full attention to the sparkling, and she couldn't take it anymore!"ShriEK, ScrEWball, TURRet! EScAPE!" Terrabyte frantically shouted as she threw her cassettes into the air vent above Prowl's head!The three cassettes transformed and Shriek grabbed Screwball in her talons! Turret managed to scale the wall, and before Prowl could grab them they had run into the air vents again! This was getting to be a regular thing with them, and Prowl was starting to suspect why…"Terrabyte-" Prowl began to speak, but was cut off by the aforementioned sparkling."NoOOo! I'm SOrry!" Terrabyte wailed plaintively, "I'lL WOrk HARDeR! Don'T kilL me. PLEAsE!"Prowl actually paused at those words. He knew the sparkling was nervous, but to insinuate that her life was in danger and mean it...This added a new layer to Prowl's suspicions.Terrabyte, meanwhile, stared up at the authority figure with unabashed terror! His blue optics regarded her coldly with an expression she couldn't quite place. His face was almost as expressionless as her own. Up until that point she didn't know there were other Cybertronians as imperfect as she was. Was he broken? Did he hide his feelings like she did, or did he simply not have them? She heard rumors that the Decepticon scientist Shockwave had his emotions surgically removed, but she was sure that was just a rumor. Then again, maybe mechs with higher positions of authority did that so they could deal with insubordinate mechs without feeling sorry for them."Terrabyte," Prowl started again, "I won't punish you on one condition.""AnyThinG, SiR," Terrabyte said softly as she stared at the floor instead of him."I want you to see Smokescreen for an hour every day for the next earth week," Prowl ordered, "He is our resident psychologist, or the closest thing we have to one. Do you know what a psychologist is, Terrabyte?"Terrabyte shook her head no."A psychologist talks to you about your feelings and life experiences in an attempt to help you function better in society," Prowl explained, "I believe Smokescreen can help you function better here on the Ark with us. That way, you can stop releasing your cassettes and forcing the crew to chase them down every cycle.""WilL you...HaRM my CasSeTteS?" Terrabyte asked hesitantly."No, I won't," Prowl assured her, "But you need to see Smokescreen. I would advise you to start today, but that is up to Sunstreaker.""Yes, SiR," Terrabyte nodded her head obediently.After Sideswipe and Terrabyte left Prowl found himself contemplating the situation. Terrabyte wasn't a bad sparkling, that much was obvious. Still, she displayed coping behaviors that were quite unsettling, and she didn't seem to be warming up to any of the Autobots, not even her own guardian Sunstreaker! Prowl deduced as many logical reasons as he could for this, but logic hardly played a part in the processor of a sparkling. Besides, these behaviors pointed to one of only a couple possibilities.The most likely answer was that Terrabyte had been abused.Sunstreaker had allowed Terrabyte to recharge longer than usual after she came back from Prowl's office. Ah, her first time...Getting into trouble with Prowl would make for an interesting rite of passage for his new family. Maybe he could record it for posterity when she got in trouble with Ratchet for the first time. Or with Ironhide. Or Optimus Prime. Or- or maybe he should stop thinking about that for now!Sunstreaker had taken Prowl's advice to spark, and the next day he had stopped by Smokescreen's office before going to Prime with his decision. Maybe if he knew how much care she would need it would help him make an informed decision.They had to wait to see Smokescreen. He and Mirage had been appraising jewelry Smokescreen had bought from Swindle. No, Smokescreen didn't wear human rings and necklaces! They were trying to determine if they were counterfeit so they could tell the local authorities about Swindle's illegal actions. Of course, finding a cell big enough for him would be another matter…Sunstreaker sat in a chair outside the office and waited impatiently for Terrabyte to be allowed to go back there. She seemed content to just wait. Sunstreaker shook his head sorrowfully. What kind of a sparkling was content to wait around like a plant catching the sunlight? It was so boring!"So, Terrabyte," Sunstreaker began awkwardly trying to start a conversation, "How do you like living here so far?"Terrabyte shrugged minutely and continued to kick her legs back and forth from where she sat,"Uh-huh," Sunstreaker grunted as he tried to think of anything else to say, "So, um...I saw Screwball chewing on your arm this morning. That must've hurt.""He Was nerVOus," Terrabyte replied without inflection."About what?" Sunstreaker asked."TodAy," Terrabyte answered, but didn't elaborate."Oh…" Sunstreaker wanted to do something besides sit there, and it was only making him feel worse when he saw his sparkling doing a better job at keeping herself calm than him, "I've been thinking about your education. It would help me if I knew what kind of upgrades you want when you're older. Then we'll know what kind of fighting style we should be teaching you. I guess you could go into the sciences if you're interested in that as well. There's also sharpshooting, hand-to-hand combat, spy training, and just about anything else you could want to know. So...Anything specific you want to learn?""That is YouR DeciSiOn," Terrabyte replied unhelpfully.Sunstreaker sighed heavily and slumped in his chair in defeat. How was he going to reach her?He didn't have long to think about it as Smokescreen called for Terrabyte to enter. Mirage left the room holding a bundle of fake diamond necklaces in the palm of his hand. Sunstreaker chuckled to himself when he saw the noblemech carrying fake jewelry. It must've disgusted Mirage to even have to touch those!For the next hour Sunstreaker kept himself busy by playing a game of Mario Kart with his brother. Fortunately time flies when you're having fun, and he was able to make it back to Smokescreen in time for him to release his little patient.Sideswipe took Terrabyte's hand and led her away so Sunstreaker and Smokescreen could talk alone."So, why is she so messed up?" Sunstreaker asked without preamble."She's not messed up, Sunstreaker," Smokescreen defended his patient, "She's just having trouble adjusting. I can't tell you what she told me due to patient/therapist confidentiality, but I can at least tell you why she releases the cassettes so often.""And?" Sunstreaker snapped.Smokescreen sighed before he spoke; weary from his session with the sparkling, "Well, in short, Terrabyte believes when she does something wrong or when she is being threatened that her cassettes will be punished or killed. By releasing them, she is giving them time to run away while she holds off their attackers. She doesn't feel safe here yet. She has never known a safe environment, and associates adults with pain and death. Those cassettes were created by her mother, so in a sense they are her siblings. Therefore, she feels very protective of them. I'm afraid that's all I can say. Terrabyte trusts me to keep her secrets, and I wouldn't want her to lose trust in me.""Thank you, Smokescreen," Sunstreaker replied sincerely, which surprised Smokescreen, "I'll do whatever I can to make her feel safe. She'll learn soon enough that the Autobots are here to protect her, you'll see!"Sunstreaker didn't know how he was going to make Terrabyte see that, but he knew he had to try. That meant he had to keep her. If she grew up feeling constantly threatened and subjugated, then she would become a bitter adult that took out her frustrations on whatever enemy she could find...Just like Sunstreaker.
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Chapter 7
Alt Modes
Sunstreaker had to work hard to convince Prime to allow him to keep Terrabyte. Part of him even wanted to cave in to Optimus Prime's logical arguments and surrender Terrabyte, but he couldn't. She needed him. If anyone understood the pitfalls of being antisocial, it was Sunstreaker. As he spoke to Prime he actually felt like he was Terrabyte begging to be allowed to keep an ill-advised pet. He wondered if his decision was also ill-advised.That had been a few days ago, and so far there had been no new incidents. He and his brother tried to introduce her to new people, but she still mostly reacted with either indifference or fear. The only places she wanted to go were their shared quarters and the medbay. She probably would've lived in the medbay if they'd let her! The twins really had trouble understanding that one! How anyone could stand being so close to Ratchet for that long was beyond their comprehension!One day, Terrabyte had even been allowed to enter the isolation room where Q-Boom was being kept. They had six isolation rooms on the Ark. These rooms were designed to hold dangerous Decepticon criminals that needed medical treatment. Q-Boom was kept here so nothing would explode outside that room if something went wrong. They had even joked about treating her in Wheeljack's lab!Speaking of which, Wheeljack had been assigned to treat Q-Boom since he was the only one built to withstand such deadly explosives. When she awoke and started talking to him, it only made the engineer grow more attached to her. Terrabyte had been the only one there when Q-Boom first awoke, and neither discussed what they said to one another. Terrabyte left the room and had a small smile on her face; one of the first the Autobots had ever seen on her!Phobia awoke every now and then, but her body couldn't handle being online for long periods of time. Ratchet applied the technique Terrabyte had shown him to feed Phobia, and the little leech was surprised to see the adult medic so willing to let her feed off him. Phobia's name, as it turned out, was only mildly applicable. At first she was terrified of every movement or noise, but after Ratchet explained what everything was she calmed down rather quickly. She was full of questions, and frankly answering them all was even more tiring for the medic than treating her had been!Honey Venom still had not awoke, and Ratchet wasn't sure if she ever would. Poor Terrabyte never gave up, however, and would go to the gold sparkling's berth every night to talk to her or just stand in silence and hold her hand.Other than the sparklings and cassettes, Terrabyte didn't have much of a social life, and she tried her best not to bother Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.Today was a special day for Terrabyte, however. That was obvious when she woke up Sunstreaker an hour early from his recharge and demanded he wake up and take her to Teletran 1. Normally anyone who woke up Sunstreaker like that would get a punch to the jaw, but he made an exception for his little sparkling. Actually, he was relieved she was finally comfortable enough with him to get close like that!Still, after he awoke he spent a good 10 minutes polishing the part of his armor where she had touched it. Terrabyte was surprisingly clean for a sparkling, but she still handled wild animals and sick sparklings in the medbay, and Sunstreaker could never be too careful about his beautiful gold paint.When he was satisfied with his appearance, Sunstreaker took Terrabyte's hand in his and led her to Teletran 1 for the occasion that had her so excited: choosing her alt mode! Phobia and Q-Boom would choose their alts as well, but all Sunstreaker cared about was what cool new machine his little femme would turn into.They made it to the main control room where Teletran 1 was kept, and Sunstreaker could see that there were already several Autobots standing around the monitor, as well as the two new sparklings.When Sunstreaker and Terrabyte got close, the two other sparklings looked at them. At first their faces lit up at seeing Terrabyte, but then they looked up and Sunstreaker and a dark cloud seemed to form. Phobia looked like she was about to cry, so Q-Boom wrapped the leech around herself protectively and flared her wings in what would've been a threatening gesture if she wasn't so cute and short.Q-Boom looked up at Sunstreaker with undisguised hatred and distrust. He supposed that was normal. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were known to be the best jet judo fighters in the Autobot fleet (they had actually invented the combat technique), so it was no surprise a seeker sparkling would hate and fear him. He was designed to kill her frame type!Now that Sunstreaker was close enough to really look at them and see them awake, he noticed that the two new sparklings had red optics. Q-Boom's were large like Terrabyte's yellow optics, and Phobia's were small like an adult-former. So, these two were Decepticon sparklings before being abandoned…Terrabyte, meanwhile, wasn't paying attention to either her caregiver or the sparklings that were eyeing him warily. She was enthralled with Teletran 1, and looked up at the computer with rapture as she imagined all the alt modes available to her! She wanted to see her friends' new alt modes, too. Even though everything had been scary so far, when she looked up at the technicians working on the alt mode catalog she felt a new sense of hope creeping up in her systems."Hey, Terrabyte!" Q-Boom called out; her translator giving her a Queens accent similar to several Decepticon soldiers, "You remember the mech I was tellin' you about? Well here he is! My doctor!"Q-Boom had her whole arm in the air as she gestured at Wheeljack, who smiled behind his facemask and waved at Terrabyte."He was the only one brave enough to work on me the whole time! Everyone else thought I was gonna explode them, but not Wheeljack!" The pride with which Q-Boom said this showed she highly respected Wheeljack; maybe even considered him a friend."I beg your pardon?" Ratchet snapped; affronted, "I was in your room as well!""Ah, you just read the monitors!" Q-Boom waved away Ratchet's defense, "Wheeljack actually worked on the stuff that was broken in me! That makes him braver than you! Wheeljack is the bravest Autobot on the whooooole ship!""LOL!" Terrabyte laughed goodnaturedly."Is it safe yet?" Phobia asked; her voice clear despite her face being buried in the little seeker's cockpit."You know, they coulda killed us an orn ago if they really felt like it," Q-Boom reasoned, "Don't you get it, death breath? We're Autobots now! Wheeljack even said he was gonna adopt me, and Terrabyte's already got adopted. I sure don't envy her though! Being adopted by Sunstreaker! I think I'd rather chew off my own wings!"Terrabyte cringed. If it was one thing Q-Boom had always been known for back at the foundling home, it was her big mouth! Q-Boom always just said whatever came to mind, and trying to get her to keep a secret was like trying to get a Junkion to take a shower!Despite the awkwardness though, Terrabyte was still happy she could share this moment with her friends. Secretly she was thrilled that Q-Boom was going to be adopted by an Autobot on board the Ark. She didn't know what that meant for Phobia or Honey Venom, but at least Terrabyte was guaranteed one friend would remain in her life.Still, without Honey Venom something was missing. Terrabyte never told anyone this, because most non-carriers wouldn't understand, but she had initiated the loyalty bond shortly after she met Honey Venom. Honey Venom was one of the oldest and wisest sparklings in the foundling home, and she had saved Terrabyte's life by allowing her into the Sigma Sisters despite the fact that Terrabyte no longer had access to her sigma ability. To Terrabyte, Honey Venom's word was law. The factions could talk about Optimus Prime or Megatron all they wanted, but for Terrabyte it would always be Honey's Venom's voice she listened to above all others. Only now, that voice was silent, and her new boss was Sunstreaker. It was hard for her to deal with that."The catalogue has been completed," Perceptor announced as he and Skyfire lifted themselves out of the alcove they had been working in, "Nearly every earth vehicle and appliance is here for your inspection. Which sparkling would like to go first?""Me! Me!" Q-Boom insisted as she shoved her way past the much larger Autobots.Sunstreaker shook his head at the brash little seeker. He could tell already that having her on board the ship was going to present problems. At the very least, he knew the Decepticons would try to steal her, and considering she was a Decepticon at spark, she might go with them willingly.Q-Boom instantly went to the list of military jets and combed through every one with comments such as "Too big" or "Stupid code name" or "Too fat". She skimmed quickly and barely looked at each one before moving on to the next one. Q-Boom scanned every jet at least once before she finally settled on the Yak-28; a small Soviet bomber with air missiles attached near the wings. The jet was also known as..."The Brewer! It's perfect!" Q-Boom said triumphantly, "I almost went with the Backfire, but I'm too little to pull off that look. Come on, hurry up! Scan me! Scan me!""Are you sure you want to go with that one?" Ratchet asked her gently, "It seems a bit aggressive-""Of course it's aggressive!" Q-Boom cut him off, "I'm a seeker; a war make! I'm gonna be the best aerial strike Autobot you've ever seen! When I'm an adult, you'll wonder what you ever did without me!""She'll get along real well with the Aerialbots," Cliffjumper muttered under his breath.Shrugging his shoulders, Wheeljack set up the scan to give Q-Boom the Yak-28 alt mode she wanted. She giggled as the scans tickled her frame, and then felt her internal components shift to accommodate the new alt mode."Wow...Can I transform now?" Q-Boom asked eagerly."Wait until everyone has their alt modes, and then we'll go outside and test them," Wheeljack admonished affectionately."Okay," Q-Boom readily agreed; something Terrabyte wasn't used to seeing in the seeker femme."Alright then, who wants to choose their alt mode next?" Perceptor asked.Terrabyte and Phobia looked at each other for a moment; neither one willing to overstep their bounds with the other. Finally, and reluctantly, Phobia went next."Um, sir…" Phobia leaned in to whisper in Perceptor's audio receptions, "I need a special size."Perceptor scanned Phobia and found that, indeed, she was a car-former that required more room in the back than in the front."Alright then little one, I'll just take away all sedans and race cars. I'm sure you'll find something to your liking. Perhaps a truck or a station wagon," Perceptor suggested.Phobia scanned each alt mode choice carefully. She would stare at them for a minute before shaking her head and moving on to the next one. She was very methodical, and quite slow, about her choice. Q-Boom shouted "Hurry up!", and several Autobots seemed to wish to say the same thing. Terrabyte remained impassive as Phobia combed through the alts.Finally, she found a car that seemed agreeable to her."This one looks just like my alt mode back on Cybertron!" Phobia commented, "May I choose this alt mode, Prime sir?"Optimus looked down at her and smiled behind his face mask. She might've been born a Decepticon, but that didn't stop her from being a polite and considerate sparkling. Tearjerker had clearly been a positive influence on her. The only problem was the specific alt mode she was asking for."Are you sure you want this one?" Optimus asked patiently, "It has a rather dubious reputation with humans.""Please?" Phobia asked; her Crimson optics sparkled with innocence and longing."Well, alright. I suppose it is a safe alt mode, and it doesn't go very fast," Optimus acquiesced."Great!" Phobia exclaimed happily as she ran over to Wheeljack to be scanned.Wheeljack typed in a few codes on Teletran 1, and it started scanning the new alt mode into Phobia's core programming. Before long she had the alt mode she wanted; a black hearse with blue-grey curtains."Hey, cool! It's a cadaver-mobile!" Q-Boom exclaimed as she pointed to the picture of Phobia's new alt mode.Phobia just turned around and gave Q-Boom an annoyed look. She hated it when Q-Boom called her names, but of course that never stopped the seekerling before.Finally, it was time for Terrabyte to choose an alt mode. She patted the compartment on her left hip to calm her nerves. Her cassettes sent their support through their private bond, and she stepped forward to look through the appliances in the alt mode catalogue.The selection looked more like a gift catalogue or a sale paper than an alt mode selector. There were radios, computers, cassette players, and game systems! There were so many options. Terrabyte needed to choose carefully. Sunstreaker was her guardian now, but that could change if he wasn't happy with her, so she needed to pick an alt mode that would please him. She didn't want to see him angry.Terrabyte discarded the boom boxes right away. Sunstreaker hated loud music, and turning into a device that amplified music seemed wasteful and unwise. She looked at the desktop computers. She had turned into something similar on Cybertron, but she didn't like the lack of mobility. She wanted to find something on this list that could move under its own power.Finally she found something! This device had a sleek round design, it was able to move about freely, and she even found an item her symbiotes could transform into in order to remain inside of her. It was perfect!Terrabyte tapped the icon and Teletran immediately began to scan her before the Autobots realized she had activated the scanner by herself! Her body contorted as she was reformatted to fit her new form! The Autobots gasped, and Sunstreaker face palmed when he saw what Terrabyte had done!"So um...Can we go outside and transform now?" Q-Boom asked; oblivious to the adults' concerns."Did she just…?" Powerglide asked incredulously."She did," Ratchet confirmed, "Terrabyte just turned herself into a robot vacuum cleaner. Apparently the cassettes have been reformatted to look like dust filters.""Oh, great!" Sunstreaker exclaimed sarcastically, "Now she'll never be taken seriously by the enemy! Seriously, have you ever heard anyone say 'Run for your lives! It's the Roomba!'? I certainly haven't. Not to mention we now have Filterbots! That's just sad! Is there any way to reverse this, Ratchet?""Not until she needs to adapt to a different planet," Ratchet replied; trying to appear serious while hiding how much he wanted to laugh, "I'm sure it'll be fine. I've never met a carrier that looked threatening in their alt mode anyway. Even Soundwave is just a cassette player, and Blaster is just a boom box."Sunstreaker grumbled, but there wasn't much he could do. Terrabyte looked dejected as she walked outside to try out her new form with her friends. She had chosen that alt mode to make Sunstreaker happy. She knew how much he liked having a clean room, and now it would be easier than ever to keep their quarters dust free. Terrabyte sighed and tried to tell herself that some mechs are just impossible to please.
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Chapter 8
Somewhere To Belong
Optimus Prime looked over the list of mechs that wanted to adopt Phobia. He had to take several names off the list because of the little leech's fears of them. Skyfire had been particularly disappointed when he tried to bond with the sparkling only for her to scream and run away because he was so large. Apparently she was scared of large mechs.Skyfire had really wanted to adopt one of the sparklings. He was weary of the war despite being involved in it less than the other Autobots. He had only been an Autobot for a few years, and had spent millions of years frozen in ice on earth, so the idea of factions, starvation, and painful deaths was hard for Skyfire to swallow. He thought an innocent sparkling might bring some peace to his new existence.At first Skyfire had tried to adopt Q-Boom, but Wheeljack had already expressed interest, and the little seeker wanted to be with Wheeljack. Skyfire was more than a little disappointed. He was one of the only other fliers on the ship (the others being Powerglide and the 5 Aerialbots). He was sure a seekerling would want to be with her own kind. Someone who would understand her urge for the sky, the need for physical proximity to her loved ones and the need for cleanliness. Apparently though, none of that mattered to Q-Boom. She wanted Wheeljack as her guardian.That was when he tried to adopt Phobia, but she wouldn't come near him! Optimus had known that Terrabyte was a fearful little femme, but he didn't appreciate how well she controlled it until he saw Phobia's reactions to everyone. She was younger than the others, and she had no real control over her emotions. When she was happy, she laughed. When she was sad, she cried. When she was fearful, she screamed and ran. Phobia hid nothing from those around her.Seeing the three sparklings interact with each other had been an interesting sight as well. Optimus remembered walking in on them in the medbay, where they were all gathered around Honey Venom's berth and talking about old times. They almost looked like war veterans instead of small children.Q-Boom had done most of the talking with Phobia interjecting every now and then. It was odd to see how quiet Terrabyte was, even around her best friends. Her filter cassettes would squawk or bark every now and then, and Terrabyte would translate for them. The sparklings always made sure to include the Filterbots in their chatter. Still, despite the silence, Terrabyte seemed more at peace with her friends than anywhere else. Optimus was grateful they had managed to stay together.Wheeljack was working on a blender for Carly. He had a new invention that would extract the nutrients from food and break it down into its base components, and he wanted to install it in Carly's blender. Okay, so maybe it wasn't for Carly, but he did have her permission.Q-Boom sat on one of his countertops and kicked her feet back and forth, her wings perked up in curiosity as she watched him work. She was surprisingly quiet; likely because she was enthralled with what Wheeljack was doing.Wheeljack turned a few screws to tighten the device to the blender, checked the connections to make sure it was secure, and folded in a few wires for appearance sake. When he was satisfied with his work, he turned on the contraption.BOOM!The room was covered in shrapnel and black soot, and Wheeljack coughed behind his facemask. He fluttered his optics a few times, and then carefully looked over at his sparkling. If she got hurt because of him he would never forgive himself!Q-Boom was grinning broadly as she looked back at Wheeljack despite the fact that she was filthy and had pieces of the invention in her joints!"Wow! You can make a blender explode?" Q-Boom asked in awed excitement, "You're a genius! Can you make a muffler explode, too? That would be funny!""Well, Q-Boom, it wasn't supposed to explode-" Wheeljack started to say."Oh, we could make a car explode!" Q-Boom interrupted him, "Or a toaster! I don't know what a toaster is for, but they look really neat! It's a shame Megatron only wants stupid soldiers that don't question anything. Optimus Prime is smart because he has scientists like you! Megatron killed most of the scientists except for a few he liked. Moron!"Wheeljack smiled fondly at the little sparkling as she prattled on; her mind going in seemingly random directions."So what else have you invented besides cool explosives?" Q-Boom asked."Well, I designed and built the Dinobots," Wheeljack thought off the top of his head."The...die-no bots?" Q-Boom asked; confused, "Are those Autobots with mutant sparks like mine? Can their sparks live without their bodies like mine can?""No, Q-Boom, the Dinobots are my creations," Wheeljack said cheerfully."You have creations?" Q-Boom gasped as if it were the most shocking thing in the universe."Yeah," Wheeljack replied, more than happy to explain, "Their alt modes are based off of an ancient extinct predator type on earth called dinosaurs! The Dinobots are much stronger than most other Autobots, but unfortunately they aren't very smart yet. I'm sure they'll catch up given time.""You have creations?" Q-Boom repeated, since that was clearly the only part she cared about, "How many are there?""There are 5," Wheeljack replied patiently, "Their names are Grimlock, Slag, Sludge, Swoop, and Snarl. Grimlock is the leader of their group. They're not even a quarter vorn old yet, but they've already made a lot of progress in social and cognitive development.""So I have brothers?" Q-Boom asked with gleeful anticipation, "Wow! I've never had brothers before! Will they wanna play with me? We can run around and pretend to pillage cities and fight each other and sleep in a pile like my sisters and I used to do! This is gonna be so great! Can any of them fly? Do any of them have wings like mine?""Whoa! Slow down, Q!" Wheeljack held up his hands to get her to stop talking, "One: I guess technically they are your brothers. Two: I don't know if they'll want to play or not, but maybe. I'm pretty sure Slag will want to fight if nothing else. Three: Yes, Swoop can fly and has a rather large wingspan. He's not a seeker, but he's probably the closest thing we have to one.""Can I meet them now?" Q-Boom asked eagerly; flying around Wheeljack's head like a mosquito searching for a spot to land."Um, well, I don't see why not-" Wheeljack said, but was cut off when Q-Boom grabbed his servo and tried to physically pull him out the door so she could meet the Dinobots.This was going to be a long day for Wheeljack…Inferno and Red Alert stared at the monitors from their shared office. Security detail was always less boring when they had the same shift, as the two best friends would at least have each other to talk to during the monotonous periods of time. The only problem was that Red Alert had been even more anxious than usual since the four sparklings came aboard the ship. He didn't trust anything he didn't know and couldn't predict, and that included the sparklings."I think I saw something there!" Red Alert suddenly shouted, "Rewind and freeze frame! I want a zoom in on that upper left hand corner!""Red, it's just Spike working on a leaky coolant line," Inferno said with an amused smile, "Relax. We haven't had any Decepticon activity in almost a month. Enjoy it while it lasts.""That's just what they want us to do!" Red Alert snapped; his blue optics wild and his hands gesticulating, "They're waiting for us to let our guard down, but we can't lose our diligence for even a second! Every sight and sound must be recorded, and we must remain ever vigilant to the dangers all around us!""Hello!" A loud girly voice called out from the other side of the room; causing Red Alert to shriek and fall out of his chair."Ahh! Invasion!" Red Alert screamed."Well, hello there little one," Inferno said jovially as he looked down at the mouthless yet somehow smiling face of Phobia.Phobia giggled when she saw Red Alert scramble to get back up in his chair. Her laughter died when she saw the furious glare the white an red mech was giving her. She looked up at him for a moment, and Inferno was sure she would run away given her reputation, but instead she walked over to a monitor right next to where Red Alert was sitting."What are those?" Phobia asked as she pointed to something on the screen."Why do you want to know?" Red Alert asked suspiciously."Because there's nothing like them in other buildings I've been to," Phobia answered innocently, "What it is for?""Those are air vents," Red Alert reluctantly replied, "We keep them to circulate air in the facility. Kind of like a mech's air vents, only they're for the ship.""The ship needs to breathe?" Phobia whispered incredulously."No! The humans need to breathe!" Red Alert slapped his forehead at this sparkling's illogical thinking, "That's why we installed them.""What's a...hu-man?" Phobia stumbled over the unfamiliar word."They're small organic life forms that kind of look like tiny Cybertronians wearing fabric," Inferno answered cordially, "They're just a couple feet shorter than you.""Oh," Phobia said seriously; an effect that was ruined by her cuteness, "Are they strong? Or smart? Do they do anything?""Humans are the dominant species," Red Alert fielded the question, "They are not as advanced as Cybertronians, but their species isn't very old. Given time, there's no telling what they'll accomplish. Speaking of accomplishments, that door was locked. How did you get in here without setting off the alarms?""I crawled through the vent," Phobia said as she pointed above the door to the open air vent.Inferno laughed like there was no tomorrow, and Red Alert looked like he was going to go into stasis lock after seeing his precious security room breached by a sparkling in an air vent! At least, that was what Inferno thought his friend was thinking, until he heard what Red Alert said next…"Sparklet, you shouldn't crawl up in those things! You could get hurt! There are motors and all sorts of nasty stuff that could cut your soft protoform to ribbons! Don't ever do that again! Promise me, sparklet. No more crawling through the vents!""I'm sorry…" Phobia said softly as she looked down at the floor, "Wait a minute! Why is that a problem?" She suddenly asked."What?" Red Alert asked dumbly."I'm an energon leech, silly!" Phobia stated as if that explained everything, but she continued by saying, "If I die then you should be happy! I'm a bad femme. Ratchet is the only one that lets me feed off of him, but even he doesn't want me. He says he's too busy being a medic and has no time for me, but I know that's only part of it. I'm a leech, and leeches are bad. That's why my mommy left me at the founding home when I was born. She was a pleasure bot, and apparently they're bad, too. One of the caretakers said my daddy was a customer of hers, but I don't know what customer means. I think it's bad, though. You should let me crawl in the vents, 'cause I'm a security risk and I'll probably kill you if you let me."Phobia wasn't upset as she said these cryptic words. She just stated them like a fact, and that was what really got to the pair of security officers. It was breaking the older mechs' sparks. Phobia thought she was unlovable, and no Autobot could let such a pitiful state of existence stand!"Sparklet, you are not bad!" Red Alert said resolutely, "If your creator thought you were bad, then she was just an ignorant glitch that didn't deserve you! I'm sure there's lots of 'Bots on this ship who would be honored to have you as their sparkling. You're a good kid.""But…" This was where Phobia hesitated, but these mechs seemed nice enough, and she should be honest with them, so she finally said, "...But the other mechs are scary. Ratchet wasn't scary, but he won't take me! If I go with the wrong adult, then I'll get reformatted into a pleasure bot! That's why Tearjerker took us away! A couple of Decepticon soldiers came to Altihex looking for orphan femmes to upgrade them into adults for pleasure bots. Tearjerker said it was very bad. When the bombs went off, Tearjerker said it was a good distraction so we could escape the bad Decepticons. I miss Tearjerker…"Small lines of coolant were streaking the little sparkling's blue-grey face. She hadn't cried until the moment she mentioned Tearjerker. Tearjerker had been the only adult that ever cared about them, and she was gone! Still, Tearjerker was an Autobot, and these guys were Autobots. Maybe she wasn't being fair to them. They saved her and her sisters. Surely Ratchet and the security mechs couldn't be the only good ones. She wiped away her tears and promised herself that she was going to try to fit in with these mechs. After all, if Terrabyte could survive Sunstreaker, then anything was possible!Skyfire was alone in the medical bay while Ratchet got some much needed recharge. There were other Autobots that could have taken over for Ratchet, but Skyfire had nothing to do in the labs since his yeast cultures needed time to grow. Yes, his life had become staring at yeast and waiting to taxi around the Autobots. The sad part was he welcomed it, because it beat fighting the Decepticons.For the umpteenth time that evening he stared at the berth containing the golden colored femmeling Honey Venom. Not much was known about her except what her friends told, but Ratchet had figured out a few surprising details about their guest.For one, her golden color wasn't the result of nanites or gold paint as they assumed. Her armor was infused with electrum; a substance harder than almost anything in the universe and unstable in its purest form. The stuff cost a fortune, and no one would use it on a temporary sparkling protoform unless they had credits to burn.From this discovery alone the Autobots had figured something out about this femme; before she was orphaned her creators were very wealthy. She might've even been a member of the aristocracy! Ratchet had asked Mirage if he had heard of Honey Venom, but he had not. He didn't recognize her either, but he said her frame looked like a type that was popular among Helex royalty. That was unusual, because Helex was on the other side of the planet from Altihex!How did Honey Venom wind up orphaned on the other side of Cybertron? There were no records other than a group of neutrals found her as a tiny newspark among a mass grave of dead soldiers. She wasn't even old enough to talk yet, and since sparklings learned to talk within an orn of birth, that told them that she was brand new when they found her!Ironhide had made the comment that it was a wonder the Decepticons didn't skin the plating right off the sparkling and sell it for energon. The thought of someone ripping apart a live sparkling made Skyfire want to purge his fuel tanks! He didn't think he'd ever get used to the atrocities of this war!Skyfire was grateful to the Autobots for accepting him as one of their own, but he still felt that he didn't fit in, and oftentimes didn't understand the way they thought. He was a pacifist during the Golden Age, and yet he had taken up arms first with the Decepticons and then with the Autobots. He felt like such a hypocrite!Skyfire also didn't have a lot of friends aboard the Ark. Sure, he would talk to mechs if they said hello first, but he didn't seek them out. He had a professional relationship with Perceptor, and he would sometimes assist Wheeljack or take over for Ratchet in the medbay, but none of those Autobots were his friends. Simply put, he didn't trust himself to trust others. After Starscream's betrayal he wasn't sure if he could trust his own judgment about other mechs' intentions.He polished a scanning lense and searched the room for other things to do when he heard a posh feminine voice say "Excuse me sir, but are you Skyfire, the scientist from Iacon?"Skyfire turned around, and he saw the gold sparkling sitting up on her berth and looking at him expectantly. Her optics were red as human blood, and her face was inquisitive as she regarded Skyfire."Um, yes, I am Skyfire," Skyfire replied politely, "How are you feeling Honey Venom?"She tilted her head, as if trying to absorb his words. Her eyes seemed to penetrate past his armor and into his spark. It was surprisingly disconcerting considering she was just a sparkling."Hm...So I am dead?" Honey Venom asked in an analytical tone."Excuse me?" Skyfire asked; confused."You died over two million years ago, even before the war broke out," Honey Venom explained her line of thinking, "I read all about you. Your work was impressive but overshadowed by the fact that your research partner, the future Commander Starscream, was charged with your murder. Many believe he got off easy when he was acquitted. Given his military record, they might have been right. So tell me, are we in the matrix, the well of allsparks, the smelting pit, or some other form of purgatory the living couldn't even imagine?"Skyfire was taken aback! Honey Venom seemed perfectly accepting of the assumption that she was dead. To be fair, her age might have made her naive, but Skyfire didn't believe that was the case. Her voice was intelligent and borderline condescending. The accent reminded him of Perceptor, but there was a coldness to her tone that Perceptor never had. There was also something about the way she looked at him that made him uneasy. He had seen that look before, but he couldn't remember where…The shuttle shook his thoughts away! She was just a sparkling! She harbored no ill will to him or anyone else. Besides, it was clear she thought she was facing either her final judgment or her final reward. There was no need to prolong her nervousness."You know Skyfire," Honey Venom began again, "I never believed in the whole life after death thing before, but seeing you here with me is irrefutable proof. I concede defeat.""Honey Venom, you are not dead," Skyfire gently told her, "I am alive. I was found by the Decepticons frozen in ice.""So we are aboard a Decepticon vessel?" Honey Venom asked; her tone completely unchanged."No," Skyfire corrected her, "I joined the Autobots shortly after I was unfrozen. We are aboard the Ark.""I am not familiar with that ship's designation," Honey Venom said thoughtfully, "I must have been in stasis lock for quite some time. Tell me, did anyone else survive the crash? Are my friends alive?""Yes, they are all alive and well," Skyfire smiled as he told her the welcome news."And we are absolutely not dead?" Honey Venom asked to be certain."No, you are not dead," Skyfire chuckled."Good, because I would hate to think of having this horrible pain in my spark for the rest of eternity!" Honey Venom exclaimed as she clutched her chest.Skyfire couldn't laugh. He knew she was trying to lighten the mood, but the fact was that her spark had been weak ever since they found her on board Tearjerker. She was dying, and Ratchet despite his best efforts didn't know how to fix her. She and the others all had weak sparks due to being in stasis lock for so long, but while the other sparklings recovered Honey Venom only got worse. Nobody knew what to do for her, and many were skeptical that she would even wake up at all!Just then the medbay doors opened and Sunstreaker walked in; his body covered in dents and scrapes!"What happened?" Skyfire asked his teammate."Got into a fight with a sparkling and lost," Sunstreaker deadpanned, "Another night terror."Skyfire glanced over at Honey Venom, and then did a double take. Something in her face darkened when she saw Sunstreaker! Her ruby optics shone with a fury Skyfire didn't understand."Excuse me, sir?" Honey Venom addressed Sunstreaker in a deceptively polite tone, "You said night terrors? As in, Terrabyte's night terrors?""Yeah, so?" Sunstreaker asked, and then saw who had addressed him, "Hey, you're Honey Venom! Terrabyte's been coming to your bedside every day since she onlined. She's been really worried about you! By the way, my name is-""Sunstreaker," she cut him off, "You and your brother Sideswipe are frontline warriors for the Autobots. You specialize in jet judo and hand-to-hand combat, and you were both gladiators in the pits of Kaon prior to your rise in the Autobot ranks. You were also a painter under an assumed identity."Honey Venom recited his statistics as if she were quoting them from a military journal, and in fact, she was."How did you know all that?" Sunstreaker asked dubiously."Military history is my favorite subject," Honey Venom said; her voice dripping with false sweetness. Then in a more serious voice she said "I would often trade my energon rations for books and data pads. Reading kept me sane, and reading about different officers in military factions kept me grounded. It reminded me of where I was and what survival would cost. I know your record Sunstreaker, but I know about you from more than just books. I am truly grateful that you and the other Autobots have taken us in, and I will serve in any capacity the Prime sees fit. However, I must warn you of one thing."Sunstreaker raised an optic ridge, but didn't interrupt her."Stay away from Terrabyte," Honey Venom said in a low voice that was threatening despite her small size and pretty frame, "She's suffered enough. Leave her alone."Sunstreaker grit his dental plates and swiftly made his way to the medical berth! Who did this little punk think she was to threaten him like that? It would've been cute if she didn't sound so serious!"Just who do you think you are-?" Sunstreaker began, but had to stop when the little sparkling passed out from shock when he got too close!Skyfire was immediately at her berthside trying to stabilize her vital signs! The yellow Lamborghini backed away from the medbay, deciding that he would wait for Ratchet or another medic to treat him (preferably another medic). This was getting weird! This was the friend Terrabyte worried for so long about? She had the crimson optics of a Decepticon and the demeanor of a spider toying with a fly! Still, she was just a sparkling, and that complicated matters. Maybe she only acted that way because she was raised a Decepticon? Maybe she could learn better.One thing bothered him though. Why was Honey Venom so insistent that he stay away from Terrabyte? No way was he going to leave his own little sparkling alone, but still something seemed off. Why was Honey Venom so worried? Was she just jealous of Sunstreaker, or was there something more he wasn't seeing?
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Chapter 9
Complications
The next few days had seen the finalization of the adoptions for the three remaining sparklings. Q-Boom was adopted by Wheeljack, and Optimus wasn't surprised by this in the least. They had an understanding with each other that seemed to defy all logic, and for whatever reason she loved hanging out with the Dinobots (even though the first time they met, Grimlock grabbed her wing wrong and nearly ripped it out). The six young 'Bots were always together during the day, and Swoop was happy their family had another flier! It seemed Q-Boom was adjusting to life on the Ark quite well.The one that didn't make much sense was Phobia's adopter. After Inferno and Red Alert had brought her to Prime stating that she needed a safe place to stay, Prime was sure that Inferno was going to adopt her. It made sense. Kids (both Cybertronian and human) loved him, and he was a giving and selfless Autobot. However, it was actually Red Alert that wanted the sparkling as his own! This was more than a little surprising. Red Alert wasn't the most stable mech despite being uniquely qualified for his job, and the idea of him allowing an energon leech to feed off him was shocking! It required a level of trust no one thought he was capable of possessing!Skyfire finally got his wish to adopt when Optimus Prime granted him custody of Honey Venom. Optimus actually felt guilty about giving her to him though. Soon she would be dead, he was sure of it, and Skyfire would be able to do nothing more than helplessly watch his new daughter fade out of existence. Was it really worth it to give Skyfire such a temporary adoption?Honey Venom was asleep most of the time, and Skyfire would spend joors in the medbay keeping vigil over her. When she was awake, she was either with her friends or else in Skyfire's lab helping him with a project. She showed a great deal of respect to the Valkyrie shuttle, but no real affection. Again, it made sense. She was older than the other sparklings, so likely she would never be able to see her guardian as a true parent. Optimus sighed. At least she wouldn't be alone in her final cycles.Orientation for the new parents had gone about as well as expected, which is to say not well at all. Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, Skyfire, and Red Alert had gathered in the medbay with Ratchet. The sparklings were all talking and Terrabyte was showing them a toy Sunstreaker had bought her; an easel with large sheets of paper and a paint set. Honey Venom was awake for once, and the other sparklings seemed to be calmer in her presence.Sunstreaker felt like he was in The Pit hanging out with these mechs! Ratchet was their instructor, there was no getting around him, but the other three weren't exactly his best friends. Red Alert got on his nerves, Wheeljack would talk about sciencey stuff he didn't care about, and he didn't know Skyfire at all! The problem wasn't this meeting though, it was the fact that their sparklings were all friends, so he would have to see a lot more of these mechs."I have reviewed each sparkling's case, and I must say that each of you is very noble for taking care of younglings with such specific needs," Ratchet began encouragingly."What do you mean specific needs?" Wheeljack asked curiously."I'm glad you asked," Ratchet said as he walked up to Wheeljack, "For starters, your sparkling is a seeker frame type, and as a seeker she will require special attention from now until full maturity."Wheeljack raised his optic ridges in confusion. There was nothing weird about being a seeker! So she had to go outside a little more than most to fly? That wasn't a big deal. Of course, there was more.Ratchet continued by saying "One thing that may be detrimental to Q-Boom is her need to trine. Seekers trine when they are younglings so that their sparks and processors will be stable when they are adults. Q-Boom is going to be raised as an Autobot, and finding two Autobot trinemates at the exact moment she'll need them is no easy task. I dare say it is borderline impossible. Seekers are arranged to be trined by their creators and their creators' trinemates when they are still very young. Sometimes before they are even born! I don't know how you are going to provide this for her, Wheeljack. If she can't be trined, then she can't be given an adult upgrade, and an adult spark in a sparkling frame eventually grows too weak and dies from lack of nutrition. We have to figure out what we're going to do for her."Wheeljack looked crestfallen. He looked over at his happy sparkling as she waved her hands and fluttered her wings while she spoke to the others. It sounded like she was telling the story about how Slag got his horns stuck on a sliding door the day before last. He vented some air and softly asked the question that was on his mind."What if we give her the upgrade without trining her?" Wheeljack asked, "How bad could it be?""Wheeljack!" Ratchet yelled at the engineer, "Trineless seekers go insane, and in some cases kill themselves! In other cases they kill everything else around them! If Q-Boom doesn't have the spark bond of a trine she will not be able to function! Why do you think selfish seekers like Starscream or Sunstorm belong to trines? Because they physically need them!""What if she tries to go with the 'Cons to get a trine?" Red Alert asked suddenly, "We might lose her to the 'Cons just so she won't be alone! Either way she'll try to kill us all! We need to get her out of the Ark now!""Absolutely not!" Wheeljack defended his sparkling, "Q-Boom is a good kid, even if she is hyperactive!""Enough!" Ratchet threw his arms between the fighting fathers, "We will discuss this in greater detail later. For now, I need to get back to the needs of the other sparklings in our care. Red Alert, please listen to me because this is important."Red Alert straightened up and bristled at Ratchet's patronizing tone."Red Alert, it is commendable that you took in Phobia, but she has been coming into my medbay complaining of dizziness and tank cramps," Ratchet informed him with a stern expression, "You must remember that you are not only Phobia's guardian, but also her food source. What you eat, she eats. Therefore, I must insist that you stop drinking high grade. Don't even drink a little! Phobia is too small to process it, and if you have it in your system then she will have it in hers as well. Promise me, Red! No. More. High grade."Red's optics went wide with shock! No more high grade energon? How was he supposed to calm his fritzing circuits now? He had heard that when human women were pregnant they weren't allowed to intoxicate themselves, but he never imagined that it would happen to him!"Fine, Ratchet, no more high grade…" Red Alert muttered in discontent.He would make this sacrifice for Phobia because she needed someone in her life to protect her from those that would harm her, but it was going to be slagging tough! If Inferno drank in front of him it would be everything he could do to keep from knocking the cube out of his friend's servos!Ratchet then turned to Sunstreaker, and he looked back at the medic with a resigned expression. There was nothing Ratchet could tell him that he didn't already know. He had been raising his sparkling for nearly two earth months now, and he had learned a lot about her. Mostly that she never got a decent night's recharge due to nightmares from the war. She also had trouble showing her emotions, and she was afraid of most adults. It was strange that her fear never fully went away, but she was dealing with them better now."Sunstreaker, I'm sorry," Ratchet said solemnly, and Sunstreaker braced himself for the worst, "But the part I need to fix Terrabyte's vocalizer is impossible to replace. The technology for it simply isn't made anymore! The best I could do was to build an adult vocalizer for when she's upgraded in a few vorns. I'm sorry.""Are you kidding?" Sunstreaker scoffed, "I thought you were gonna tell me something serious! I don't care if her voice doesn't sound female or even if it sounds like a radio being tortured! I can live with that! After everything that's happened, I thought you were going to tell me she was dying!"Sunstreaker grinned broadly at the not-so-bad news, but then felt guilty when he saw Skyfire hang his head at the comment. Sunstreaker had forgotten that one of the sparklings was actually dying! He didn't like Honey Venom, and he wasn't that fond of Skyfire, but he still didn't wish this on them. One was going to die, and the other was going to have to live with it. Sunstreaker would have to live with it as well. Terrabyte was going to be inconsolable if and when that gold femmeling died.Q-Boom sat in the Dinobots' lair and watched cartoons with them. She thought it was so cool that her brothers had their own lair! She told Wheeljack that she wanted her berth in their lair so she wouldn't have to sleep in an orange room, but Wheeljack insisted that her berth be set up in his room (Sludge's tail wagged in his sleep, and Q-Boom could get knocked off the berth). Such a shame, the volcanic rock wall was so much cooler looking than orange!After the cartoon went off an action movie came on. The explosions looked so big and cool! Q-Boom wanted to make explosions that big when she was older. At her current size she'd be lucky to blow a pothole in a mech's chassis! Obliterating your opponent was so much more useful than inconveniencing their medic with a single hole.Slag stomped his feet when the bad guy tried to stab the hero in the back, and Snarl ate all the energon goodies before anyone else could get any!"You snarl am greedy!" Grimlock scolded his brother."Me Snarl am just faster than you Grimlock," snarl said replied snidely."Hey! Those fighting words!" Grimlock yelled."Shut up! I can't hear the TV!" Q-Boom shouted over the sound of their argument."You Q-Boom come up here!" Swoop hollered from his spot on a perch in the ceiling, "TV not as loud, but neither am Dinobots!""Okay!" Q-Boom hollered back as she activated her thrusters.Q-Boom and Swoop sat in companionable silence watching the movie as Grimlock and Snarl fought each other and Slag tried to see the TV screen over their flailing bodies! Sludge was already sniffing around for more snacks, but couldn't find anything.The movie got to the part where the hero was pulling himself out of a burning car (that looked like Sunstreaker for some reason) and the damsel in distress was running to him in gratitude."My hero! You deserve a kiss!" The lady on the TV screen said in an overly dramatic voice.Q-Boom leaned down to get a closer look at the humans on the screen. She tilted her head curiously, and then finally turned to face Swoop."What are they doing?" Q-Boom asked as she pointed to the make-out scene on the TV."Huh? Oh, they am kissing," Swoop said simply."What's kissing?" Q-Boom asked innocently."It where two humans push their mouth plates and glossa together," Swoop replied as if he were the ultimate source of human knowledge, "Humans do it to show they like each other.""Oh. It looks gross," Q-Boom commented.""Humans am gross sometimes," Swoop shrugged his wings, "Still, they am brave, too. Humans love us Autobots.""Yeah?" Q-Boom asked casually, "They ever kiss you?""Hm...No, humans never kiss us Dinobots," Swoop admitted."But you said they liked you, and that humans kiss things they like, so what gives?" Q-Boom asked indignantly, "No humans are gonna snub my brothers! We gotta settle this right now!"Swoop looked down at the TV to see a boring infomercial, and then at his brothers to see them in a battle royal while Sludge sucked on the energon dispenser nozzle like a long-necked hamster. Whatever Q-Boom had planned, it had to be more interesting than this.Q-Boom and Swoop flew around and searched the Ark, and she had to remind him a few times that they were searching for humans. Q-Boom knew Prime kept a few of them stashed around here somewhere, and they were going to answer for the way they disrespected her Dino-brothers!It took quite a bit of searching before they found Spike Witwicky in the rec room with Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. Swoop transformed into robot mode and the two strode into the rec room to confront the human and his minibot posse."Hey, human!" Q-Boom called out challengingly.Spike looked at the sparkling standing beside him. While Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were looking at her like she was the cutest thing ever, Spike was already nervous. Despite being a Cybertronian toddler, she was already 8.5 feet tall, and the sharp blades on her head looked pretty threatening to the smaller human. Not to mention her 10 foot wingspan and huge red optics!"Um, how can I help you?" Spike asked cautiously; sensing she wasn't happy with him for some reason."You slagging humans disrespected my brothers!" Q-Boom shouted."Hey kid, watch your mouth!" Cliffjumper chided her, "Nice sparklings don't use such language."Q-Boom huffed out an intake of air in frustration, but didn't argue the point. She was here for the human, not the adults."So, are you gonna make it up to them or not?" Q-Boom asked Spike."Um, make what up to who?" Spike asked; confused and a little scared."You didn't show my Dino-brothers you like them!" Q-Boom accused him, "You do like them, don't you?""Of course!" Spike replied earnestly, "The Dinobots are our friends!""Then why us Dinobots recharge in old utility closet?" Swoop asked pointedly."Hey, I don't have anything to do with that!" Spike whined, "Just tell me what you want!""I want you to kiss Swoop!" Q-Boom demanded.Spike froze, and his left eye twitched a little. Was she serious? No way did Spike want to kiss that overgrown buzzard! Heck, he probably wouldn't want to kiss any of the Autobots! It was just too weird!"I, um...I don't, um, really want to do that," Spike stammered, "But I do think of Swoop as a good friend, and uh-""If he's your friend then you have to kiss him!" Q-Boom insisted; her hands on her hips and her optics locked threateningly on Spike.Swoop was leaning down by now to be at eye level with Spike. He was curious about what the human would do, and had to suppress a giggle at how in that moment Q-Boom sounded so much like Grimlock. Both were immature yet expected to be obeyed without question.Spike looked back at Bumblebee and Cliffjumper to see if they would save him, but Cliffjumper had left and Bumblebee was staring in shock at the whole situation! Spike realized that he was on his own.Groaning in resignation, Spike leaned up and pecked Swoop on the cheek and then backed away hoping the Dinobot wouldn't punch him or something!"That ain't a kiss!" Q-Boom huffed, "I saw what a kiss looks like! It's when your mouth plates touch!""What?" Spike exclaimed incredulously, "Oh, no! I am not tongue kissing Swoop! That is where I draw the line!""So...It true? You no like Swoop? We not friends?" Swoop asked; his tone and face conveying genuine hurt."No! That's not what I mean at all!" Spike quickly exclaimed, "Um, I think you and your, um, sister have the wrong idea about what kissing actually means.""We do?" Swoop asked."So what does it mean, flesh face?" Q-Boom asked, though in a more civil tone of voice."When two people kiss each other like that, it means they love each other, as in romantic love," Spike explained carefully, "I would only kiss my girlfriend Carly like that. Swoop is my friend, but not my, uh...Well you get the idea!""So you Spike am me Swoop's friend?" Swoop asked hopefully."Yeah, of course," Spike replied reassuringly, "Though I'm not sure how I feel about your sister right now.""Hey, watch it, squish! I can still blow you to the matrix!" Q-Boom warned him, but it was clear she was kidding when she smiled back at him playfully.The seekerling and Dinobot left without incident, but Spike felt like he'd need to wash his face and brush his teeth after this one! Wheeljack really needed to talk to Q-Boom more about human culture.
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Chapter 10
Getting To Know You
Inferno drove along at an unhurried pace as he and Phobia made their way to the toy store. Red Alert had monitor duty that day, so Inferno got to play the role of fun loving uncle. Naturally, he and Phobia were both loving the freedom of the open road.Red Alert might've transformed into a car, but that didn't change the fact that he was a helicopter parent! Phobia couldn't play out of his sight, couldn't play with sharp objects, couldn't use the computer by herself, and frankly couldn't do anything fun without Red Alert having something to say about it! Inferno wouldn't be surprised if one day Red Alert just said slag it and wrapped Phobia in bubble wrap!Phobia was a naturally curious child, but Inferno didn't think she took unnecessary risks. Of course, Red Alert believed that all risks were unnecessary where his little sparklet was concerned. It was a loving thought, but in practice it left the poor thing feeling smothered."I've never seen a blue sky before Inferno!" Phobia said as she pressed her face against his window, "In Altihex the sky was always either black or dark purple. That was because of the, um...pollution! That's what Tearjerker called it! Pollution!"Phobia was so proud of herself for remembering that big word, and her red optics shone in place of an actual smile."So Inferno, how often do you have to save the humans from burning to death?" Phobia inquired."Pretty often actually," Inferno would've nodded if he'd been in robot mode, but his voice conveyed it well enough, "I'm sort of a celebrity here in Central City. So is Red Alert. The Protectobots come here sometimes too, but they prefer to hang around their headquarters in Portland.""If the place is always catching fire, then why don't the humans just not have so much flammable stuff in their houses?" Phobia asked."Because that would be hard for them," Inferno replied at a level he hoped Phobia would understand, "You see sparklet, there's lots of stuff on this planet that attracts fire, and a lot of it is stuff the humans couldn't live without. At the very least, they would be a more primitive species if they did. Things like furniture, electricity, and stoves to cook their fuel on. They call it their fuel food.""I wish you hadn't mentioned that," Phobia said glumly, "I'm getting hungry, but Red Alert won't be finished working for 4 more groons.""Well, why didn't you say so?" Inferno exclaimed amicably, "When we get to the toy store you can grab a snack off my arm! I don't mind.""Have you been drinking bad energon?" Phobia asked; remembering Ratchet telling her to always ask from now on (stupid tank-ache!)."Nope! Clean as a whistle!" Inferno replied as they pulled into the parking lot, "Hop on out so I can transform!"Phobia skipped out of Inferno and waited while he turned back into robot mode. She had been consistently refueled since she woke up, and it made her giddy! She couldn't even recall a time in her life before this when she always had enough to eat. The Autobots were all so nice, and if she had to put up with an overprotective daddy and stuff catching fire everywhere, well then it was worth it.She and Inferno had traveled three towns over from the base to get to this mall. It was the only one with an entrance big enough for Inferno to fit through in robot mode. Once inside, however, Inferno would have to wait in the hall while Phobia went into the store alone.Sunstreaker thought he was prepared for this. He thought he was prepared for anything that came his way when it came to playdates for Terrabyte. He was wrong, and now he was paying for it.When Wheeljack had asked if they could schedule a playdate for Terrabyte and his daughter Q-Boom, Sunstreaker mentally prepared for the worst. He prepared for the seeker to hate him or be scared. He prepared for Wheeljack to be working on an invention and for it to explode. He prepared for Q-Boom to explode. He even thought of the possibility that the Filterbots would escape through a time vortex, touch a bug, and then the entire universe would be ruled by monster bugs! He was sure he'd thought of everything.He had. He had thought of everything. Everything except…"Me Grimlock say me am oldest!""Nun-uh! I'm 4 and a half vorns old, and you aren't even a quarter vorn, so I'm the oldest!" Q-Boom refuted Grimlock.Sunstreaker held his helm in his hands as he tried to block out the sounds of Wheeljack's arguing creations. Sunstreaker knew Wheeljack and Q-Boom would get on his nerves, but he didn't even consider the Dinobots showing up! Wheeljack had explained that Q-Boom saw them as her brothers because they were Wheeljack's creations. Sunstreaker honestly didn't care what that stupid sparkling thought! This was the most annoyed he had been in weeks!Terrabyte just stared up at the towering behemoths; content to observe them. Sludge was the only one that seemed to notice Terrabyte, and he was uncomfortable with her scrutiny. Every now and then Sludge would shift his body so he didn't have to look at the white and black carrier, but eventually he would turn around and see her still staring at him.Sunstreaker kept his optics on his own sparkling, unconcerned with what happened to the others. He was worried one of these overgrown lizards would step on her or bite her or something! How could Wheeljack possibly think it was a good idea to let these abominations anywhere near his seekerling, let alone someone else's sparkling?And then it happened…"Me Grimlock say me am oldest, and that makes me leader!" Grimlock yelled as he grabbed Q-Boom by the waist."Let go, you idiot!" Q-Boom shouted indignantly, "You're squeezing too tight!"Grimlock ignored her, and after a few seconds he heard a beeping noise and saw her cockpit flash with a red light. And then…Beep...Beep...Beep beep beep beebebebebebebeebee BOOM!Q-Boom exploded in a hail of fiery shrapnel; a ball of fire engulfing Grimlock's hand! Grimlock looked first at his destroyed arm, then at the small holes in his chassis, and finally down at the floor where his sister's pieces lay."No! Me Grimlock kill her Q-Boom!" Grimlock wailed miserably as he looked down at a small puddle of energon and pieces of dark blue shrapnel.Then the pieces started shaking, moving, and coming back together before their eyes! Q-Boom was reassembled in a standing position, and as sparks flew to close the gaps her standing body writhed like she was having a seizure! Her optics came online, and she stood there as if nothing had even happened.Terrabyte walked up to Q-Boom and handed her a cube of energon without saying a word. Both femmes knew that when Q-Boom exploded most of her energon spilled onto the ground, and therefore had to be replaced quickly.Everyone stared at Q-Boom. Wheeljack and Sunstreaker knew she had a bomb in her, but they never thought about what it would look like to see a Cybertronian grenade explode like that! The Dinobots were slack-jawed! They didn't know she could do that!"Hey...Can you Q-Boom do that again?" Snarl finally said after an uncomfortably long silence."Sure," Q-Boom shrugged, "You got an energon cube?""Uh, me Grimlock will have to take rain check," Grimlock said as he held up his useless destroyed arm, "Me Grimlock have to go see him Ratchet. Be back soon. Bye."Everyone else waved goodbye to Grimlock, and Sunstreaker hoped his little Terrabyte would get tired soon. He was already sick of everyone else's company.Honey Venom sat up in the berth while Ratchet worked. He checked her vitals, but they had not changed. If anything they were getting worse! Honey Venom clearly had some sort of disease, and Ratchet only hoped it wasn't contagious to the other mechs and femmes aboard the ship. For the moment she seemed content to watch him work.Ratchet placed his wrenches in precise order in the drawer. After all, each one had a different weight and feel when thrown at a stubborn patient's head. Fortunately, no one had bothered him today.Honey Venom took note of every item Ratchet worked with. After a while he was feeling uneasy about her mentally cataloging his collection. For all he knew she could be a thief! She was a starving orphan before this, after all. Ratchet tried to think of something to say to get the sparkling's mind off his stuff."So...Skyfire has asked about how you're doing," Ratchet said; hoping she would say something and stop staring at his collection of spare parts."Skyfire?" Honey Venom took the bait, "He seems to be a gentle mech. How has he taken to the war?""Not very well, I'm afraid," Ratchet replied honestly, "Don't get me wrong, he does his job well, but he doesn't handle topics about the war well. You must understand, he lost his best friend to the war.""We've all lost people," Honey Venom said curtly, "Heck, sometimes you even forget what they looked like.""It's not like that," Ratchet clarified, "Skyfire's best friend is a Decepticon, but Skyfire is an Autobot. They are mortal enemies now, and Skyfire's ex-friend even shot him at point-blank range. He was lucky to survive.""Oh…" Honey Venom seemed to think about this for a moment, "...I can't imagine how angry I would feel if one of my friends betrayed me like that. I wouldn't stop until they paid for what they did to me. Did Skyfire ever get his revenge?""He doesn't want revenge, Honey Venom," Ratchet said softly, "He wants peace. We all do, but most of us have come to accept that it might not happen in our lifetime. Skyfire doesn't know how to cope with that. That's why he wants to adopt you. He feels that the two of you can help each other to heal.""Adopt me?" Honey Venom asked in mild surprise, "But I'm so...old. Most mechs only want newsparks. Why would he want me?"Ratchet chuckled and said "Because he wants to help. Skyfire is a decent mech, and I for one think you're lucky to have him as a guardian. When you get better you'll have all sorts of fun with him. Maybe he'll even let you help him with projects in his lab. Does that sound fun, little one?""Can I go to him now?" Honey Venom asked, "I want to be useful to Skyfire, and there's no time like the present. Tell him to expect me shortly.""Are you joking?" Ratchet scoffed, "You're in no condition to leave this medbay!""I know sir, and I don't want to supersede your authority," Honey Venom began in a cautious tone of voice, "However, I must inform you that I won't get better, and if you insist that I have to stay here until I die, then there is no point in my being adopted, by Skyfire or anyone else."Ratchet was taken aback by how calmly the sparkling described her own demise. The little femmes from the Altihex Foundling Home all seemed to share a resigned acceptance of bad circumstances. The only ones that even showed fear were Phobia and Terrabyte, but even Terrabyte had a way of hiding the feelings she had by never showing them on her face."Alright, Honey Venom," Ratchet finally conceded with a heavy spark, "If you want to help Skyfire in his lab, I'll tell him you're coming. However, you are in no condition to walk.""I don't have antigravity boosters yet," Honey Venom informed him, "Decepticons don't get them until adulthood, and Autobots don't get them at all. I'll probably never fly.""I know little one," Ratchet replied, "I'm going to show you an invention the humans came up with. Our friend Chip showed us this. It's called a wheelchair, and it helps immobile humans get around without the use of their legs.""Humans that are broken continue to live without replacement parts?" Honey Venom asked curiously."Humans are very different from us," Ratchet replied fondly, "They have more limitations than we do, but they also work within those limitations to achieve great things. You will understand in time. Now, let me help you into your new wheelchair. This will help you conserve energy."Honey Venom was gently placed in the chair, and she looked down at the joystick that controlled the transportation device. On the one hand this chair was pretty cool, but on the other hand she cursed her body for not being able to function on its own. She felt weak, and helpless, and she didn't understand why Skyfire or any other Autobot would want someone so useless in their ranks! She used to be the terror of Altehex Foundling Home, but now she felt like a shadow of her former glory.Inferno watched as Phobia ran through the mall in awe and wonder of all the pretty things she could buy. He gave her a little money, and told her to be careful with how she spent it because she wouldn't get anymore for a long time. He hoped this would teach her responsibility as well as let her have a fun time.He expected her to go to the toy store right away. To his surprise, however, she went inside a greeting card shop! Inferno bent down to look inside, but he couldn't see her once she went to the back aisles. He could still hear her though as she talked to herself and asked other customers questions about cards and stuffed animals she saw. Secretly Inferno was disappointed that she stopped here first since these places were so expensive, but he also knew she probably wasn't used to seeing so many pretty things. Her life up to this point had not been easy.Phobia ran up to the cashier, who did a double take at seeing a six foot tall robot girl with no mouth and red optics!"Um...C-can I help you?" The cashier stammered; fearing it was a Decepticon attack."Yes sir, I would like to purchase these two cards, and this book!" Phobia said proudly yet politely as she placed her items on the counter."Hm...Alright then...Your total is $14.95. Alright then, a $20...Your change is $5.05. Have a nice day.""Thank you Mr. Human!" Phobia said happily as she took the shopping bag from him.Phobia then skipped back over to where Inferno was leaning against a large pillar that supported the building. He smiled down at her and she beamed up at him."So, what did you buy, sparklet?" Inferno asked."I got these two cards because they were pretty!" Phobia said, "This one is shiny with gold stuff on it, and this one is sparkly!"The shiny gold card was for a high school graduation, and the sparkly card had a big heart in the middle and said 'Happy Valentine's Day Hubby'. Inferno suppressed a chuckle when he saw the choices that meant nothing to Phobia other than beauty. She couldn't even read them yet!"Oh, and I also got you this!" Phobia said as she pulled out a photo album, "It's a book with no pictures. You're supposed to put the pictures in yourself, and I thought a famous hero like you would have all sorts of pictures to put in it! Do you like it?""I love it, Phobia," Inferno replied honestly, "I think I've got a picture I can put in there right now."Inferno then pulled a thin steel photo from his days on Cybertron out of his subspace. Phobia looked at it, and she saw three Cybertronians standing in front of a fire station. She recognized Red Alert and Inferno, but the third one was a mystery."Who's that?" Phobia asked as she pointed to the red and yellow femme in the photo."That's Firestar," Inferno informed her, "She used to work with me and Red Alert at the Iacon firehouse before the war. After the war we worked together to stop Megatron's tyranny.""What's tyranny?" Phobia repeated the unfamiliar word."That means he tells everyone what to do and makes them live by his rules even if it doesn't benefit anyone but himself," Inferno tried to explain, "Megatron doesn't believe in freedom. He only cares about his own power. That's what we Autobots fight against. Red Alert and I fight here on earth, and Firestar is still on Cybertron fighting with the other Autobot femmes against Shockwave."Phobia made a cringing face, and Inferno asked her why."Sometimes Q-Boom calls me Lady Shockwave because I don't have a mouth and Shockwave doesn't have a faceplate. I hate it," Phobia replied with her face scrunched up in an adorable pout, "So, is Firestar your girlfriend?" Phobia suddenly perked up as she asked; showing just how quickly a sparkling's attention can be diverted."Naw, we just worked together," Inferno replied, "Honestly, after the war broke out there wasn't really any time for things like that. It was a shame too, because there have been a few femmes in my life I wish could've stayed.""Did they all die?" Phobia asked pointedly."Most did, yeah," Inferno replied sullenly, "A couple just didn't work out. Aw well, enough of this depressing talk! What store do you wanna hit next?""I want to find a gift for Daddy!" Phobia said as she ran in the direction of more shops.Inferno just smiled, shook his head, and slowly walked in the direction she went in; careful to not step on the humans that for some reason wouldn't get out of the way. The humans in this town just trusted him and the other Autobots that much.Honey Venom sat in Skyfire's lab and watched him while he worked. He talked to her and explained everything he was doing. She felt honored to be learning from one of the scientific giants (both figuratively and literally) of the Golden Age."...And taking a few cultures from this sample, we find that light gives it a prism effect as well as liquefies its once solid structure," Skyfire concluded his demonstration of a yeast sample he found on an alien planet, "So, would you like to try now?""No, thank you," Honey Venom replied with a tired smile, "I have already seen the concept in action. You know, if you added that liquid to a thermite substance you might be able to get a flaming rainbow. I believe the other Sigmas would love that.""Sigmas?" Skyfire asked obliviously."My sisters," Honey Venom explained unperturbed, "Phobia loves colorful things, and Terrabyte loves candles, so we could put the rainbow flame on a candle. Q-Boom loves fire, so everyone is happy.""That is too dangerous to do aboard the Ark," Skyfire turned her down gently, "Maybe we can find a different experiment for you to try.""Perhaps," Honey Venom replied noncommittally, "Skyfire, may I ask you a question? I don't mean to overstep my bounds, but Ratchet said you had a friend that became a Decepticon and shot you."Skyfire cringed. He didn't expect this question to come up so soon."If I may ask...was that friend Commander Starscream?" Honey Venom ventured."How did you guess?" Skyfire asked, though he really didn't want to talk about this if he didn't have to."I have read three scientific journals you co-authored with Starscream," Honey Venom explained, "I have also heard about his attempt to murder you, as well as read about his military career from several books published on the subject. Did you know at the time of my stasis lock Starscream had over 7,000 confirmed kills and many more that could not be verified but were clearly done by him?"Skyfire felt sick. He knew Starscream was a warrior, and he knew the Decepticons had committed many atrocities in this war, but to actually hear the number of deaths by Starscream's servos was disheartening. He had hoped that Starscream shooting him was just an irrational act done out of hurt and a sense of betrayal. Now he knew better. It was a reflex honed by thousands of decavorns of practice! Starscream didn't care if Skyfire died that day or not, and he wouldn't care no matter who he killed. The 7,000 that were killed were all millions of years prior to this conversation, so who knew how many had been added to that grisly list since then!"So you were shot by Commander Starscream?" Honey Venom asked again."Yes, Honey Venom, I was shot by Starscream," Skyfire replied in a haggard tone of voice; already tired of being reminded of that day."And you lived?" Honey Venom asked despite the fact that she was clearly talking to him.Skyfire smiled a little at her absurdity and said "Yes, I lived.""Hm," Honey Venom thought about that for a minute before she said "You're pretty tough Skyfire. You actually survived a shot from Starscream's null ray. Strength and brains. You're a double threat."Honey Venom smiled up at him in a playful yet endearing way. Skyfire didn't know what to make of the little gold femme. Half the time she seemed sincere, and the other half she seemed like a conniving glitch. She was hateful to Sunstreaker and several other Autobots, but would protect her friends with her life. It was an odd contrast.That was when he noticed it! The sly smirk, the curiosity, the smooth words that were carefully tailored to control the conversation...Now he knew where he had seen these traits before! Starscream! The little femme behaved in a way that was similar to Starscream! Why didn't he see it before?"Honey Venom…" Skyfire was cautious as he spoke, but knew he had to have this conversation before things got out of hand, "How do you feel about the Autobots?""Hm...Could you be more specific?" Honey Venom asked, "Do you speak of the cause, or the Autobots themselves? Is there an individual you mean, or the entire group?""All of them. Maybe start with the cause," Skyfire replied."I feel it is flawed, but every military operation is flawed," Honey Venom answered, "Reading the strategy guides and historical records is enough to prove that. How do you feel about it though? I mean, you don't really seem like an Autobot. You seem more like a neutral that got hungry and came in for some energon."Skyfire hadn't really thought of it like that. Did he seem wishy washy? He didn't mean to. The Autobots were kind to him, and took him in when the universe was confusing and frightening to him. He was truly grateful for that. Still, he admitted to hating the violence, and oftentimes would question why he was still a soldier if he didn't want to be."The Autobots are good mechs," Skyfire replied evenly."So your commitment is to the mechs, not the cause?" Honey Venom asked; hoping he would elaborate.Skyfire sighed and hung his helm. What could he say? She was right. He didn't even understand the reasons why this war had to escalate so far. Still, there was one thing Honey Venom needed to know…"I do care about these mechs, but I also care about Cybertron," Skyfire said with conviction, "The Decepticons destroyed Cybertron. Our culture is all but dead, and many cities have been lost. I have read the accounts as well, and the Decepticons are responsible for the destruction of those cities. Praxus, Iacon, Crystal City, Helex, and even your home of Altihex. All gone or in ruins because of the Decepticons. I cannot condone what they have done to us.""Would a dictatorship be worse than a dead planet?" Honey Venom asked, "Because that was the choice the Prime had to make. I respect Optimus Prime. He is powerful and intelligent. Still, I fear he made the wrong choice. Megatron would've left those cities alone if everyone had just stopped resisting. Peace through tyranny, that was his motto, and that is exactly what would've happened if the Autobots had done nothing. Personally, I know I have no say in the matter. I have been a Decepticon for my entire life, but I am only a sparkling, and you are my guardian now, so I am what you are. If you are an Autobot, then so am I. I can live with that if it means energon and a place to recharge."Honey Venom then wheeled around to the other side of the table to get a better look at the colorful yeast still bubbling in its glass. Skyfire was even more confused now than he was before! He asked about her feelings to see if she would be loyal to the Autobots, but after everything she said he still didn't know. She clearly wasn't a fan of the Autobots, but didn't seem to harbor any ill will toward them. She told Sunstreaker to his face that she hated him, but Skyfire still didn't know why.In the end, all he could do was try to raise her well. She might die, and she might even betray him, but he had to try. Honey Venom's future was at stake, and she too seemed to realize this despite everything she said.
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Chapter 11
Filterbot Follies
Blaster got the job of babysitting Terrabyte while Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were on patrol duty that day. He showed her his extensive collection of earth's music videos and asked her which ones she wanted to watch. Terrabyte looked at them carefully, and said she wanted to start with a couple songs by a reggae artist named Lucky Dube. Blaster happily obliged.Meanwhile, the cassettes and filters were trying to get the football game on the radio. Well, Eject was trying to get the ballgame while Rewind, Ramhorn, Shriek, Screwball, and Turret watched."How did Steeljaw get out of this?" Ramhorn groused, "If we have to suffer so should he!""He's on a scouting mission," Rewind replied."Of course! Typical! Meanwhile I get to sit here on my aft and watch the Vikings Vs. The Packers! I hate human sports!" Ramhorn exclaimed caustically."Shut up!" Eject yelled, "I can't hear!""Do you have a favored team, Eject?" Shriek asked curiously."Not really, but I got a lotta money riding on this game," Eject replied as he turned another radio dial and hoped for a signal, "I wish Blaster hadn't taken the TV. Then I could be watching the game on there instead of on this dinky thing!""You're gambling? Again?" Rewind asked disapprovingly, "Remember what happened last time?""I know, I know, but this is a sure thing!" Eject said in denial, "The Vikings are totally gonna win!""Really?" Shriek asked, genuinely curious, "And what do you base this assurance on?""The Vikings mascot has a cool horn helmet!" Eject explained proudly, "The Packers wear cheese on their heads! Clearly they have the inferior team.""You based your strategy on their uniforms?" Rewind asked skeptically."Turret believes Eject is a moron," Turret said in a clipped tone of voice."Hey, football!" Screwball shouted as Eject got the radio on the correct frequency, "My favorite thing!""You like football, too?" Eject asked hopefully."Ignore Screwball, his processor isn't calibrated quite right," Shriek explained, "He likes everything. Watch this: Hey Screwball, why do you bite everyone?""Biting? My favorite thing!" Screwball shouted childishly."See?" Shriek smirked impishly with her beak, "Listen Screwball, could you watch Terrabyte while we're gone? Turret and I are going to explore the air vents again.""Terrabyte? That's my favorite thing!" Screwball gasped as if it were the first thing he had ever declared love for, "How did you know?""Lucky guess," Shriek deadpanned, "We won't be gone long.""You're leaving? But the game's starting!" Eject objected."Those games last for hours," Shriek pointed out, "We'll be back in time for the ending score."Shriek then pulled away the grate with her talons and waited for Turret to scuttle over to the vent with her."Perhaps Shriek and Turret should do this in filter mode," Turret suggested as he eyed the vent with distaste, "Those vents are quite dusty and filthy."Shriek sighed sharply and said "Just shut your bullet hole and get in here!"Turret followed her and they started walking down the makeshift hallway that was the vent system. The Filterbots weren't very creative about their hiding places, as they always seemed to pick the air vents, but at least they didn't get lost anymore. They walked for a few minutes before Turret dared to break the silence."Perhaps Shriek and Turret should have stayed to protect Terrabyte," Turret thought out loud."Protect her? Are you kidding me?" Shriek asked disparagingly, "We're the biggest cowards on the entire ship! We're being protected by our mistress's sparkling! She saves us every time the Autobots try something against us! Oh, and not to mention we have the most useless alt modes on the ship! We're dust filters, and our boss is a vacuum cleaner!""Shriek and Turret do not have the most ridiculous alt mode," Turret said matter-of-factly, "Turret has studied battle records from several Autobot encounters with the Decepticons here on earth, and Turret has determined the worst alt mode.""Oh? What is it?" Shriek inquired."The worst alt mode belongs to Megatron," Turret replied."Oh? What does he turn into?" Shriek asked."Megatron, in robot mode, is incredibly powerful," Turret explained, "Megatron has a fusion cannon on his right arm that delivers powerful wide-range punishment. In his alt mode, Megatron turns into a smaller gun that fires with less power and cannot be moved or operated without outside help. Commander Starscream or Commander Soundwave must fire the gun, or else Megatron's alt mode is inanimate and useless.""That is pretty bad," Shriek conceded."It gets worse," Turret said with a hint of glee in his otherwise inflectionless voice, "In robot mode, the trigger for the gun is on Megatron's aft."Shriek squawked out a laugh as the full implications of that sank in. She couldn't help herself, she had to ask "So, Starscream has to squeeze his boss's aft if he wants to get him to discharge his weapon?""That is a crude joke, but not far from the truth," Turret replied without humor, "Also, Soundwave would have to do the same.""Hm...Do you think they realize that?" Shriek wondered."Doubtful," Turret replied, "When one is out on the battlefield, one does not think about whether or not he is covering his boss's aft."Shriek was nearly doubled over with laughter after Turret's deadpan delivery. She knew he thought that it was funny, even if he wouldn't admit it.The two Filterbots walked on in good-natured silence for a few more minutes, taking the time every now and then to look down at the different rooms they would pass. In one room they saw the geology lab where Beachcomber was examining geodes and listening to sitar music."You know, for a warship there sure seem to be a lot of scientists," Shriek noted.Turret didn't reply, and Shriek just shrugged her wings and kept walking. In the next room they saw Bumblebee and Groove playing checkers. That looked boring, so they walked to the next room. In that room they saw Jazz playing Megaman on the custom made Super Nintendo system the humans donated to the Autobots a few years ago for their rescue efforts during a radio blackout caused by Megatron."Turret is intrigued," Turret said while staring down at Jazz, "It is not often ones sees such a vicious killer in his natural element. Turret never would've guessed that the saboteur liked children's games.""After seeing how Sideswipe spends his time, nothing surprises me anymore," Shriek told him, "I cannot believe Terrabyte insisted on being adopted by Sunstreaker!""Terrabyte's plan is necessary in Terrabyte's mind," Turret said simply, "Shriek and Turret must respect Terrabyte's wishes.""We're supposed to be her guardians!" Shriek shouted in a frustrated tone of voice, "She's going to be killed! Those twins are psychopaths! She is not safe! I'm sorry...I know this isn't helping, but I just feel...so useless! We can't compete with those trained warriors! We're nothing compared to them! If Sunstreaker gets angry with Terrabyte he could beat her to death! What are we going to do?""Turret does not believe Sunstreaker will kill Terrabyte," Turret replied, "Terrabyte is Sunstreaker's property. There is no reason for Sunstreaker to harm Terrabyte. Terrabyte has done everything Sunstreaker has asked. Terrabyte is safe."Shriek wanted to believe Turret. The problem was they knew nothing about Autobots or their politics. The Filterbots spoke spark language, and the only one that could speak to them directly was Terrabyte (or other cassettes). All the information they had about the world came from their late mistress and her sparkling, Terrabyte.Shriek turned a corner, and Turret went to follow her, but Turret bumped into Shriek when she stopped without warning him!"Why has Shriek stopped?" Turret asked; annoyed."Other," Shriek said without elaboration, but Turret knew what she meant; someone else was in the tunnel with them.Shriek looked into the yellow optics of another cassette bird. It looked so much like her, but he was red and black instead of white. Shriek regarded the stranger with a silent curiosity for a few seconds. The other bird didn't seem to interested in talking to her, either. Shriek didn't even realized the other had been following her and Turret for quite some time. Finally, Shriek broke the silence."So...Do you have a name or should I just call you Beaky?" Shriek asked sardonically."You're not that far off," the other answered, "My name is Laserbeak. So tell me, are you an Autobot or a Decepticon?""Does it matter?" Shriek asked in lieu of a reply, "Neither one of us is supposed to be in here, so I won't tell if you don't."Laserbeak seemed to consider this, and then after a moment he said "Deal."Shriek and Turret scooted over to one side so that Laserbeak could walk past them. After a few more minutes Shriek and Turret got bored and turned around to go back. When they made it back to the hole where they came from they could see Rewind and Eject fighting, Ramhorn recharging, Blaster and Terrabyte dancing to some song from Japan, and Screwball chasing his own aft around in circles."Having fun?" Shriek asked Screwball sarcastically."Fun! My favorite thing!" Screwball shouted happily as he kept spinning around and around."You know, there's an animal here on earth that looks like you," Shriek told the silver Filterbot.Screwball stopped chasing his aft and looked at Shriek curiously."It's called a pug," Shriek told him with a knowing smirk."Pug? That's my favorite animal!" Screwball gushed."Do you even know what a pug is?" Shriek asked."Nope," Screwball replied cheerfully."And yet it's your favorite?" Shriek asked again."Yep!" Screwball said with all the surety of someone saying water was wet, "Hey Shriek, you wanna dance with us? You're my favorite sister!""I'm you're only sister," Shriek reminded him."I know! You're still my favorite!" Screwball said again as he took a bite out of her wing.Shriek squawked in pain as Screwball's sharp Sharkticon-like teeth dug into her sensitive circuits!"B'tng! M' Fvrt thng!" Screwball exclaimed; his voice muffled by a mouth full of wing.Terrabyte turned around to see what her Filterbots were doing. She didn't smile, but on the inside she was content. Only she understood just how silly her guardians could be.Aboard the Nemesis, Megatron and his officers awaited the return of Laserbeak. Rumble and Frenzy worked the monitors to ensure that everything operated at peak efficiency, and Soundwave poured over records of their previous battles to find out if there were any weak links among their troops. Starscream, as usual, was loitering and pacing around the room looking for a reason to complain.Everyone felt the slight jolt in the floor that told them the ship was rising above the ocean canopy to admit Laserbeak back aboard. Then the ship lowered itself back down, and a few minutes later Laserbeak was in the command center ready to give his report on Autobot activity.Soundwave viewed the files first. If there was nothing of interest then Megatron wouldn't want to be bothered by it, so Soundwave screened all information to ensure it was worth his master's time. Soundwave looked over the footage, noticed several things of interest, and marked them so he could show Megatron only the things that would interest him. It would've taken a human days to edit all of this, but Soundwave did it in a matter of seconds."Laserbeak reports: Autobots have sparklings in their care, Megatron," Soundwave reported in his computerized monotone voice."Sparklings?" Megatron repeated incredulously, "There have been no sparklings on Cybertron for thousands of vorns!""Maybe they were just minibots?" Rumble suggested, "I still remember sneaking out of an Autobot base back on Cybertron by pretending to be a sparkling. It was so humiliating!""What are you complaining about? At least it worked!" Frenzy pointed out."Shut up, you idiots!" Starscream yelled at the arguing Cassetticons, "How does Laserbeak know they were sparklings?""Never mind how he knows!" Megatron shouted irritably, "Soundwave, play the tape!"Soundwave showed the footage on the big computer screen in the command center. One clip showed Terrabyte dancing with Blaster (if you could call barely moving in either direction dancing) and playing with her Filterbots. Another tape showed Phobia organizing files with Red Alert. The third clip showed Q-Boom eating energon goodies with Swoop. The final clip was of Honey Venom being strapped down to a medical berth after trying to sneak off again."Hey, that's a seekerling!" Skywarp cried out in horror after seeing the footage of Q-Boom and the Dinobot."By the Unmaker himself! They're Decepticon sparklings!" Starscream felt like he wanted to climb through the screen and throttle those no-good Autobots for stealing what rightfully belonged to the Decepticons."Well to be fair, only three are confirmed Decepticon," Thundercracker pointed out, "That one with Blaster has yellow optics. Both factions and even neutrals have yellow optics. She could be from anywhere.""This changes nothing, Thundercracker!" Starscream snapped at his wingman, "Those filthy retro rats are raising Decepticons to be Autobots! They even have that one chained down in the medbay like an animal! Not to mention exposing a delicate seekerling to those brainless brutes the Dinobots! Megatron, we have to rescue them!""Since when do you care about those weaker than yourself, Starscream?" Megatron goaded his SIC."This is about principle!" Starscream insisted, "They're sparklings! If the Autobots have Decepticon sparklings, then they might also have Decepticon femmes held prisoner! We're talking about the future of the Decepticon cause! Are we really just going to do nothing while they-?""Enough!" Megatron roared, "I never said we would do nothing. We will just have to play our hand carefully. We cannot storm Autobot headquarters without incurring severe casualties. No, we will have to figure out a way to lure the sparklings away from the Autobots. After all, I'm sure they would much rather be with their own kind than with Autobot trash. It's just a matter of time…"Megatron laughed evilly at his own plan, while Starscream just scowled at his leader's lack of a plan. Soundwave wasn't paying attention. He was too busy trying to delete the footage where Shriek mentions Megatron's trigger. He would also need to delete some mental images later.
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Chapter 12
Precious Life
The Ark was relatively quiet on this sunny day. The four parents decided to take their sparklings outside for some fresh air and some sorely needed playtime.Red Alert and Skyfire seemed to be the most cautious parents; Skyfire because of how fragile his sparkling was, and Red Alert because...well, he's Red Alert. Honey Venom wasn't allowed to go more than 200 yards from the Ark, and Phobia wished she was that lucky!Terrabyte stayed near the other two sparklings to keep them company, and her Filterbots stayed near her to sit in the shade of the Ark. Q-Boom left them all in the dust as she flew high up in the sky! Wheeljack, trying to test out a long-range sensor recorder, was taping Q-Boom as she broke another personal height record. He beamed up at her like the proud papa he was!Sunstreaker just stood there, polished his arms, and tried not to think about the dirt the sparklings were playing in. He would have to take Terrabyte straight to the wash racks after she was done playing with these little miscreants.Phobia looked back at Red Alert and waved enthusiastically at him, and he waved back with a rare smile on his face. Honey Venom scribbled in the dirt with her nails, and Terrabyte watched. Shriek soon flew away to join Q-Boom, and Screwball went over to Sunstreaker and sat at his feet.Sunstreaker looked down at the little silver guard dog and quirked an optic ridge. The little monster had never approached him before (unless it was trying to bite him), and it had certainly never sat at Sunstreaker's feet before! This was strange. Could it be that this Filterbot was finally starting to trust him?The calm atmosphere was broken when Q-Boom comm'ed Wheeljack./Hey, Pop!/ Q-Boom said over the comm frequency, /I'm not alone up here! Advise!//What do you mean, sweet spark?/ Wheeljack asked, /Is it those darn buzzards again?//No! It's adults!/ Q-Boom said tensely, /They're comin' up pretty fast! Should I land?//Let me see.../ Wheeljack angled his sensor camera to get a better look, and saw a group of Decepticons led by Starscream heading straight toward their location! /Q-Boom! Evasive action! Get out of there now!/Q-Boom could see the adults were much faster than her! If she tried to land she would never make it in time! Thinking quickly (if irrationally) she activated her timer and blew herself to smithereens! Her pieces wouldn't reassemble until she hit the ground, so it would take a minute; plenty of time for them to not notice her.Starscream, his trine, Astrotrain, and Blitzwing all landed right in front of the Autobot fathers and drew their weapons! Astrotrain discreetly let Rumble and Frenzy out of his cargo hold and they scurried away toward the sparklings."Give us the prisoners, Autobot scum!" Starscream demanded as he aimed his null ray for Red Alert's helm."What are you talking about?" Skyfire asked as he held up his hands in a placating gesture, "We have no prisoners aboard this vessel.""Yes you do, traitor!" Starscream shouted as he changed his aim to Skyfire's helm, "You have captured Decepticon sparklings! Give them back!""Those are our sparklings!" Wheeljack objected, "And you can't have them!""Then taste the power of Blitzwing!" Blitzwing shouted as he drew his sword and swung at Wheeljack; who ducked just in time!Suddenly the Decepticons attacked in full force! It was 5 of them against only 4 of the Autobots, but the Decepticons knew better than to feel superior in their numbers. They were at the Ark, and soon reinforcements would arrive for the Autobots. Of course, by then it would be too late if all went according to Starscream's plan.Meanwhile, Rumble and Frenzy approached the sparklings. There were only three, but that just meant they would be easier to carry. This was going to be tough. Two of the sparklings were the same height as Rumble and Frenzy, and the gold one was actually a little taller!"Hey there, little sparklings," Frenzy cooed in what he hoped was a reassuring voice, "You look like you're having fun over there. Say, would you like to go on an adventure with us? We can go someplace really fun!"The gold sparkling looked up at him, sighed, and said "Does it look like we were sparked last orn? You're Decepticons, and we are Autobots. We are enemies, you bolt brains.""Bolt brains!?" Rumble snapped furiously, "Alright scraplet, listen up! Either you come with us or we'll weld your mouths shut!"Phobia started crying, not because of the threat but because she thought they were ignoring her. She didn't have a mouth, and it was something she was very sensitive about.The crying was enough to get Sunstreaker's attention. Even though Phobia wasn't his sparkling, he could see Terrabyte close to the terror twins of the Decepticons! No one stole from Sunstreaker and lived to brag about it! They were not getting his daughter!"Hey, come on! Don't cry!" Frenzy shouted frantically as Phobia's ear piercing wail drew attention to their nefarious enterprise, "Come on, scraplet! We'll give you an energon goodie. You like energon goodies, don't ya?"Phobia hiccoughed a couple times, looked at Frenzy miserably, and then said "I can't eat energon goodies! I'm a leech!"Frenzy gulped, and took a few steps away from the sparklings. Rumble didn't get why Frenzy was so scared, but saw the way his brother's red visor grew wider and the way he shivered as he stared at Phobia."What's wrong, Frenzy?" Rumble asked; confused."She's an energon leech," Frenzy all but whispered, "She's a parasite that will suck us dry until there's nothing left but dead grey husks!""That's not true!" Phobia protested, "I won't be able to kill you until I'm an adult! Adult leeches are the ones that can drain a mech to death, not sparklings!""This has gone on long enough," Honey Venom said with a bored expression on her face, "Terrabyte, recall Screwball for an attack.""YeS, HoNEy VeNom," Terrabyte replied dutifully, "SCreWBall, reTuRN!"The Filterbot couldn't get back to Terrabyte, however. Astrotrain had the silver pug in his massive hand and was trying to squeeze the life out of it! Terrabyte tried to scream, failed, and ran out into the battlefield to get her companion! Despite the pain in her spark, Honey Venom followed, and Phobia followed after her!Sunstreaker was busy fighting off Skywarp. Sunstreaker was so enraged that he could no longer hear anything around him! He was in full battle berserker mode, and when he got like this all he saw was the battlefield and all he felt was bloodlust! It was a scary sight to an outsider, and a type of drunkenness that meant Sunstreaker would likely not remember half of what he even did!He ripped Skywarp's arm off, and then gnashed his denta into the seeker's left wing! Skywarp was screaming curses at the yellow lambo twin, but Sunstreaker didn't hear him! All he knew was the smell of his enemy's energon and the danger his sparkling was in!Terrabyte made it to Astrotrain in time to see the hulking triple changer drop the silver Filterbot on the ground. Terrabyte warbled unintelligibly, a pitiful sound, and slowly picked up the prone form of her symbiote. He was alive, but barely. Screwball was losing energon fast, and he didn't have long to live."Terrabyte, give him to me," Honey Venom said in a weak voice as she tried to avoid passing out."YeS, HoNEy VeNom," Terrabyte handed over the metallic dog without question.Honey Venom raked her claws gently along the gushing energon lines. If she could paralyze those areas and force the energon lines to close, then maybe Screwball would have more time. Maybe enough time to heal or be repaired.The girls were so intent on fixing the Filterbot that they completely forgot about Astrotrain standing right over them!"So…" Astrotrain said in his creepy echoing voice, "This little menace belongs to you, eh? Well I'm sorry. I thought it was an Autobot. I'm sure we can fix him aboard the Nemesis. Just climb aboard and we'll be off."Terrabyte looked up quickly at the Decepticon. He was huge! All four of the sparklings could probably fit in his fist! Terrabyte took a single step back to get a better look at him, but didn't say anything. It was actually Phobia that broke the silent standoff."We don't wanna go with you!" Phobia said with absolute certainty, "I wanna stay with my daddy! Honey Venom wants to stay with her, um...What is Skyfire to you?""My mentor," Honey Venom replied smoothly."Yeah! Honey Venom wants to stay with her mental!" Phobia barked at Astrotrain, and he chuckled at how she looked when she tried to be tough, "We don't wanna go with you anywhere, so just leave!""What about the third sparkling?" Astrotrain asked pointedly."You tried to kill her cassette!" Phobia pointed out angrily, "Why would anyone trust a murderer with their best friends? Oh, sorry...I forgot…""It'S ALRighT," Terrabyte replied as she put a hand on Phobia's shoulder.Then a wonderful yet ear piercing sound was heard on the battlefield..."Decepticons! Retreat!" Starscream shouted as he fired up his thrusters and left.The other Decepticons soon followed, including a begrudged Astrotrain. Terrabyte looked around to see the damage, and almost purged when she saw one mech in particular…Sunstreaker was pulling the dismembered and mangled body of Skywarp behind him. The seeker was still alive, but the carrier sparkling didn't see how. She looked at the other Autobots...They were all fine for the most part. Wheeljack might need some new paint and a replacement ankle joint, but otherwise they were fine. Q-Boom was even with Wheeljack helping him limp back to the Ark.Still, Sunstreaker was covered in the spilled energon of his conquered enemy, and he didn't even seem to notice. Terrabyte had never seen him not complain about a mess on his paint job before. This new scene, with him filthy and carrying a seeker mutilated and worn into the Ark with him, it was disturbing.Skyfire went up to the sparklings and looked them over carefully before asking "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?""Screwball is hurt," Honey Venom handed him the Filterbot, "Terrabyte will be sparkbroken if you don't get him fixed. Please help him…"She wasn't crying or anything, but this was the first hint of honest emotion Skyfire had ever seen from his own sparkling, and he was touched that it was for the sake of one of her friends. He picked her up along with Screwball and went back into the Ark. Red Alert was left to get Phobia and Terrabyte since Sunstreaker had to carry their newest prisoner.It was ironic, really. The Decepticons accused them of taking prisoners where there were none, and because of that now they actually had a prisoner.Ratchet had to work tirelessly to repair the Decepticon seeker Skywarp. He didn't know why he bothered. Skywarp would've left them for dead any day of the week. Still, he needed to save the miserable 'Con's life. If for no other reason than Skywarp might have useful information about the Decepticons and their latest plan for conquest. Why they would try to steal sparklings though was anyone's guess.Honey Venom had to be in the medbay during part of the operation. She was still too weak to be away from the medbay for long. After Ratchet felt like he was far enough along with the surgery, he had Skywarp moved to an isolation room so he couldn't harm any of the sparklings.Skywarp awoke to dull orange walls and dim lighting. There was no furniture in the room except for his own medical berth and a single monitor that transmitted his vital signs to the main medbay for Ratchet. He was alone, and it was quiet. He felt like he would go insane from how quiet it was!"Hello? Hey! Can a mech get some room service here?" Skywarp shouted caustically; mostly so he could hear something, "Hey! How about getting this IV out of me and giving me some real energon? Helloooo? I know you can hear me, you Autobot slaggers! When I get my servos on you-!"Before he could finish his threat, however, the door gently swooshed open and a tiny figure came inside. Skywarp figured it was probably one of the humans or maybe a minibot. Soon he would have to face Ratchet Jazz or Prowl, and then the torture would begin. Needless to say, Skywarp didn't feel very charitable in that moment."Oh, so you finally heard me, huh fragger?" Skywarp spat in contempt, "Yeah, well, when my trine comes back with reinforcements you're gonna get slagged from here all the way back to Cybertron!"The tiny figure backed up a few steps, but then gingerly started approaching Skywarp again. When the light shone on his visitor, Skywarp could see it was one of the sparklings! It stared at him with wide but emotionless eyes, and circled his berth as if calculating its next move. Skywarp didn't expect anything so small and adorable to look so intelligent."So...You're little, huh?" Skywarp said awkwardly; not sure how to recover from cussing out a sparkling, "Well then...Listen sweet spark, my neck really hurts with this collar on, so could you be a dear and get the key and remove it for me? You're a big femme, right? You can do that for ol' Uncle Skywarp, can't ya?"The collar he spoke of was put in place to keep him from teleporting, and removing it would allow him to escape. He hoped he could trick the sparkling into helping him, and then he could teleport himself and the sparkling back to the Nemesis.The sparkling, however, was making no move to get the key or even to answer him. She was still circling the berth and moving her gaze from one restraint to the next. There were four restraints to contain his four limbs, and another one over his waist. There was the neck collar that prevented teleportation and transformation, and a final cuff on his left arm to lock his subspace pocket. The Autobots had him locked up tighter than a drum!The sparkling circled a couple more times, cocked her head to one side for a minute as she thought about what she was looking at, and then pulled a small item out of her subspace. Skywarp craned his head to get a better look at what she was doing near his right thruster, and saw that she was holding a welding torch from Ratchet's office! The sparkling never said a word as she gently but diligently melted down the cuff holding down Skywarp's right pede!"Hey, good job kid!" Skywarp said excitedly as he watched her go from one thruster to the other, "Just get my arms and we're home free! I'll be able to remove the other stuff myself."The sparkling didn't listen to him though. She went to his waist next, and then to his left arm. When that was free, she set the torch down so Skywarp could free his own right arm. He smiled with unrestrained glee as he freed his final limb and then melted down the troublesome collar and subspace lock!Skywarp pumped his fist in triumph! He then turned to his silent rescuer to teleport her back with him to the Decepticon base, but when he looked she was already gone. She was out the door and he knew if he went after her he would be spotted. Better to teleport now and report to Starscream. Sadly, he would have to make up an excuse for Megatron; who had no idea of what Starscream and the others had planned to save the sparklings. Skywarp hated going against Megatron, but those sparklings were Decepticons, and they deserved to be raised as conquerors instead of soft sparked Autobots!He sighed in defeat and told himself this was only temporary as he disappeared from the Ark in a flicker of purple light.There was no way to deny it. The security footage might have been difficult to see in that dark isolation room, but it was obvious that one of the sparklings freed Skywarp! The Autobots were shocked as they realized they were betrayed by one of their own, and a being that seemed so innocent at that!The only sparkling that had an alibi was Q-Boom, who had been with Bumblebee in the rec room at that time. Honey Venom was supposedly in the medbay, but Ratchet had stepped out for a half hour to go to the supply room and find more medical grade energon for Skywarp."It had to be Honey Venom!" Sunstreaker said vehemently, "That femme has been nothing but trouble ever since she got here!""Sunstreaker please, we don't know that," Skyfire tried to dissuade his colleague's anger."No! No more excuses!" Sunstreaker shouted at Skyfire, "She has been waiting for an excuse to serve her Decepticon masters all this time! Can't you see it in her optics? She hates us and she's been planning to betray us from day one! She manipulates us and even her own friends for her own purposes! She's a Decepticon through and through!""I agree with Sunstreaker!" Red Alert said wholeheartedly, "I wouldn't be surprised if she's just been pretending to be weak so she can steal our secrets and give them to Megatron!""Well, I don't know about sabotage, but I can testify to her weakened physical state," Ratchet said as he scowled at Red Alert.Skyfire hung his head. He was afraid an angry mob would go after his sparkling and it scared him, but the truth was he knew her better than any other Autobot and even he believed deep down that she was capable of switching sides. She had a smug type of superiority that Decepticons seemed to admire, and she outright admitted to him that she was only an Autobot so she could have a place to live. Still, he didn't want them to harm his daughter!Skyfire was broken from this reverie when he saw Sunstreaker storm out of the room followed by several other Autobots that were either encouraging him or trying to stop him. Skyfire rushed to join them, hoping Sunstreaker wouldn't do anything to harm a sparkling.Honey Venom, meanwhile, sat on her berth and read a book from the extensive collection she kept in her subspace. Ratchet was gone and had been for some time. She couldn't help but wonder what had the grouchy medic so concerned. She waved the thought away and turned back to her book; an autobiography written by none other than Megatron himself.The door swooshed open, and Sunstreaker stormed in like the fury of the Unmaker! He was followed by Prowl, Red Alert, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Jazz, and Skyfire. Honey Venom gave the room a cursory glance, shrugged, and then returned to her book."Honey Venom!" Sunstreaker bellowed accusingly, "I know it was you!""Excuse me?" Honey Venom asked as if she were addressing a mouthy servant."I know you're the one who freed Skywarp! Traitor!" Sunstreaker pointed a digit at her to illustrate his point, "Just admit it!""You can neither prove or disprove that statement, Sunstroke," Honey Venom said with a menacing sneer, "You have no case!""You better watch yourself," Sunstreaker growled, "It is taking every ounce of restraint I have to not rip you apart. I would never harm a sparkling, but you need to remember that you won't be a sparkling forever.""That's right, Sunshine, I won't," Honey Venom's voice took on a biting tone as she spoke her next words, "I'll either be a femme, or I'll be dead from spark failure. Not that it matters either way. You want me dead, and if I survive it's just more fun for you. You enjoy killing femmes, don't you Sunstreaker?"Sunstreaker couldn't take anymore of that smug sneering Decepticon wannabe! He lunged at her, but Sideswipe pulled him back and held him down before he could even touch Honey Venom!"Let me go, Sides! She has this coming!" Sunstreaker grunted and growled as he tried to free himself from his twin brother."This isn't right, Sunny!" Sideswipe shouted at his writhing brother, "We're better than the 'Cons! If she is guilty then she can't hide forever! Everything will work out, you'll see. Come on, Sunny!""Yes, my investigation is ongoing," Prowl said stoically as he took a twin in each hand and pried them apart, "Until such time as the truth comes out, all sparklings are to be confined to the Ark. I will determine who freed Skywarp. Until then, I suggest we take our leave."The other Autobots left except for Ratchet, but before he let the door close behind him Sunstreaker turned back to Honey Venom and said "I know you're a traitor.""Technically, I can't be a traitor," Honey Venom replied with a superior smile on her face, "I'm not old enough to choose a side yet and receive my sigil.""Yeah? What is your sigil, Honey Venom?" Sunstreaker asked, and then left before she could answer.Ratchet sighed and gave Honey Venom a forlorn look. She put away the data pad of Megatron's autobiography and was grateful they didn't try to use it against her. She gave Ratchet a smile, this time more of a simper, and then lied down to recharge. She didn't recharge, however, but instead opened a comm transmission to Terrabyte./Terrabyte. This is Honey Venom,/ the gold sparkling waited for the static to clear, and then said /Sunstreaker just came in and told me Skywarp was released earlier today. Know anything about that, Terrabyte?/For a long time there was no answer, and Honey Venom wondered if she would go into stasis lock before getting an answer, but then…/I'm SoRrY!/ Terrabyte cried out over the transmission, /SunSTrEAker...AlMoSt kiLled him. ThE AUtoBotS...WeRe GoIng to Kill hIM.//I see,/ was all Honey Venom said at first, but then /I'll report to Optimus Prime that it was me who released Skywarp.//NOOoo!/ Terrabyte wailed desperately, /YOu aRe iNnoCent!//It doesn't matter!/ Honey Venom snapped, /I'm dying, Terrabyte! It doesn't matter if they hate me! You still have a chance to survive until your upgrade, but you have to live by their rules! You are an Autobot now, and you live by the will of the Prime and Sunstreaker alone! You must never, and I mean never, show mercy to a Decepticon ever again! You are an Autobot now! You will never show sympathy to Decepticons, and you will never so much as talk to them without permission! Do you understand me?/There was another long silence, but then…/YeS, HoNeY, VeNom.//Good. I'll confess to Prime as soon as I'm strong enough to stay awake,/ Honey Venom declared, /Honey Venom out./Terrabyte hung up the comm inside her head and looked around her room. There were her toys, and the berth Sunstreaker had brought to her that first night. There were the bunks where the twins slept, and the shelves filled with their stuff. She looked around her room, and thought about the energon on Sunstreaker's body as he carried Skywarp into the Ark like a hunting trophy.She sat down on her berth, all alone with no one but the Filterbots inside her, and she sobbed for the first time since she found herself in the foundling home. She felt the coolant flow freely from her eyes, but she didn't even care! She wailed, and hoped no one else could hear her.
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Chapter 13
No Hard Feelings
Honey Venom had gone straight to Optimus Prime as soon as she was able. Well, she mostly did it right away so she would still have the nerve to face him. The little gold femme thought herself processor-damaged for volunteering to be punished by the leader of the Autobots himself! Still, Terrabyte would've done the same for her. Pit, back in the foundling home she had done the same for Honey Venom when it came to the caretakers!The poisonous sparkling sat across from the Prime as he moved a few data pads to the side on his desk. The chair she was sitting in was much too large for her tiny frame, and made her feel even more insignificant as the red and blue Autobot focused all of his attention on her."You wanted to tell me something, Honey Venom?" Optimus asked in a voice that betrayed no suspicions or ill will."Yes, sir," Honey Venom began in a regal voice that hid the nervousness she felt in his presence, "I wish to confess a moment of weakness. I am the one who released Lt. Commander Skywarp from the isolation room earlier today."Optimus hummed under his breath and said "I see."Honey Venom took this as her invitation to continue."I know now that I made a mistake, and I am only grateful that I live to tell you of my moment of error," Honey Venom tried to sound proper and mature, but even she knew she was calling herself an idiot, "I humbly implore you to forgive my actions. I will do whatever it takes to win back your good graces. I still wish to be considered an Autobot, Prime sir."Honey Venom hated herself in that moment. She was begging! It was the foundling home all over again! When she was younger she would plead with the caretakers every time she displeased them. As she grew older she grew a thicker defense and a sense of pride that wouldn't allow her to stoop so low anymore. She wasn't afraid of dying, not in broad terms, but she was afraid of Optimus Prime; the Decepticons' own harbinger of death. He was the only mech that could take on the mighty Megatron, and that terrified Honey Venom!"Just answer me one question Honey Venom," Optimus replied soberly, "Why did you do it? Why would you go against your elders and aid the Decepticons?"Honey Venom froze! How could she describe the motivations for a crime she didn't even commit? What answer would appease the Prime? Should she say it was all part of a plan to win the Decepticons' trust and infiltrate them? Should she say she wanted blackmail material on the high-ranking seeker? No! These excuses would never work! They would only make her look like a threat to Prime's power! What could she say? The only thing she could think of was to describe Terrabyte's motivation, as that would at least be believable; even if she didn't quite understand it herself."Sunstreaker...Almost killed him," Honey Venom said slowly; quoting Terrabyte verbatim, "The Autobots were going to kill him."Honey Venom hoped that would be enough for the Prime. She remembered the words but didn't understand their significance in Terrabyte's reasoning ability. Mercy and compassion weren't qualities Honey Venom understood when it came to those she didn't know, so she didn't understand how Terrabyte could feel that way.Surprisingly to Honey Venom, Optimus next said "I understand.""You...You do?" Honey Venom asked incredulously."I know how difficult seeing another being in pain must be to someone as young as you are," Optimus nodded warmly, "Rest assured that we weren't going to kill Skywarp. Most likely we would have exchanged him back to Megatron for something useful such as use of the space bridge or parts we are low on. I just want you to know that I am proud of your sense of compassion and justice. You'll fit in just fine, Honey Venom. Normally I would confine you to your quarters, but since you rarely leave the medbay anyway that hardly seems to be an option. Instead I will have you write an essay on the importance of protocol. I will expect it on my desk this time tomorrow. You are dismissed.""T-thank you, sir," Honey Venom replied shakily; not really sure what just happened.Honey Venom left the office with her processor racing over her encounter. Optimus Prime was proud of an act of treason? He wasn't just powerful; he was insane! How could she plan her moves around a being for whom logic seemed to mean nothing? Then there was Terrabyte. Honey Venom was still grateful Terrabyte had not admitted her actions. After seeing the way Sunstreaker had went off on her in the medbay like that...it was one thing for Honey Venom to fight Sunstreaker, she had her poison nails to rely on, but Terrabyte was truly powerless against such a ferocious beast!Honey Venom returned to the medbay and immediately began writing her essay. It would need to be perfect if she were to impress, or at least please, the Prime.Something had to be done about that sparkling! Q-Boom was driving the Autobots nuts, and Wheeljack seemed oblivious to the trouble she was causing!When Smokescreen had told her about his sigma ability during one of their therapy sessions she had joked that his power was just visible farts. Not only that, but she gave the other Autobots insulting nicknames based on their alt modes. She called Ratchet the blood bank, Mirage the indignity 500, Prowl the donut-mobile, Optimus Prime Captain Convoy, and Ironhide the free candy van. The only other adult besides Wheeljack she seemed to respect was Jazz. She thought he was cool.If that wasn't bad enough, she and the Dinobots would often randomly start rampaging through the Ark when they played their silly games! One time Grimlock got his head stuck in the energon dispenser when Q-Boom told him it would turn into high grade if he managed to get his whole face in there! Grimlock got her back though when he bit her left thruster! Oh, the mess that was made that day!The other Autobots were sick of her, but Wheeljack just smiled like butter wouldn't melt. He was used to the other Autobots criticizing things that were his. He got the same reaction when he built the Dinobots, and he often got that reaction when an invention failed. It seemed the only language they understood was results.On this particular day Wheeljack was at a whiteboard working out the details of his sparkling's eventual upgrade. It would be another couple of vorns before she would actually be upgraded, but Wheeljack believed in preparedness. Q-Boom was at her usual spot on the counter in his lab kicking her feet up and down as she watched him work and answered his questions about what she wanted. She was grateful that he asked her opinion. Some adults didn't even care and would just build whatever they wanted whether the sparklings liked it or not."Hey, Pop!" Q-Boom called out to him as she suddenly had a notion, "Can I have sharper teeth on my new adult body?""Sharp teeth? On a seeker?" Wheeljack asked; intrigued, "Why would you want that?""Because Screwball has them, and Grimlock has them, and even Sludge has them!" Q-Boom replied enviously, "I don't wanna be weaker than Sludge! Then I'll be the wussiest member of the team!""Um, Q-Boom, I'm surprised I have to tell you this," Wheeljack replied hesitantly, "But I'm not reformatting you into a Dinobot for your upgrade.""I know that!" Q-Boom barked defensively, "But I wanna be tough like my Dino-brothers!""But sweet spark, you're a seeker," Wheeljack reminded her, "Seekers aren't made for brute strength. Maybe you should focus your upgrades on speed and agility. That will be much more useful to you when you're completed. Now, about height…""I wanna be really tall!" Q-Boom shouted joyfully, "As tall as you, at least!"Wheeljack hesitated once more, but finally said "Well...I can do that if you really want, but you gotta realize that you're a seeker femme. If you're as tall as me then you'll be mech-sized. It might be harder for you to find a bondmate when you're older.""Might as well be mech-sized," Q-Boom muttered as a look of frustration crossed her face and she crossed her arms over her cockpit, "I've already got the name and the attitude.""Name?" Wheeljack focused on that word."Yeah, my full name: Quantum Boom," Q-Boom explained, "It's a mech's name, but I'm a femme. I hate my name. The other sparklings at the foundling home used to tease me about it all the time. They used to say I should convert myself into a mech when I get upgraded because of my name and because I'm gross sometimes. I mean come on! So I can be crass, and so what if I downloaded a belching noise subroutine to annoy people? I can be gross and messy and still be a femme!""If it's such a problem, then why did your creators give you that name in the first place?" Wheeljack asked."Creator," Q-Boom corrected him, "I only had one. My spark-father went to the vector sigma to make me. He really wanted a mech and came up with all sorts of mech names for his newspark, but the vector sigma gave him a femme. He loved me anyway, but when he saw what my sigma ability was he couldn't resist giving me the name Quantum Boom. His name was Quasar, so we both had the same first initial. He'd always play with me when he wasn't working or recharging. I especially loved it when he taught me how to fly straight when I was only a few solar cycles old.""Yeah?" Wheeljack loved seeing the fondness in Q-Boom's optics; even if it was for a father he would have to try to live up to, "Did you get along with his trine, too?""They were both killed before I was born," Q-Boom replied sullenly, "I think that's why he wanted a sparkling; because he missed his friends. I used to go with Father to the base where he was stationed, and I could see it...The other mechs treated him different because he didn't have a trine no more. Some even thought I shouldn't have been sparked because Father was due to go crazy any time. They were stupid."Wheeljack chuckled at how blunt Q-Boom was when discussing the prejudice of her late father's colleagues. The laughter died, however, with what she said next."I wasn't there when he was killed, but I saw the tapes," Q-Boom said in a surprisingly serious tone for the perpetually nonchalant sparkling, "The scouts would tape the battle so they could analyze ways to improve their strategies and stuff. He was shot down by an Autobot anti-aircraft turret. He couldn't see because of all the smoke, and he got shot down and crashed. He died before he even hit the ground."Autobot anti-aircraft turret…Those words made Wheeljack's energon run cold. He was so used to the bubbly little sparkling running amok and filling his lab with laughter that he often forgot that she was a Decepticon-sparked creation. For once when Wheeljack looked down at her, he tried to imagine what her spark-father would've seen, and what he thought as he constructed her temporary sparkling body. Some things were pre-programmed by the vector sigma and could not be changed, but the blades on her head were clearly her father's own invention. The dual thrusters, the angular wings, the missile launchers, and especially her head blades all pointed to her being a war machine in the making.
Autobot anti-aircraft turret...He was shot down...by an Autobot…
"Oh, sweet spark!" Wheeljack exclaimed with such sympathy and even a twinge of guilt, "It hadn't occurred to me before...You must have a lot of anger stored up because of what the Autobots did to you…I'm so sorry, Q-Boom…""Why? You didn't do it," Q-Boom shrugged as she casually looked back up at him; the sadness from before all but forgotten, "Besides, there's no reason for me to be mad at the Autobots. It's a war. They were soldiers. My father was a soldier. When they looked up at him they didn't say 'let's kill this new father and orphan his sparkling'. They just saw an enemy. That's all he saw when he looked down at them, too. Some of those Autobots that died probably had sparklings, too. It happens. That's what a war is. You just point and shoot and don't ask any questions that might make you think. No hard feelings."Q-Boom's voice had no traces of anger or bitterness as she spoke. She just stated her words as if they were undeniable facts. Wheeljack felt both awed and disturbed by what she said to him. Awed because his little femme didn't even seem to be capable of hatred, and disturbed because of how normal war and death were to her. On the one hand she would be a great asset to the Autobots, but on the other hand her processor might have been permanently damaged from everything that happened before she met Wheeljack. He just hoped he could heal whatever wounds were left.
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Chapter 14Blinking LightsThings had taken a turn for the worse over the next week. Honey Venom's spark was growing even weaker, and when she was awake she craved energon nonstop! Her friends were starting to get depressed as it became clear to them that they might lose Honey Venom. Ratchet worked tirelessly in an effort to locate the source of the spark disturbance, and was growing more and more frustrated as he found nothing!Sunstreaker and Red Alert had dropped their sparklings off at Wheeljack's quarters to let them play with his sparkling. They thought if the three friends stayed together it would help them. They also needed a break from the rigors of childcare.Sunstreaker and Sideswipe walked to Smokescreen's quarters. They had both been invited to a card game that night, and both were ready for a distraction. Both were tired from Terrabyte's frequent night terrors. The little femme never slept through the night, and it was impossible to ignore her when she screamed like a dial-up modem that was being tortured!When they went inside they found Smokescreen, Jazz, Red Alert, Bluestreak, and Gears. They were drinking cubes of high grade (except Red Alert, who scowled at everyone in jealousy) and Smokescreen was shuffling the deck of Cybertronian sized playing cards.Sunstreaker and Sideswipe took their seats at the round foldout table and grabbed a cube of high grade each."So, how's parenthood treatin' ya?" Jazz asked affably as he leaned back in his chair."Shut up," Sunstreaker groused as he looked at Jazz with dull blue optics."Ignore him, he's just been having trouble recharging," Sideswipe made excuses for Sunstreaker, despite the fact that he too had been onlined nearly every night by the little white and black femme."Alright folks, the first game of the night is Iacon Hanger," Smokescreen announced as he dealt the cards to the others and then himself, "5 cards, 7 players, 6 losers. Cannons are wild, and crystals have been withdrawn from the deck.""Next time can we play an earth card game?" Bluestreak asked eagerly, "Like old maid? Or go fish? They have the funniest names for card games here!""Hey, Smokescreen," Gears whispered in Smokescreen's audio receptors, "Why did you invite Red Alert? He ain't exactly good company.""You're one to talk," Smokescreen shot back at him, "Besides, Red Alert is the worst card player of all time. His lights flash when he has a bad hand, and he giggles softly when he has a good hand. Last time I played poker with him I won 250 energon chips and would've won more if Inferno hadn't dragged him away."Gears smirked at that, sparing a passing glance at the paranoid security officer as he looked at his cards. Sure enough, Red Alert's headlights were flashing and he looked at the cards as if they were about to come to life and eat him!"I'll open the vault with 5 energon chips," Smokescreen announced as he dropped his energon chips in the middle of the table."I'll enter the vault with 10," Jazz said smoothly as he flicked his chips on the table."Put me down for *yawn* 10 as well," Sideswipe said drowsily as he shoved some chips on the table."I'm out," Gears said begrudgingly as he put his 5 cards underneath the deck."Well, let's see," Bluestreak deliberated, "I could go in for 10 or 15 chips, but what if I lose? Do I really want to start so high in my first round? Then again, if I wasn't going to open the vault, then what's the point of even playing? I don't know! Jazz, what do you think I should do? Oh wait! Am I even allowed to ask you? Then again, you've already bid, so…"Bluestreak went on in this manner for another 15 minutes before he decided to fold and put his cards under the deck. After those that wanted to open opened, they went around the table again and placed their bets. Jazz won the first hand, but that was no surprise. His good-natured demeanor didn't change even if he had a losing hand.In the next round, Red Alert looked at his cards and laughed heartily! Then he bet 20 energon chips to open the vault. Unfortunately for Red Alert, no one would enter the vault with him, so he just wound up breaking even."It's a conspiracy!" Red Alert shouted, "You all knew what my hand was! This is all a plot to take all my money! Admit it!"Smokescreen and Sideswipe laughed despite Red's accusing glare. They couldn't help themselves.The third round started with Bluestreak opening the vault with 5 energon chips. Red Alert entered with 5 more chips, and then Gears entered with 10 more. They went around the table either folding or entering until a loud crash on the table caused the energon chips to topple over and the cards to fly in all directions! Once everyone got over the shock, they figured out where the pounding had come from...Sunstreaker's head had crashed on the table when he went into stasis lock!"Aw, scrap!" Sideswipe groaned as he hefted his brother onto a nearby couch, "We should probably go now. Sunny and I haven't been getting a lot of recharge lately. Terrabyte keeps us up at night with her night terrors.""Really?" Red Alert asked with interest, "Do you think the Decepticons are probing her processor while she recharges? They could be sending the beam through a satellite uplink.""No, I think she's just having nightmares," Sideswipe said dismissively."I know," Smokescreen nodded as he thought back to the therapy sessions, "She is a brave little sparkling. After everything she's been through, I'm surprised she can function at all.""Wait, you mean you know what the nightmare is?" Sideswipe asked curiously, "So, what is it?""You don't know?" Smokescreen asked, concerned, "I'm surprised she hasn't told you by now. She's been with you for five months! Of course, I cannot reveal this sensitive information due to patient-doctor confidentiality.""Stop being so full of yourself!" Sideswipe exclaimed with a lopsided grin, "You're not a doctor! The only reason you got this job is because nobody else wanted it! You're not even a licensed therapist! You can tell me if you want. Just whisper it in my audio receptor..."Smokescreen bristled at the red twin's tone, but at the same time he did feel guilty for not telling him. If Sunstreaker and Sideswipe didn't know what was wrong with the sparkling then how could they hope to fix it? Smokescreen told Jazz he could deal the next hand while he led Sideswipe to the back room where his office was.Smokescreen closed the door behind them, and then drew in some air to cool down his overheating systems. This was a tough decision for him to make."Alright Sideswipe, I will tell you Terrabyte's dream, but this is the only thing I'll tell you and only because talking with her about it might help her recharge at night," the tense way Smokescreen said those words told Sideswipe that whatever memory kept the sparkling awake at night was a traumatizing one, "Terrabyte told me that she replays the same memory every night. It's the memory of her parents being murdered by a group of enemy soldiers when she was one and a half vorns old.""Wait, you mean she saw it happen?" Sideswipe asked; his voice filled with sorrow and hatred for the Decepticons that did this to her, "She never told us. Now that I think about it, Terrabyte doesn't really talk much, to us or anyone else.""Yes, it is difficult for me to get much out of her during our sessions as well," Smokescreen empathized, "She mentioned that she used to talk a lot more before the attack that claimed her parents lives. You see Sideswipe, during the attack one of the killers grabbed Terrabyte by the throat and damaged her vocal processor. That is why she sounds the way she does today. She hates her voice, and not just because it is difficult to understand. She hates it because it reminds her of the mech that took her parents away.""I wish Sunny and I could get our servos on the fraggers that did this to her! They'd be sorry!" Sideswipe growled; his tone surprisingly venomous for the easygoing red twin, "Does she know their designations? They might still be alive on Cybertron!""She has never said one way or the other," Smokescreen replied, "Now, I really have said too much. I hate violating the confidentiality agreement, but Terrabyte needs to be able to discuss these matters with Sunstreaker and with you. She'll never move on if she doesn't.""Why would anyone choke a sparkling?" Sideswipe whispered as he shook his head in disbelief, "I knew she was damaged, and I knew that she was likely strangled, but I guess I was in denial. No wonder she's so sensitive! I still remember when our creator was offlined. Sunny and I weren't in the house at the time. He hid us under the floor panels because he knew Decepticons were in the area. We stayed down there quietly for hours, and when we came back up, that was when we saw his body. I don't see it in my dreams like when I was little. I don't even remember what he looked like. I guess I blocked it out. Maybe someday she will, too."Smokescreen nodded sympathetically and waited for Sideswipe to say something else, but he didn't. Taking that as a cue, Smokescreen opened the door and they returned to the card game; Sunstreaker still in recharge on the couch.Playtime had been noisy to say the least. Wheeljack had taken the sparklings to the Dinobots' lair at Q-Boom's insistence, and the eight of them had a blast pretending to be monsters from the Godzilla franchise (Grimlock, of course, insisted on being Godzilla). For two hours Wheeljack sat back in a beat-up recliner and worked on an invention he had been neglecting as he listened to the little ones (and big ones) play and scream as they ran around.Once the new component was secured and tested, Wheeljack subspaced his new weapon and called out to the group that it was snack time. They ran up to Wheeljack like a thundering herd! He was almost certain he'd get trampled by the Dinobots and have to call Ratchet to get the sparklings! Luckily for him, they had better control over themselves than that."Oh, boy! Snacks!" Grimlock cried out when Wheeljack started pulling energon goodies out of his subspace."Hey, him Snarl got a bigger energon goodie than me Swoop!" Swoop whined."Hey, quit shovin'! It's my turn!" Q-Boom elbowed Slag as she flew above him and back down to grab her treat.Sludge and Terrabyte were the most polite of the group as they calmly waited their turn for treats. Sludge still wasn't totally comfortable with Terrabyte, and she wasn't too comfortable with him either, but they both worked around their shyness and tried to get along.Wheeljack doled out energon goodies to everyone as they came to claim their fair share. When he was done, he noticed that he still had one energon goodie left, and then he saw why. Curled up in the corner, crying, was Phobia; unwilling to look at everyone else enjoying their candy.Wheeljack walked up to her, placed his servo gently on her back, and held out the energon goodie for her."Come on, Phobia," Wheeljack prodded warmly, "Don't you want to join your friends? You were having so much fun a minute ago. What happened?"Phobia's intake caught a few times as she tried to stop crying, and after a minute she said "I can't...I can't eat that!"Wheeljack nearly hit his head with his fist! Of course! She was an energon leech, and that meant she couldn't eat solid matter! How did he not think of that?"It's okay, Phobia," Wheeljack rubbed her back soothingly, "You can feed off me. I've got enough energon to spare.""It's not just that!" Phobia wailed as she looked ready to start crying again, "I can't do anything! I can't eat, I can't whistle, and I can't even smile! Why was I sparked with no mouth? What kind of stupid programming is that?""It's okay Phobia, I understand," Wheeljack tried to console her."No you don't!" Phobia snapped miserably."Actually, I do," Wheeljack replied in a conspiratorial tone of voice, "You wanna know something about me?"Phobia's red optics looked up at him with unabashed curiosity. He knew he had her attention now, and he hoped what he did next wouldn't backfire on him.Wheeljack removed his welder's mask, and Phobia's hands went to the sides of her head where her tiny speakers were as she gasped! There was nothing there!"You don't have a mouth either!" Phobia gasped in awe as she looked at Wheeljack's exposed face."That's right!" Wheeljack replied cheerfully.He then pulled a couple of neck cables to either side to reveal a hole that connected to his chassis."This is where my energon goes," Wheeljack explained happily."But…" Phobia was speechless for a moment before she finally said "...But you eat in the rec room! Everybody sees you!""Yeah, so?" Wheeljack shrugged, "I'll admit, I was a little self-conscious when I was younger. Most mechs have complete face plates, and I sometimes wondered what it would be like, but not anymore. I am who I am, and my friends accept me regardless. Although, if they had any reason to avoid me, it wouldn't be because of my lack of a mouth." He said the last part as he showed her his new weapon.Phobia giggled when she thought about all the explosions Q-Boom told her about."Also, when I was a sparkling sometimes mechs couldn't figure out when I was talking," Wheeljack confided, "That's why when I got my upgrade I added these flashing lights over my speaker. Pretty stylish, huh?""Yeah!" Phobia gushed excitedly, "When I grow up, I want blinky lights too! Daddy also has them, and they flicker when he senses danger, like Spider-Man! Maybe I'll also get a face mask that looks like Optimus Prime's! Only black. Black matches my hearse mode."Wheeljack laughed and patted Phobia's helm affectionately. He just loved sparklings, and was glad he was able to help his daughter's little friend out."So, what do you say? Wanna go back and play with your friends?" Wheeljack asked."No," Phobia replied, "Q-Boom got to be Mothra, and I wanted to be Mothra. Can I stay here and feed on some of your energon? Please, Mr. Wheeljack?"Wheeljack chuckled again and lifted her up on his shoulders. She giggled as he gave her a piggy back ride back to the recliner so he could sit down while she ate.Another day had passed. It seemed each hour was precious when it came to Ratchet and his work with Honey Venom. Her spark was fading and throbbing, it had turned from a healthy pink to an energon-deprived purple! He didn't understand it! They fed her more than enough! Why were her systems telling her she was starving?The sparklings were all in the room with her. Ratchet had tried several times to get them to leave, but they wouldn't budge. Even when he threatened them with words as colorful as he would use on any adult they still didn't leave her! Now they were all huddled together recharging in a pile on Honey Venom's berth!Ratchet needed to take another scan, so he gently moved little bodies around until he could get a clear reading of his patient. The movement was enough to wake up Q-Boom."Hey, Doc…" Q-Boom mumbled sleepily, "D'you mind? I'm trying to recharge, here!""You could recharge much more comfortably in your own berth," Ratchet groused."No I couldn't," Q-Boom argued, "It's too big. I guess sometimes I sleep okay when I'm in a pile with my Dino-brothers, but Snarl leaks cleaning fluid from his mouth when he sleeps. It gets in my vents."Ratchet didn't want to get into an argument with a sparkling, so he just shook his head and sighed deeply. He hated to deny them this chance to be near their friend. He knew Honey Venom didn't have long now. She probably wouldn't even wake up again."Hey, Blood Bank!" Q-Boom called out to the medic,"If you'll pardon my language, you look like slag. You should probably recharge with the rest of us. Not in our berth though! You're too big to fit in here with us.""I can't recharge yet," Ratchet said as he reached for a device to read the latest energon samples from Honey Venom, "As long as she's still alive I still have a chance to save her! There has to be something I'm overlooking! Some disease, or perhaps a chronic condition…""Um, Doc?" Q-Boom's face took on a pensive and almost apologetic look as she spoke, "I, uh...I hate to tell you this, but I've seen this before.""What? Where?!" Ratchet demanded; immediately regretful of the harsh tone he used, but Q-Boom didn't seem to notice."At the foundling home," Q-Boom said matter-of-factly, "It happened to several sparklings. They would be sick like this, and then they would die. The adults stopped feeding them when they saw this happening because they knew the energon wasn't working. Sparklings that went through this didn't live. Ever. The only reason Honey Venom is still here is because you and Skyfire feed her. Just skip a meal or two and she'll slip away, just like that."Ratchet sighed. He had hoped something Q-Boom said would give him the answer to solve this dilemma, but instead it just made him more confused and concerned."So...Is this a contagious disease?" Ratchet asked."I don't know," Q-Boom shrugged."Did the adults ever catch it?" Ratchet asked."No," Q-Boom replied.Ratchet rubbed the bridge of his nose cone. He still didn't have the answer, and now it seemed that this was a condition that was 100 percent fatal. Still, he couldn't rule out that maybe the underfunded foundling home simply wasn't equipped to deal with such an outbreak of...whatever this was."I really don't want to lose my patient," Ratchet lamented out loud; forgetting for a moment that Q-Boom was listening, "She's so young, and so full of potential. Why is this happening? To lose a sparkling that's only 5 vorns old-""8," Q-Boom interrupted him.Ratchet stopped in his tracks, turned around slowly to face Q-Boom, and said "8? What do you mean, 8?""She's 8 vorns old," Q-Boom informed him, "Actually she might be 9 now. They don't keep good track of these things in foundling homes."That was it! Ratchet had the answer!When a Cybertronian is between the ages of 4 to 6 vorns old is when it's safest for them to be upgraded to adult bodies. If the sparkling turns 7 without an upgrade, then the spark grows too large for the smaller spark chamber to contain it, and the body itself becomes insufficient to process and store energon! Honey Venom wasn't sick! She had a constricted spark! Her sparkling body was suffocating her adult spark!/Ratchet to Skyfire!/ Ratchet comm'ed the shuttle, /Get to the medbay now, and bring protoform sheet metal! We need to build a body!/
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Chapter 15Journey To The PastHoney Venom felt weightless. It was as if the universe were slipping away from her, and she was more than willing to float away from everything. She had felt this way a lot lately. It had started in Altihex before Tearjerker took them away, and had become more frequent since arriving at the Ark.Her spark felt weak and exposed. This was a new feeling. Was this what death felt like? She expected it to be more painful. Whether natural or forced, she had never seen a painless death. She didn't want to die. There was still too much left to do, and many things left to experience. She wanted to die knowing she had made a tangible contribution to the lives of those she cared about.First of all, she wanted to kill Sunstreaker. Then she wanted to kill Sideswipe. Then she wanted to kill Starscream. Her nails would rip into them and she would pull out their empty spark chambers and present them to those who had been wronged by them! After that she wanted to learn how to repair and improve Cybertronians. She would be a great medic, and then she could fix Terrabyte's vocalizer and make a new port for Phobia to ingest undistilled energon. Then she wouldn't have to leech ever again.Honey Venom's thoughts began to swim and dance around her. Why was she so lucid? She knew she was in stasis lock, so her systems shouldn't have enough energy to produce such images!She thought about the vorn when she met Tearjerker for the first time. She had actually hated the shuttle femme at first because of her scratched and faded Autobot sigil. Honey Venom never trusted Autobots. She and Q-Boom both kept wary optics on Tearjerker for the first few cycles she worked at Altihex Foundling Home. Terrabyte and Phobia were vulnerable, and the two older sparklings felt it was their job to protect them; even if they often disagreed on how to do so.Everything changed one morning when Tearjerker was assigned to monitor the outdoor activities.Little Phobia got hungry during their game, and Honey Venom's systems were acting up again making her need energon. The caretakers had already begun to starve Honey Venom because she was outgrowing her protoform, and Phobia was starved because she was a leech. The Sigma Sisters had already come up with a system to keep them all alive. Terrabyte would share half of her ration with Honey Venom, and Q-Boom would allow Phobia to feed off her. Sometimes Terrabyte and Q-Boom switched places, but all ensured their survival this way.As the four sparklings were eating in a dark corner on the outside of the building, they saw an unusually large shadow looming over them! Tearjerker was staring down at them with a curious look on her face. The sparklings looked up at her as if they had been caught in a criminal enterprise; Phobia's hands still attached to Q-Boom's arm! Q-Boom was the first to say something…"Yeah, that's right! She's a leech! You got a problem with that, Autobot?" Q-Boom challenged despite being less than a fifth of Tearjerker's size.Tearjerker bent down to get closer to the sparklings, and they tried in vain to back up further against the wall! She gently pried the suckers off Q-Boom's arm, and Phobia started crying loudly!"No!" Honey Venom cried out, "Don't kill her! I'll kill you if you kill her!"Tearjerker, however, wasn't listening to Honey Venom. Instead, she nestled Phobia into the crook of her arm and placed the sparkling's delicate servo on her chassis. Phobia looked up at her with unsure optics, and Tearjerker quietly said "Go ahead, little one. Eat."Phobia contentedly shifted until she was comfortable and fell into recharge feeding on Tearjerker. The others stared up at her in amazement! No adult had ever allowed Phobia to touch them, let alone feed off of them! Even her own creators didn't love her! How could a stranger show so much affection for an energon leech?"TeaRJERkeR!" Terrabyte called up to the shuttle, "PicK Me up, ToO!"The femme obliged, and soon she had a sparkling in each arm. Q-Boom, not one to be ignored or left out, flew up to Tearjerker's back and sat down on it; cuddling into the caretaker as if they had been friends forever. Honey Venom didn't join the party, but she smiled approvingly up at the Autobot. Tearjerker had finally earned their trust."Alright Skyfire, are you almost finished building the body?" Ratchet asked for the third time that hour, "Time is of the essence!""I will be ready soon, Ratchet," Skyfire replied calmly.Skyfire kept his composure under pressure, but the truth was he was nervous. If he didn't finish in time then Honey Venom would lose her life. Still, this was going to be her body for the rest of eternity, and he had to make sure the protoform was up to standard and willing to accept her coding. One thing that helped was that she never chose an alt mode, and didn't even seem to have a set frame type. That meant he only had to worry about the base structure of the protoform.One thing he and Ratchet had done was use a hydrochloric acid to melt down the electrum paint on Honey Venom's original body. They would have to use more gold nanites to cover the entire frame, but at least her armor would be a little stronger from having the electrum infused into it.Honey Venom was unnaturally still as she lay there in stasis lock, and Skyfire had to keep himself from looking at her prone frame too long.The body he was building would be functional, and would even have some earth inspired details, but would probably not be too beautiful. He wished he had more time! He had hoped when the time came he could spend his time contouring her feminine features and molding her frame into a work of art! Now she would be lucky if she didn't look like a gold femme version of Megatron! Her sparkling form was so pretty. He knew it was a source of pride for her, and he regretted having to take that away, but at least he would save her life.Hopefully…The more time they spent with Tearjerker, the more they got to know her. She would pamper Phobia and Terrabyte, and she would play with Q-Boom even if the game seemed dangerous, but the one she really talked to was Honey Venom. Tearjerker treated her like an equal. Of course, Tearjerker knew that Honey Venom wasn't a real sparkling anymore, but that still didn't stop the other caretakers from treating her like invisible scrap.As it turned out, Tearjerker wasn't even her real name. In her former life her name had been Starwish. She worked as a postmortem smelter, which in human terms would make her a mortician. She melted down the bodies of deceased Cybertronians before the war, and had been a member of the lower class that was barely fed enough energon to survive. Still, Tearjerker spoke fondly of those days.When the war came, her bondmate Loader had joined the Autobots, so she did the same to help defend Cybertron from the Decepticons. There was just one problem with that plan: neither of them could fight worth slag.When the Decepticons came to their town the Autobots were outnumbered and outmatched! Loader and Starwish ran and tried to find a place to hide, but two large shuttles weren't exactly hard to spot, and before long a swarm of seekers dove for them and fired their weapons! Loader and Starwish were captured, and Loader was executed right in front of her! Starwish wasn't attractive, but she was still a femme, and femmes were becoming a scarce commodity to the Decepticons. One of the seekers took her as his concubine, and she was forced into a harem of several other femmes. She stayed with her cruel master and his sadistic trine for vorns before a miracle saved her.The seeker that kept her was going away on a mission with his trine, and wouldn't be back for a long time. He needed credits and energon for his trip, so he sold off his femmes. Tearjerker, unfortunately, was ugly and nobody would buy her from him. He considered taking her with him, but she pleaded with him to be allowed to work at a home for foundlings, promising that she would return to him if he ever sent for her."I don't get it," Honey Venom had said to Tearjerker, "This place is a dump with little energon and screaming brats. Why did you ask to come here?""Because," Tearjerker answered in her deep hollow voice, "I wanted to be surrounded by life. I have been surrounded by death for as long as I can remember, and I wanted something more. What I do here matters. These sparklings still have a chance to change the world for the better. You and your friends could be so much more than just a burden if the caretakers would just stop treating you like garbage. It makes me want to cry when I see sparklings abused, neglected, and forgotten. I don't have cleaning fluid in my ducts to cry with, otherwise I would have by now.""Then the name Tearjerker is meant to be ironic?" Honey Venom said with a sly smirk."No," Tearjerker replied solemnly, "My life became nothing but misery after I was forced into slavery by my bondmate's murderer. I didn't want to connect my new circumstances with the contented life I once led. I am a coward, Honey Venom, and all I can do is try to make things easier for those under my care. My life is forfeit as long as I can protect you."The images went away slowly, distorting until she heard new but familiar voices in her audials. Honey Venom felt heavier now, but somehow a little stronger."When do you think she'll be online?" A voice asked, thought it sounded so far away."I don't know, Skyfire. Just be patient," The other voice replied.Honey Venom groaned and onlined her optics, only to be assaulted by lights that were surrounded by an orange ceiling! Oh, right, orange...the Ark. She was aboard the Ark and living with the Autobots. The voices...Skyfire and, um...Ratchet! Yes, his name was Ratchet and he was Optimus Prime's medic. The Prime...Did she ever finish that essay? Pit if she remembered!"Oh, good. You're awake," Ratchet said amiably as he walked toward her berth, "I'm glad the operation was a success. Now, don't try to get up too quickly. Your processor will need some time to adjust to the new weight of your body.""New...weight?" Honey Venom asked dumbly, "I...What?""We upgraded you, Honey Venom," Skyfire informed her, "Would you like to see your new self in the mirror?""Upgrade?" Honey Venom repeated breathlessly, "But...Upgrades mean materials. Why would you upgrade me when the chances of my betraying you are so high? Wouldn't it make more sense to let me die and start over with a better sparkling? Why spend so much effort and resources on me?"This was probably the first time in Honey Venom's life that she had ever been humbled. She sat up and looked down at her legs with their large pediforms, then at her hips that were covered with curved armor, and then at her long lanky arms with long sharp nails that protruded like knives! It was an unconventional design to say the least, and she hadn't even seen the whole thing yet!"We weren't going to let you die, Honey Venom!" Skyfire sounded almost hurt as he spoke, "You're my daughter, and I only want you to be healthy and happy."Honey Venom smiled, a true and genuine smile, and wasn't sure how she could express her gratitude. She had never actually felt gratitude before. She never had a reason to. She expected to be obeyed by her sisters, and everyone else had always treated her like scrap. She could only think of one thing to say in that moment."Skyfire...Would you guide me to the mirror? I feel a little shaky," Honey Venom said as she swung her feet over the edge of the berth.Skyfire firmly grabbed her elbow, and together they walked over to a full length mirror to see the new Honey Venom. Skyfire was still tall, but he wasn't the hulking giant he was to her when she was a sparkling. Still, she had to crane her neck a little to look him in the optics."Hey, I just noticed," Honey Venom said happily, "I'm taller than Ratchet!"Skyfire smiled and chuckled, realizing how young she still was. Still, Honey Venom probably wouldn't be treated the same after this. She was no longer a sparkling, but a femme. Now she would be able to fight with the Autobots, and the idea of her going into battle against the Decepticons frightened him.When they made it to the full length mirror, Honey Venom was shocked, and didn't quite know what to think of herself. She had a helmet that curved down and outward a little to protect her helm, there was a gold chevron on her forehead, she had chassis and hip armor with thinly carved horizontal lines, and large shoulder pads with the same lines. Her chassis was emblazoned with the Autobot sigil, and she had blue optics! Somehow, it was the optics she hated and not the sigil."The armor was inspired by Japanese shoguns on earth," Skyfire explained, "They were the masters of a warrior class called samurai. I know how much you enjoy researching the military tactics of other cultures, so I thought this would suit your personality best. The armor was the only part I had completed in advance, so I'm afraid the rest looks a little underdone.""That is quite alright, Skyfire," Honey Venom replied as she turned to look at the left side of her body, "Once I scan an alt mode my body will change to conform to it anyway."Skyfire smiled as he watched Honey Venom appraise his work. He had done it! He and Ratchet had saved her life! He only hoped she chose to use her life for a righteous course.Honey Venom, meanwhile, was conflicted. She truly was grateful for all Skyfire had done for her, and having an adult body was more than she had ever hoped for, but she still felt sick when those icy blue optics stared back at her. It wasn't her! That femme had no fire in her spark! Just a cool calm deadness.Still, when she worked her fingers and rubbed her servo against the smooth metal and the Autobot decal, she knew all of this was thanks to Skyfire. Her mentor was willing to accept her without question and sacrifice his supply rations for her. No doubt about it, she knew there was only one gift she could give him that would be big enough to express her gratitude.She vowed to herself that she would someday bring him Starscream's head.
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Chapter 16BondingIt had been a typical shift for Sunstreaker. He had to pull extra duty after he and Sideswipe got caught playing a prank on Prowl. Sideswipe thought it was worth it. His twin did not agree. To be fair, it was a pretty genius idea. They had poured a trail of energon from Ratchet's medbay all the way to Prowl's quarters, and then dipped their hands in the remains to make scratching handprints on the inside of his door! It looked just like Prowl had kidnapped and bludgeoned someone!Prowl, needless to say, was not amused. He lectured them on wasting energon and scaring the other mechs with their asinine games. That was how Sunstreaker got stuck with cleanup duty. Ugh! His digits were going to be grimy for a month! Sometimes he wished he could get his hands on Prowl and strangle him! Then again, he'd probably just get lectured on the virtues of personal space and interpersonal conduct.Sunstreaker went into his quarters after his rough day to find Terrabyte in her alt mode cleaning the floors and the Filterbots running and flying around like idiots. The noises were getting on Sunstreaker's nerves, but he didn't let it show so he wouldn't upset his sparkling."Hey Terrabyte, hurry up and transform!" Sunstreaker ordered as he stood in the doorway, "It's time to refuel. Come on, get your symbiotes and let's head to the rec room!"Terrabyte recalled her Filterbots and they fell neatly into her hip compartment. She held out her tiny servo, and Sunstreaker took hold of it. They walked together in silence as they did every day to get their energon.Sunstreaker was starting to understand the subtle changes in Terrabyte's moods, even if her facial expression rarely changed. She was still overly cautious with the other Autobots, but he found she was starting to be comfortable with Skyfire and Wheeljack. Red Alert...well, that was another story.Sunstreaker usually got stuck with the drudge work of parenthood such as feeding her, bathing her, teaching her to fight, walking her to classes with the other Autobots, chasing down her symbiotes, and taking her to play dates. Sideswipe only helped when it was something fun for him such as story time, joyrides, playtime, and getting Terrabyte to plan pranks with him. The last one usually didn't work out well for Sideswipe because Terrabyte had no imagination when it came to pranks, and she wouldn't help with the execution of the pranks out of fear of displeasing the other Autobots. She was still especially terrified of Prowl. That was weird to Sunstreaker, because Prowl really liked Terrabyte, and the two had a lot in common.The two made it to the rec room and saw that the other two sparklings were already there and sitting at one of the minibot tables. Wheeljack and Red Alert were sitting with Ironhide and Bluestreak. Sunstreaker wanted to sit at a table by himself, but he saw that every table was occupied, and Wheeljack was already waving him over. So, he huffed out a frustrated sigh and walked toward the minibot table to deposit his sparkling."Hey, Banana!" Q-Boom greeted him in a friendly manner despite the use of that stupid nickname she gave Sunstreaker, "So, how's Strawberry doin'?"Sunstreaker stared at Q-Boom with humorless optics and growled "One of these days, Wheeljack really needs to spank you, you little brat."Sunstreaker then trudged over to where the other parents were sitting; leaving the sparklings to stare after him."What's his problem?" Q-Boom asked snidely as she looked confused at the yellow lambo twin.Sunstreaker sat down at the table and listened as the mechs droned on about their sparklings and old memories. Sunstreaker sighed quietly once again and wondered if taking in so much air was good for his systems."I think Phobia might be advanced for her age," Red Alert was bragging to the others, "Mirage says her art skills are as advanced as a 3 vorn old, but she's only 1.5!""Really? That is impressive," Wheeljack said agreeably, "Q-Boom struggles with most of her lessons, but Powerglide says she manages to keep up with the Aerialbots in their flight maneuvers training. Poor Silverbolt is still in the bottom of his class."Sunstreaker, not one to turn down a chance to gloat, said "Well, Smokescreen says Terrabyte is a genius in mathematics, especially in the field of business math! He says she was able to keep up with the figures in his storefront simulator up to 300 years after opening day!""Wow, congratulations!" Bluestreak said sincerely, "I'd say Smokescreen was the perfect teacher for that, too. Then again, Prowl can keep up with probability simulations well into the 0.00001 percentile. Hey, maybe he can teach Terrabyte some stuff that's more advanced. Maybe she could even be a scientist or a strategist when she upgrades!""Nah, that would never work," Sunstreaker dismissed the idea, "Terrabyte is afraid of Prowl.""Really? Why?" Bluestreak asked defensively, "Prowl's a good mech! He raised me after Praxus was destroyed! He loves sparklings! Maybe she just needs some time to get to know him!""Hey, there is nothing wrong with caution!" Red Alert interjected, "My Phobia has a good sense of awareness, and I would never discourage that! Why, just the other night she asked about monsters in the closet! I never would've thought to look there, but complacency is just what the enemy wants! So, I checked every closet on my entire level!""I know," Ironhide replied sourly, "You barged into my room in the middle of my recharge cycle.""You dare stand in the way of diligence!?" Red Alert raved accusingly.Sunstreaker moaned irritably. He didn't even like these mechs, but he hung out with them like they were his new best friends just because their kids all hung out together! It wasn't fair! Red Alert was a fruit cake, and Wheeljack was a crackpot! For that matter, why did Prime think these two were qualified parents at all?Meanwhile, at the sparkling table, Q-Boom Phobia and Terrabyte were carrying on a lively conversation about the only thing that had been on their minds lately; Honey Venom's upgrade."Did you see her nails? They're so long!" Phobia gushed."Yeah, it's a good thing she doesn't pick her nose cone," Q-Boom remarked with a smirk, "One thing I've noticed is the way that Blood Bank and the Designated Driver have been hovering over her. It's like they're afraid she'll break! What gives?""Who is the designed driver?" Phobia misquoted Q-Boom as she asked her question."SkYfirE," Terrabyte translated Q-Boom's code name for yet another Autobot, "giRLs, Do you WanT To SeE SomeThiNg CoOl?""Sure, what have you got?" Q-Boom inquired.Terrabyte opened the right hip compartment where she had no cassettes and pulled out a brown animal with tiny yellow pinstripes along its long slender back."Aww! It's adorable!" Phobia cooed over the new little pet, "It doesn't even have any arms or legs! Aw, look! He stuck his tongue out at me! Isn't that precious?""Cool, a reptile!" Q-Boom exclaimed as the snake slithered along Terrabyte's neck and shoulders, "What's its name?""I caLL him...ShOeStRiNG," Terrabyte announced proudly as she let the garter snake slither along her servos and arms."What's a shoestring?" Q-Boom asked obliviously."It is a...ThINg hUManS WeaR on ThEir...PeDiForMs," Terrabyte explained; trying to slow down her speech so it could be understood."Oh," was all Q-Boom said in reply.The three femmes gushed and cooed over the little snake, but Terrabyte knew getting attached was probably a bad idea. Sunstreaker never let her have anything she wanted, so why would this little scaly worm be any different? Still, for the moment she pretended that Sunstreaker had already said yes and Shoestring was going to live on the Ark and be her new best friend. That would make playtime with her friends and her snake so much easier.At the adult table, the fathers told stories about their sparklings, and Sunstreaker tried to join in every now and then, but the truth was he was just bored."I still remember when Bumblebee was a youngling," Ironhide said fondly, "He was a troublemaker! Used to sneak around the base and scare people! Of course, he didn't mean any harm by it, but it was hard to get him to settle down. Unfortunately, he was gullible, too. Still remember this one glitch told him that Megatron ate sparklings, and that Decepticons lived in subspace under his bed.""Yeah, that was Sideswipe," Sunstreaker informed him, "I was the one that told him his yellow color meant he'd turn into the greatest fighter of all time. I was just messing with him, but I sometimes wonder if he still believes that.""Yeah, Bumblebee's pretty brave," Bluestreak confirmed, "And all that sneaking he did as a kid comes in handy now that he's a scout working under Jazz.""True," Ironhide nodded, "He wasn't always brave, though. I used to have to soothe his spark after he'd have nightmares. I guess after surviving the destruction of his home town and outliving his parents it was only natural he'd have trouble recharging. It took a long time for those memories to fade.""Yeah, Prowl used to do the same thing for me when I was little," Bluestreak added, "His spark would feel so warm as he gently rocked me back to sleep. I was okay during the day, but at night...Sometimes I can still see Praxus burning. I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't bonded to Prowl when I was a sparkling.""You know, it's funny you mention this," Red Alert waggled his finger as he tried to gather his words, "Phobia's spark reached out for mine for the first time just last month. I had heard that it was common for creators to soothe the sparks of their creations, but I didn't know it worked that way for adopted sparklings. I have to say, it was a beautiful moment for us.""Heh. I, uh, I'm gonna confess something," Wheeljack said sheepishly, "I actually, uh, bonded to Q-Boom's spark when she was still in recovery.""What?" Ironhide snapped, "Yer adoption hadn't even been approved yet! Bonding to a sparkling you might not even get to keep is irresponsible and could've caused problems for her future parents if you hadn't taken her in yerself!""I know, I know!" Wheeljack said quickly, "But she was in so much pain when her spark was still weak. I didn't even know if she was going to make it, and I thought, just maybe, my spark energy would help her pull through. And you know what? It did! So I can't exactly be sorry about my decision. Besides, Q-Boom and I have a closer relationship for it. She still comes to me when she needs comfort, even if it isn't very often."Sunstreaker listened to the others talk about spark bonds with their sparklings. He listened as they spoke about comforting their daughters with their own warmth, and it was in that moment that he realized something. In the 5 months that he had been Terrabyte's father, her spark had never reached out to his for comfort. She of all the sparklings would surely need that from him! She had nightmares every night, and she was afraid of half the Autobots on the ship! Why wouldn't she come to him? Worse, why didn't he think to reach out for her?Just as these thoughts threatened to overwhelm Sunstreaker, he heard Huffer shout "Snake! Ahh! Get it out! Get it out!"Sunstreaker turned to where Huffer was shouting, and saw Terrabyte running away from Huffer and out of the rec room with a little garter snake in her hands! Q-Boom and Phobia shouted at Huffer and accused him of scaring Terrabyte, causing their fathers to come and grab them before they got into trouble with the minibot.Sunstreaker, meanwhile, ran out of the rec room and after Terrabyte. She was going down the hall to the medbay, and Sunstreaker shouted "Wait! Stop!" Surprisingly, she obeyed him and stopped in her tracks; turning around to face him.Terrabyte looked up at him with wide innocent looking yellow optics, and said the words Sunstreaker had grown too accustomed to hearing from her…"CaN I KeeP HiM?""No, we're not keeping the snake," Sunstreaker said flatly."YeS, SuNSTrEaKer," Terrabyte replied dutifully as she turned to the nearest window to release the snake.Sunstreaker sighed as he watched her gently place the snake on the window sill. He knew so much about Terrabyte. He knew her favorite color was white. He knew she preferred simple toys as opposed to video games. He knew she would only drink a half a cube of energon and save the rest for later. He knew she dreamt of her parents that were long dead every night. He knew she was embarrassed by her voice. He also knew she would do anything to please others, to the point of shoving her own feelings deep inside and locking them away.Sunstreaker thought about it. He knew a lot about his sparkling, and yet he knew nothing. He didn't even know if she loved him. He had to find out."Terrabyte, could you come over here for a second?" Sunstreaker said as gently as he knew how, which still made him sound disinterested."YeS, SunStReaKer," Terrabyte walked over to him and stared up at him unflinchingly.Sunstreaker almost smiled when he looked down at her. In some ways she was nothing like him. She was a suck-up and had no sense of adventure. In other ways though, it almost seemed like she was made for him. He was beautiful yet very dangerous. It only made sense his daughter would be cute yet kind of creepy."Terrabyte, I've been thinking," Sunstreaker said hesitantly; knowing this plan could backfire on him, "If I let you have a pet, would you do something for me in return?""Of COuRSe," Terrabyte said with certainty, "ThAt is HoW it WoRks."Sunstreaker tilted his head to the side as he tried to discern what she meant, but shrugged it off as he pressed forward."Well, I'll let you have a pet, but in return I want you to tell me about your dreams." Sunstreaker said cautiously.Smokescreen had told Sideswipe about the dreams, and Sideswipe had told his twin, but they had never actually had this conversation with Terrabyte."I...HavE No DrEams," Terrabyte replied with a shrug."What? Of course you do!" Sunstreaker snapped impatiently, "If you don't have dreams then why do you keep waking me and Sideswipe up at night!?"Terrabyte backed up a step when she saw how exasperated Sunstreaker was. She honestly had misunderstood his question. She thought he wanted to know about her future ambitions, which she didn't have. Now that she knew what he actually wanted to know, however, she knew she couldn't tell him. No pet was worth surrendering that information to him."I...APOloGize," Terrabyte finally said after a tense silence, "I wiLL...TRy to KeeP it DoWn FrOm NoW on.""That isn't the point!" Sunstreaker moaned wearily, "I need to know what's bothering you so that I can help you! I can't do anything if you shut me out! The least you could do is let me soothe your spark when you're sad, but you've never even asked! You chose me to be your guardian, so why are you shutting me out?"Terrabyte offlined her optics and shifted a little on her pedes. She felt uncomfortable with his intense stare leveled directly at her. Terrabyte was never comfortable being the center of attention, and the circumstances certainly didn't help. She never thought he would actually want to treat her with anything resembling love. The best she hoped for from the mighty warrior was tolerance. Now that she had more than she expected from Sunstreaker, she didn't know what to do about it.Terrabyte onlined her optics to find Sunstreaker was down on one knee staring at her and waiting for a reply. He looked angry, but she saw something else. He looked hurt. She didn't know he could feel hurt like that. It never even crossed her processor!The little femme didn't say anything, but she held out her servo for him to take, and she squeezed his servo tightly hoping to reassure him that she wasn't going anywhere. He stood up, and they walked back to their quarters. Neither one were comfortable saying I love you to anyone, and neither one was sure where they stood with one another. All they knew for sure was that they were going back to their quarters, and they weren't getting a new pet anytime soon.
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Chapter 17My Spark Go DownAltihex. The barracks. Terrabyte sat with a group of other sparklings at a table designed for them. They didn't have a lot of energon since most of it went to the soldiers, but Terrabyte and the 4 symbiotes had enough that day and were content to refuel and listen to the other conversations going on around them.The other soldiers' sparklings didn't really understand Terrabyte, and most didn't want to talk to her. Her family had lived in Altihex ever since the struggle for the city's resources had begun, and Terrabyte didn't actually remember living anywhere else, but everyone always said she behaved like a Polyhexian carrier. Always calm, always quiet, and always alert. The carriers of Polyhex watched, listened, and said very little unless words were actually necessary. Terrabyte's mother was a true Polyhexian carrier, and Terrabyte naturally picked up on her creator's behavior.Scramble and Shriek, the two bird carriers, got tired of sitting too close to everyone else and decided to fly up to the rafters and watch everything from there. Turret was a newspark still, and hadn't even learned spark language yet. Terrabyte lovingly eased the cube of energon into Turret's fuel receptor and watched the little spiderling kick its tiny legs and click with delight."Energon...My favorite thing!" Screwball said for the third time since they sat down at the table, "Hey, do you know why I love energon?""No, why don't you tell me?" Terrabyte humored him; her voice soft and melodious."Because…" Screwball looked in either direction before he whispered, "Energon is purple! Purple is my favorite color!""LOL!" Terrabyte squealed out a good natured laugh as Screwball slurped his fuel and braced his paws on the side of the cube.Her mother sat at the adult benches to refuel. She never looked at the cassettes or the sparkling, but Terrabyte was comforted with the knowledge that her mother was indeed observing them. Carriers didn't need to look in order to see. The spark bond was enough to tell them everything they needed to know.Terrabyte's father came in a few minutes later. He was dripping wet, and from this Terrabyte gathered that he had been on a mission. He was their unit's only boat, so he was always called upon for naval missions."Zetabyte! You're not going to believe this!" Terrabyte's father said as he lifted her mother off the ground, "We just got news from the front!"Terrabyte's father had always been more demonstrative than her mother, but still it was clear how deeply the loyalty bond from her mother to her father ran. Terrabyte tried not to think too hard about it, but she knew deep down if it ever came between her, the cassettes, or her father, then her mother would save her father without question. Terrabyte only hoped someday she could have a friend, family member, or lover she was that close to."Tug, explain," Zetabyte requested once she was set back in her seat, "Why are you so cheerful? Has there been a victory?""Yes, my dear, there has!" Tug exclaimed excitedly, "Praxus is ours! Smell the cinders of their hubris, my dear, for that is all that is left! Tonight I'm taking you and the little ones out to celebrate!"Scramble and Shriek flew in circles around each other and squawked in ecstasy! A celebration! A victory! Screwball started running around in circles, and Terrabyte hugged Turret close. Zetabyte's face didn't change, but her spark energy felt joyous and warm."That is wonderful, Tug," Zetabyte replied in a neutral tone, "Where shall we go to celebrate the fall of Praxus?""I say we go dancing at the Jitter Club, and then go to the candy store to pick out some treats for everyone!" Tug declared, "Hey Terrabyte, I hear they have a new candy out that has a crude oil center. Sound good, Princess?""LOL!" Terrabyte smiled wide and hugged her father tight.She held up her servo eagerly, and her father took it. She loved both of her creators, but deep at spark she was a daddy's girl. She had never smiled so wide as when her family was traveling together to go party and then to the candy store. She didn't know where Praxus was, but she knew they hated peace. Why else would they reject the chance to surrender and live in peace? She had never felt so happy as she did when she was with her family…Terrabyte came online due to a pain in her spinal struts. She onlined her optics and saw walls made of rock. That was odd. She was used to waking up in a dark but metallic room. Why was the room made of rock? The she felt a shift above her aching back and she remembered...The sleepover.She looked up at Grimlock, who was sleeping on top of her, and sighed. Q-Boom's brothers had invited her, Q-Boom, and Phobia to a sleepover the night before. Red Alert had refused to let Phobia come, but Terrabyte convinced Sideswipe to convince Sunstreaker to let her go. She knew asking Sunstreaker directly would result in refusal, so she went to the easygoing and fun loving Sideswipe for help.She was beginning to understand the wisdom in listening to Sunstreaker. The group of robo-lizards and the seekerling had insisted on sleeping in a pile, and Terrabyte somehow wound up underneath Grimlock and Snarl! Her delicate sparkling frame was being bent in the midsection and Terrabyte feared she was being crushed like a can! That was when real fear struck for a moment as she thought of her Filterbots! She frantically looked around, and to her relief she found them safe and sound. Shriek was hanging upside down from the ceiling with Swoop, and Screwball and Turret were sleeping contentedly on Sludge's back.Terrabyte understood Q-Boom's logic, or at least her feelings. The dark blue seeker didn't like sleeping alone. She never had. She would sleep in the medbay, in the same room as Wheeljack, or in a pile with her Dino-Brothers. She didn't actually have to share a berth with Wheeljack because as long as he was close she could feel his spark. Terrabyte was sometimes jealous of Q-Boom's outgoing nature. She bonded to a stranger and never once thought of the consequences. Sure, it was stupid, but it was also a good survival technique. Q-Boom had spent most of her life as an orphan, so any chance to get adopted was a chance worth taking.Terrabyte could hear the Dinobots making that weird growling noise again while they slept. Wheeljack had called it snoring, and said they did it because they were earth mechanisms. It had to be one of the worst sounds Terrabyte had ever heard!Shifting in such a way so as to get out from underneath her Dinobot blanket, the little carrier decided she was feeling crowded and wanted to explore the ship on her own. It wasn't a thought she got often, but when she did it was an undeniable urge.Terrabyte traveled for a few minutes down the lonely hallways. She could see it was early morning, which meant soon the halls would fill up with Autobots getting ready for the shift change. She needed to find a place to stand before she was within trampling range of the others.She went into the room that housed Teletran 1. It wasn't a room she visited often, so she was curious as to who or what would be there at this time of day. When she went inside she found 4 occupants: Bumblebee, his human friends Spike and Carly, and Phobia.Bumblebee must be her sparkling-sitter today... Terrabyte thought.She quietly made her way over to see what they were talking about. She was aware that Phobia liked the humans, but Terrabyte hadn't really had time to get to know them. In fact, she was still having trouble thinking of them as intelligent beings. It wasn't her fault though; humans were just so soft and cuddly."Do you know how this works?" Carly asked Phobia patiently as she showed the little sparkling an item Terrabyte couldn't see yet."Uh-huh!" Phobia nodded enthusiastically, "You put that up on a wall and it makes noise when there's smoke!""So, do you think you're ready to help Inferno and Red Alert give their presentation at the elementary school?" Carly asked in a sweet and almost motherly tone."Yeah!" Phobia shouted, but then backtracked and replied with "I mean, yes, ma'am. I can't wait to see all the kids! Are they really tiny like Tracks said?""You bet," Spike smiled as he spoke, "You're probably as tall as most of the teachers. I'm sure you'll do just fine though.""Thanks," Phobia beamed, "I'm just glad Daddy is gonna let me go! He doesn't like it when I go places with other Autobots without asking him. Yesterday he got mad because I went shopping with Mirage and Tracks. They let me get a bunch of cool stuff! My favorite store in the mall is the store that sells cards and pretty things! They even have stuffed animals!""LOL!"Everyone turned to the far entrance to see Terrabyte standing there listening to their conversation. No one had even heard her come in; a technique that impressed Bumblebee since he shared a similar skill set."Hi, Terrabyte! You want to join us?" Bumblebee waved her over in invitation.Terrabyte said nothing as she casually walked over to where everyone else was standing. Spike and Carly couldn't help but stare since they had never seen the little carrier up-close before."Hi, Terrabyte. My name is Carly, and this is Spike. How are you doing today?" Carly asked with the same tone she used with Phobia.Terrabyte didn't reply. She was still very shy about her voice, and the humans had never heard it before. Instead of staring at them like she did with most people though, she turned away and stared at the floor."Terrabyte, I got you something cool at the mall yesterday!" Phobia gushed, "Do you wanna see it?""...O...Kay," Terrabyte said abnormally slowly so the syllables wouldn't sound quite so garbled."Great!" Phobia jumped up once and then started rooting around in her subspace looking for her gift to her friend Terrabyte.She finally pulled out what looked like a tiny wooden box with a glass lid on top. It fit in the palm of Phobia's hand, and when she passed it to Terrabyte the carrier didn't quite know what to make of it. The box was rosewood, and had a string of music notes painted on the glass. She could see machinery inside, but it looked archaic. Terrabyte looked up at Phobia's eager optics silently asking for an explanation of what she was looking at."It's a music box!" Phobia supplied without prompt, "There's a store in the mall that lets you program your own music box, and then you get to pick out what you want it to look like! I programmed it to play your favorite song! Well, actually Mirage had to program it since I don't know how, but I picked the song and he knew it!"Terrabyte lifted the lid, and instantly tinny notes tickled her audio sensors! She stood there and stared transfixed on the box; unable to express the emotions swelling up inside her at that moment."Wow...That song sounds so sad," Carly commented, "I don't recognize the tune. What song is it?"Bumblebee answered. "If I am not mistaken...That is the Polyhexian Carrier's Funeral Dirge. It was written 10 million earth years ago by a mech named Vocalon. I'm kind of surprised Terrbayte knows this song since it was banned under the reign of Sentinel Prime.""Banned?" Spike asked skeptically, "Why would anyone ban a funeral song?""Well, the council believed the song encouraged carriers to commit suicide, so they banned it from being played during funerals, which was the only time the song was considered influential," Bumblebee explained, "Terrabyte must've learned this from her parents.""She did," Phobia added, "She sometimes sings it to Shriek Screwball and Turret to get them to recharge peacefully. I knew she'd love it!"Terrabyte, meanwhile, was not listening to their conversation. She lifted the lid up and down to make the music start and stop. She ran her digits over the wood and glass lid. The box was so beautiful, but more than that she was touched that Phobia even remembered the song and remembered how much it meant to her. She would have to keep this music box someplace safe from prying optics."So Bumblebee, does the song have lyrics?" Carly asked."Yes, but I doubt they would make much sense in your language," Bumblebee replied hesitantly, "Carriers think differently than most Cybertronians, and they definitely think differently from humans, so I don't know if any of us could fully appreciate the message in the song.""Can you tell us anyway?" Carly asked curiously."Well…" Bumblebee was at a loss as to how to respond.Terrabyte at that moment subspaced the music box and grabbed Carly by the wrist to drag her to Teletran 1! Carly nearly tripped from the suddenness of the action, and soon found herself sitting on the top step of the supercomputer! Terrabyte typed in a few lines in Cybertronian and then pressed the translate button for English. Before long, the entire song was displayed before the group…
As I see your spark fade away
My spark go down with you
Though I survive, I have died
Without you, my core is empty
A piece of me left Cybertron when you did
I will enclose your others in my deck
Our family, but my spark is alone
My spark go down this day
My spark…
My spark…
My spark go down this day
My loyalty maker
My closest master
My spark go down this day
I see them scrap your body
I watch them break your processor
Your spark is gone, and so am I
My spark go down this day
Death is final, survival is temporary
I will pass my others along someday
Though I survive, we have died
My spark go down this day
My spark…
My spark…
My spark go down this day
My loyalty maker
My closest master
My spark go down this day
A few hours later, Ratchet was in the medbay cleaning his tools and looking over his stuff to make sure everything was organized. Without a steady stream of mechs coming in for repairs in that moment he finally had some time to catch up on office maintenance.Well, that was his intention, anyway. He heard the medbay door opening and turned around to see Sideswipe, Q-Boom, and Terrabyte coming inside. Ratchet glared at them irritably (since Sideswipe's injuries were usually self-inflicted due to his sheer stupidity and only served to drive the medic insane) and hefted a mid-sized wrench just in case."Hey, Hatchet!" Sideswipe greeted Ratchet cheerfully."Hello, Sideswipe," Ratchet sighed."How's it goin', Blood Bank?" Q-Boom waved as she plopped down on a berth and started kicking her feet in the air nonchalantly.Ratchet groaned at yet another insulting nickname, but didn't say anything snide at the petulant sparkling."HeLLo, RatCHeT," Terrabyte greeted politely.Ratchet turned to her and smiled (since she didn't insult him). Then he said "Terrabyte, I think you're my favorite."Sideswipe went slack-jawed in mock-offense and then laughed at Ratchet's hard glare."Listen Ratchet," Sideswipe said without preamble, "The sparklings are having some back trouble, and I was wondering if you could fix them.""Back trouble?" Ratchet repeated, and then the femmes turned around to show him their bent and smashed frames, "Sweet Maximus! Sideswipe, what did you do to these sparklings!?""Hey, it wasn't me!" Sideswipe held up his servos defensively, "Sunstreaker said Terrabyte could sleep over at the Dinobots' place, and then they slept on top of the sparklings and crushed them! If you have to hit somebody hit Grimlock! This is his fault!"Terrabyte noted how Sideswipe threw his brother and the Dinobots under the proverbial bus even though he was the one that convinced Sunstreaker that the sleepover was a good idea. Now she was grateful that she had Q-Boom with her. If the two brothers came to blows again she wanted a shield! Their fights were a surprisingly common occurrence even in front of the sparkling.Sunstreaker had to bribe Smokescreen to get out of patrol duty early. He was so sick of getting dust and dirt in his beautiful tires, and he really wanted to take a shower, go back to his quarters, and relax. He used the excuse of picking up Terrabyte from the Dinobots' lair to convince the blue and red Datsun to let him slide (well, that and some of his and Sideswipe's bootlegged high grade).He was tired and knew he'd probably get a massive helm-ache from listening to Grimlock's derpy voice, but at least all he had to do was get Terrabyte and take her back to his quarters. No big deal.Sunstreaker knocked loudly on the door and tapped his foot as he waited for one of the massive techno-lizards to answer him.Grimlock came to the door in robot mode, and judging from the dim light of his visor he hadn't been up very long."What you *yawn* Sunstreaker want?" Grimlock asked groggily as he slouched over the door facing.Sometimes it still surprised Sunstreaker that the Dinobots could yawn and make other disgusting human noises. He tried to put his revulsion aside for the moment."I'm here to pick up Terrabyte," Sunstreaker replied as he crossed his arms over his chassis."Her Terrabyte not here," Grimlock told Sunstreaker, "You Sunstreaker go away now. Me Grimlock trying to watch cartoons.""What?" Sunstreaker asked testily, "What do you mean she's not-?"Before Sunstreaker could finish his sentence, however, his comm link opened up and a very familiar ranting voice could be heard on the other end./SUNSTREAKER!/ Ratchet screamed into the comm link, /What the frag did you do? How could be so irresponsible you glitching slag heap!? Get to the medbay right now! Do You hear me, you overgrown dandelion? NOW!/Sunstreaker blanched. There was only one reason Ratchet would speak to him like that...A family member was hurt. Sideswipe didn't warrant this kind of ire, so it had to be Terrabyte!Sunstreaker turned dangerously glowing optics to Grimlock, who bristled at the challenge! Sunstreaker wanted so badly to tear the Dinobot apart for allowing something terrible to happen to his sparkling! Still, Terrabyte needed him at the moment, so revenge would have to wait.The yellow frontliner stormed away without a word, and Grimlock stood in the doorway for a second trying to figure out what happened. He scratched his rear end for a second, and then finally shrugged and went to watch his cartoons. Whatever Sunstreaker's problem was, it wasn't Grimlock's problem.Sunstreaker burst into the medbay to find Terrabyte and Q-Boom laying face down on the medical berths while Ratchet and Swoop pulled and hammered at the dents on their tiny pliable frames. Sunstreaker noticed that Ratchet was the one tending to Terrabyte. Good. The Dinobots had caused enough trouble.Upon closer inspection, he saw Sideswipe sitting just to the left of the entranceway holding three watchful Filterbots in his lap. Sideswipe looked like he was having trouble keeping hold of all of them, and it might've been funny if it weren't for the circumstances. Screwball turned bright yellow optics on Sunstreaker, and actually smiled and barked at the large Autobot!"I can't believe this…" Sunstreaker shook his head and didn't quite know what to say as he saw his little girl's spinal struts being forced back into place.The yellow warrior was frustrated that his little femme got hurt because of the negligence of those beryllium boneheads! Then again, Sunstreaker knew that wasn't exactly fair. The Dinobots were morons by design, so of course they didn't know any better! It was Wheeljack who should've been watching them! He'd have to talk to the engineer later…"Well, I'm almost finished with our little patient," Ratchet said in a strained voice that tried too hard to sound friendly, "How's it going over there, Swoop?""Me Swoop almost done," Swoop said before he squawked, "Also, me no blow up Q-Boom after fixing this time!""This time?" Sunstreaker asked despite himself, "This has happened before?""Yes," Swoop replied without a hint of hesitation, "Her Q-Boom is made of flimsy metal, so she bends funny when she sleeps with us Dinobots. Me Swoop exploded her last time me Swoop try to make repairs.""Hey Swoop, tell him about the thing!" Q-Boom insisted with a wide grin on her face plate."Oh, yeah!" Swoop squawked joyously, "Last time her Q-Boom explode, me Swoop have to pull piece of her out of him Slag, and him Slag squeal just like little human girl! It was so funny!"Sunstreaker, however, was not amused. These careless abominations could've rolled over and flattened Terrabyte! She could've died, and nobody else seemed to care!"Look, I don't want Terrabyte sleeping over with you anymore," Sunstreaker said harshly, "We've got enough problems with getting her to recharge without worrying that she's going to be crushed to death by a Dinobot! No more sleepovers! Got it?"Swoop looked crestfallen. He was starting to like Terrabyte, and he certainly liked how happy Terrabyte made his seeker-sister Q-Boom. It didn't seem fair, but at the same time he knew better than to start an argument with a parent, let alone one as dangerous as Sunstreaker, so he reluctantly nodded his agreement."Wait, what problems rechargin'?" Q-Boom asked suspiciously, "Terrabyte, you been havin' issues rechargin'?"Terrabyte didn't reply, so Sunstreaker said "As a matter of fact she has. She has night terrors that cause her to thrash about and scream.""Yeah, one time she fell off the berth!" Sideswipe added."Really?" Ratchet piped up from his station, "You know little one, you should've told me during your last checkup. You don't want to keep things like that from your medic, now do you?"Terrabyte offlined her optics and awaited the yelling. She knew she was in trouble, but she didn't quite know why. She wondered briefly if Sunstreaker was growing tired of her because she woke him up during his recharge cycle. She wondered what his ire would mean for her. She tried not to think about that."How often does she have these nightmares?" Ratchet asked Sunstreaker."Every. Single. Night," Sunstreaker answered emphatically."Nuh-uh!" Q-Boom argued, "She didn't have any problems during our sleepover!""What?" Sunstreaker asked; confused."Her Q-Boom is right," Swoop agreed, "Her Terrabyte was quiet all night long."Sunstreaker turned to look at his sparkling, who was still getting dents repaired on the med-berth. Every night since she started living with the twins she had been subject to nightmares and bouts of disorientation. To hear that she did fine during a recharge cycle was unheard of! He didn't know what happened to her to give her a peaceful night's recharge, but it seemed like something that was worth investigating...
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Chapter 18AdjustmentsThe past couple of weeks had been a trying experience for Honey Venom. She had been practically locked away since her upgrade and was still adjusting to her new body. Skyfire stayed with her and trained her on how to access her new features and how to function as an adult. It was a difficult process, but it drew the two closer together.Honey Venom's only complaint was that Skyfire couldn't teach her how to fight well. He knew aerial maneuvers and knew how to use a weapon, but when it came to hand-to-hand combat he just didn't have a clue. She tried not to show her frustration, but he would have to be blind, deaf, and without sensors to not notice she was unhappy with their training regimen.Skyfire asked her when she would like to choose her alt mode, and she told him she wanted one as soon as possible. Unlike with the sparklings, however, Honey Venom didn't want an audience when she chose hers. She and Skyfire were given access to Teletran 1 and were allowed to select her alt mode in private."According to your charts you had a helicopter alt mode on Cybertron," Skyfire pointed out, "Is that what you would like here on earth as well?""No, not really," Honey Venom replied, "I've been reading about predator alt modes and I think I would like to try something like that. The closest thing aboard the Ark with a predator alt mode is the Dinobots, but I don't think I want a reptile mode.""Hm...You name is Honey Venom and you shoot poison projectiles...Perhaps a wasp alt mode would suit you the best," Skyfire suggested."I thought about it," Honey Venom admitted, "I like the social aspect of their nature, and it would be a sleek and nimble body, but I don't want to become an Insecticon. They're freaks.""Technically, you would be an Insectibot," Skyfire said with a smirk."Ha-ha, very funny Skyfire!" Honey Venom replied sardonically, "Seriously though, I wanted an alt mode that matched my personality and had a place to store my claws so I could use them even in my alt mode. I did some research, and I believe the lioness would be my preferred alt mode. Well, I thought about wolf or fox, but the lioness is already a beautiful golden color, so it'll seem more natural. Yes, lioness is definitely the one I want! Set me up, Skyfire!"Skyfire didn't know if an animal alt mode was such a good idea. The Dinobots were nearly impossible to control, and according to reports on Cybertron Megatron had a new attack force called the Predacons, and they were even worse! Then again, if the Autobots were going to fight against monstrosities like that then they would need a way to match their strength and ferocity.Deciding that Honey Venom probably knew what she was doing, Skyfire helped her onto the scanner platform and keyed in the specifications for the new big cat alt mode and hoped for the best. Honey Venom's body contorted to fit its new shape, and soon she was complete!"Well? How do I look, Skyfire?" Honey Venom asked; somewhat concerned."Beautiful, Honey Venom," Skyfire replied sincerely.It was true. Formatting helped to smooth out the rough edges of her form, and she looked less blocky than she did before. Honey Venom didn't look delicate, though. If Skyfire had to compare her to another, he would've said she had the same tall sturdy build of Elita One's troops back on Cybertron."So, may I go find my friends now?" Honey Venom asked in a formal yet satisfied tone of voice, "I really want them to see the new me.""Of course, Honey Venom," Skyfire nodded, "I just know you're going to make me and the Autobots proud.""I certainly hope so, Skyfire," Honey Venom slightly bowed as she spoke, "You saved my life, and have taught me so much. I doubt I can ever fully repay you for that."Skyfire felt a catch in his vocalizer. He was too choked up with emotion to speak any further. It wasn't just her gratitude that made him feel that way, but just seeing her like that. Honey Venom wasn't the sparkling that was brought into the Ark 6 months before. Now, she was a femme, strong and beautiful. Soon she would probably catch the attention of a mech somewhere, maybe even on board this very ship! He didn't know how he would handle the concept of his newly adopted sparkling dating!He shook his head to force the thought away. He was getting ahead of himself. She was still only 9 vorns old, and while that might've been hundreds of years to humans it wasn't much to a Cybertronian. He was sure everything would be fine. Honey Venom was smart, and she knew how to take care of herself. He just secretly hoped that she wouldn't be swayed over to the Decepticons by some smooth talking trickster, or worse...captured.It hadn't really occurred to Skyfire before, because he didn't think of her as a femme before, but if the Decepticons found out the Autobots had a femme on earth then they would probably want to steal her for their own nefarious purposes!Skyfire sighed sadly. The day had started out so well. His daughter had upgraded. He should be happy. So why were there so many disturbing thoughts running through his processor?"I don't like this idea, Sunny…" Sideswipe said nervously as he watched Sunstreaker move Terrabyte's berth against the bottom bunk."I've looked at this forwards and backwards, and this seems to be the only solution to Terrabyte's recharging problem," Sunstreaker said wearily as he waited for Terrabyte to finish vacuuming under the desk."Come on, Sunny!" Sideswipe gesticulated as he spoke, "We're twins, right? We share the closest bond any two Cybertronians can share. Pit, we're practically the samemech! We're super close, yet we still don't sleep in the same berth! Why are we going to start now?""Because when Terrabyte slept in a pile with other 'Bots she didn't have nightmares," Sunstreaker stated matter-of-factly, "If it works then we all might be able to get a decent night's recharge."Terrabyte zoomed out of the crevice she was in and then transformed. She looked over at the two berths pushed together and at Sideswipe's pouty face. Sunstreaker's plan was simple: all three of them sleep in the same berth in the hopes the physical contact would comfort Terrabyte and keep her from having night terrors."I...DoN't THink ThiS WiLL WoRk," Terrabyte said pessimistically."Sure it will," Sunstreaker ignored her concerns, "Don't worry, we're not going to dog-pile on you like the Dinobots did. You sleep in the middle so you know we're both here for you. This isn't permanent. This is just until you feel more comfortable in your recharge mode. Honestly, I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.""Because you didn't want the kid anywhere near your berth," Sideswipe reminded him before Sunstreaker smacked him upside the head.Terrabyte didn't really want to do this. Sleeping in the same bed with adults was weird enough, but she really didn't want to be in the same bed as the twins! Still, she would never disobey Sunstreaker, not even if it was something embarrassing. She put her feelings of mortification aside and hoped his plan would work. Maybe her memories would stop torturing her for just one night…...
Altihex. The front. The sky was red and smoke billowed from the ruined buildings. Terrabyte's mother tugged her along by the arm while her father provided backup fire. They had to get away before those monsters found them! Her mother touched her chassis again to make sure her cassettes were still inside. Shriek, Screwball, and Turret were the only ones she could save. Scramble was dead.
Their steps became even more halted as they climbed over chunks of rubble and debris. Once proud buildings lay on the ground in ruins, and bodies of dead mechs with freshly spilled energon littered the ground. That told the family that someone had been here recently to kill all these mechs, and her parents had a pretty good idea who...
As they climbed up another batch of rubble, a large mech came out of the ground at them! His eyes glowed unholy fury at them, and his hands were stained with the energon of his claimed victims! This was clearly the monster that had killed the others at the camp! Except no, it wasn't, because not a minute later he was joined by another monster; this one almost glowing amid the chaos and destruction. Energon flowed over their bodies, and eyes glowed like bare sparks. These two were going to kill them...There was no escape.
Her mother, in an act of pure desperation, shoved Terrabyte into a crevice and took out her cassettes; placing them in the small hole with her. Her father attacked the first monster; a blood red creature with a vibroblade in his hand.
Terrabyte saw with horrible clarity the struggle. Her mother went up against the second monster, the glowing one, and didn't even get in one good blow before he ripped out the circuitry from her empty cassette compartment. He was efficient yet cruel, and both soldiers were clearly enjoying themselves. He ripped away vital wiring and energon lines with his bare hands! She went slack in his grip before she could even cry out in agony.
The blood colored one held her father in a vice-like grip; choking the ventilation systems and trying to cut crucial wires from his neck. Terrabyte had to save him! She left the cassettes behind and rushed toward the monster. Her sigma ability might be the only thing that could save her father...
Terrabyte screamed at the enemy mech; her voice producing a pitch that could scramble processors and cause temporary paralysis. The noise was as beautiful as it was damaging.
The blood mech crumpled under her sonic waves, but it was too late for her father. He was already dead. Terrabyte was so focused on his dead body that she didn't even notice the glowing mech until he was right upon her!
She turned around swiftly when she saw his shadow, but before she could get away he had his massive hands around her tiny throat! He grit his denta in blind fury, and gave her a withering look that was more filled with hate than anything she had ever seen. She tried to cry out, but her vents were being constricted. Her voice, what little of it could be heard, sounded wrong.
No! No! Please! I'll do anything! She wanted to cry out, but no words came. She was trapped! The monster was staring her right in the face! He was so close to her she could see her reflection in his paint!
She was losing consciousness and was sure she was going to die. She struggled, but it was no use. His servos were as powerful as iron shackles, and he could care less that she was only a sparkling trying to save her father.
Before Terrabyte lost consciousness she saw three little cassettes lying listless in a hole. They hadn't even transformed into robot mode.
Good. Stay down. Don't be heroes. He'll be gone soon, and he'll never find you…
The little sparkling looked up at the glowing mech's bright optics and hoped to make one last silent plea for mercy, but it was clear he didn't care. He wasn't going to let go of her throat until he was sure her air intakes were crushed and her body's engine overheated! What a cruel way to die…
Noooooo!"NooOOOooOOOOo!""Should we wake her up, Sunny?" Sideswipe asked groggily from his spot on the berth facing the wall."What's the point?" Sunstreaker groused, "She'll wake up eventually anyway."The twins shared a narrow-optic look with one another. This plan did not work. She slept in the same berth with them and still had the nightmares. So the question then became, what in oblivion was the problem?Honey Venom walked into the rec room already feeling exhausted. Now that she was a member of the team instead of just a sparkling she had duties just like everyone else. Her first day on the job she had clean-up duty, and frankly it wasn't the guard duty or training exercises she had hoped for. Now she was covered in everyone else's grime and dreaming of her recharge berth in Skyfire's lab.When she entered the room she grabbed a cube, poured some energon, and sat down at a table that wasn't occupied. That didn't last long however, since the other sparklings were there as well, and Q-Boom just had to fly over to see Honey Venom! Honey Venom was tired, but tried not to show it to her friends."Hey, Honey Venom!" Q-Boom greeted her excitedly, flying around her head like a gnat, "Haven't seen you around lately. Thought you forgot all about us!""I would never do that," Honey Venom replied cordially, "So, how have you been?""Great!" Phobia spoke up before Q-Boom could dominate yet another conversation, "I went to a school full of human sparklings! They're so cute!""Yeah, and I invented a new game with my Dino-Brothers!" Q-Boom interrupted, "We call it 'Pop Goes Pop'! We take turns seein' if we can sneak up on Pop and make him blow up whatever he's workin' on!""That sounds rather dangerous," Honey Venom admonished, but then she got a wicked gleam in her optic and asked "Did he blow anything up?""No!" Q-Boom huffed dejectedly, "He can always tell when we're comin'! Stupid Slag is about as quiet as jet turbine! And I should know!""You're new upgrade is so pretty!" Phobia gushed as she looked over Honey Venom's sleek golden frame, "What do you turn into? Is it a car? Please tell me it's a car! I want us to match!""I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a car," Honey Venom chuckled, "I actually picked an alt mode based off an earth animal called a lion. Well, lioness, since I wanted the female version. The male version of the animal is hairy and goofy looking, but the femme version is lithe and deadly!""Cool!" Q-Boom exclaimed, "Does a lioness fly?""No, I don't believe it does," Honey Venom sighed."Oh...Well then, better you than me," Q-Boom shrugged.Honey Venom laughed goodnaturedly and turned to her final Sigma Sister Terrabyte to see what she would add to the conversation. Terrabyte looked up at Honey Venom in wonder as she saw the graceful and tall new frame she possessed. Still, there was something on Terrabyte's mind. Honey Venom could always tell when Terrabyte was upset about something."HoNey VeNOm," Terrabyte began solemnly, "I NeEd to get...RID of mY NigHTmaRe. It is...ANNoyiNg SunStrEaKer."Q-Boom snorted derisively at the idea of caring about what Sunstreaker thought, but Honey Venom wasn't so lackadaisical about it. Instead, she leaned in close to Terrabyte and seemed to be looking for something..."Has he done anything against you?" Honey Venom asked seriously."No," Terrabyte replied quietly, "He is...TrYINg to HeLp.""Really?" Q-Boom asked curiously, "Honestly, I thought he would've ripped out the rest of your voice box months ago when he got sick of listenin' to it. Maybe he does care.""First things first," Honey Venom cut in, "We need to keep Terrabyte quiet during her recharge cycles. When do you sleep best?""WhEn I aM...AWaY," Terrabyte said evasively."I see," Honey Venom nodded once as she pondered the situation."Hey, Honey Venom! After classes the girls and I are goin' to the projection room and see a movie with Jazz and Bumblebee. Wanna come with?" Q-Boom asked with a wide grin on her face plate."I wish I could," Honey Venom said disappointedly, "But I have to report to Prowl after I finish clean up duty, and then I need to organize some documents stating my duties and rank aboard the Ark. After that I'll probably be too tired for anything else."What about tomorrow?" Phobia asked hopefully."I want to, but I don't know," Honey Venom replied ruefully, "I have a lot of new things to do now. A lot of responsibilities. I need to train, I need to perform my assignments, and I just don't have a lot of free time anymore. I hope you understand."Q-Boom looked angry that Honey Venom was blowing them off, and Phobia looked sad and heartbroken that their friend wasn't going to be around as much. Terrabyte didn't say anything, but Honey Venom knew the look Terrabyte was giving her. It was the look that said I understand, and I support your decision.
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Chapter 19Baby GeniusesThe three sparklings were attending a math class together being presided over by Smokescreen. They sat together in a semicircle on the floor of his office, and he had each of them lay an array of pencils in front of them. Q-Boom looked irritable during the whole thing. She hated egghead classes like these, and she knew the other two sparklings would do a better job than her. The most she could hope for was something entertaining to happen."Alright girls, today we're going to talk about the multiples of 4," Smokescreen announced as he placed a few stacks of energon chips in front of him, "Now, let's say these pencils cost 4 chips each, and I wanted to buy 2. Does anybody know how much that would cost? Phobia?""Um…" Phobia counted the 2 stacks of 4 energon chips each with her finger, "8?""Correct, but next time don't count in terms of 1," Smokescreen gently reminded her, "The point is to be able to count by 4s. It's easier and faster than simply counting one at a time. Okay, let's make it a little more challenging. Terrabyte, let's say that I wanted to buy 6 of your pencils. If each pencil is worth 4 chips, then how many chips would it cost me to buy 6 of your pencils?"Terrabyte bunched up 6 pencils in her servo and handed them to Smokescreen, and then took 24 of his energon chips."Correct. It would cost 24 energon chips," Smokescreen congratulated her, "Alright then, give me back the chips so we can set up a new problem.""No ReFuNDs," Terrabyte stated as she scooped up his energon chips like a winner at the blackjack tables."Okay, this isn't cute anymore. Give me back my chips," Smokescreen insisted, "Here are your pencils, now give me back my chips.""KeEp tHe PEnCiLs," Terrabyte replied, "No ReFunDs."Q-Boom laughed heartily and watched as Terrabyte subspaced Smokescreen's money. Smokescreen looked peeved, but also unsure of what to do."Yeah, you shouldn't have done that," Q-Boom stated the obvious, "You didn't know Terrabyte back on Cybertron, but she was pretty much our gang's accountant. She knew the market value for everythin' from energon to favors to items to creds. If there was business goin' on in the orphanage, then Terrabyte had her grubby little servos all over it.""Aw, don't be upset Mr. Smokescreen," Phobia put a comforting hand on his arm, "We can do the lesson again.""Yeah right! I don't think I can afford it!" Smokescreen said half-jokingly.Terrabyte's face was surprisingly expressive in that moment, and that expression was one of smug triumph. Q-Boom wasn't sure when the last time was she saw that look, but it wasn't common even before earth. She was glad Terrabyte was getting a little sass in her systems, but she also knew it wouldn't last. The little femme only had that kind of confidence when it came to bookkeeping. If only Terrabyte knew how to let some ledgers go.Ratchet was having a difficult time keeping up with all the Autobots in the medbay! A Decepticon raid on a power plant had resulted in a fight that left several mechs in a bad way, and of course Ratchet was short handed as usual! First Aid and Hoist had both been injured themselves, so they couldn't help him treat the wounded. The only ones left to help him were Wheeljack and Swoop.Q-Boom sat back and watched the three mechs as they operated on first one and then another. Swoop wasn't very bright, and didn't have a lot of experience in the medbay, so either Ratchet or Wheeljack would have to coach him on how to treat injuries. Ratchet was beginning to think it was more trouble than it was worth in this situation, but Wheeljack insisted that Swoop needed the practice. It finally got to the point, however, that the others couldn't handle Swoop being underfoot any longer and needed him to check on patients on his own.Cliffjumper's monitors were showing jumpy lines that looked different than everyone else's monitors, and Q-Boom didn't know what that meant. Seeing that Ratchet had just shooed Swoop away, she decided to ask him."Hey Swoop, come over here!" Q-Boom shouted amid the chaos to get his attention, "What does this monitor say?""Hm...Me Swoop see this once before," Swoop held a servo to his chin as he spoke, "This mean him Cliffjumper is overheating. That mean ventilation is blocked. Me Swoop need to clean gunk out of air vents on him Cliffjumper's head."Swoop unscrewed the entire face plate in order to get to the air vents, and used his clawed digit to scoop away some dried mud that was impacting the vent system. He looked over his work and saw that Cliffjumper was venting normally again, but then noticed another problem with Cliffjumper...his laser core containment field was cracked!"Me Swoop not allowed to work on vital systems yet," Swoop lamented, "You Q-Boom go get him Ratchet, and me Swoop stay here to make sure nothing bad happens.""You got it, Swoop!" Q-Boom flew off to find Ratchet with those words.Ratchet was working on Bluestreak's severed door wing when Q-Boom started poking him and saying "Hey, Dr. Doom! Ratchet! Hey, Ratchet! Come on, Blood Bank! I know you can hear me! Hey Ratchet! Ratchet! Wrench Master! Hey! Come oooonn!""Shut the frag up!" Ratchet snapped furiously at the sparkling, "This is very delicate work and I cannot talk right now! Come back later!""Pfft! Fine! Your loss, Blood Bank!" Q-Boom snapped back as she slowly flew away; giving him one last dirty look as she left to rejoin Swoop.Swoop heard the conversation despite being all the way across the room, and was fretting because without Ratchet Cliffjumper might die! He couldn't do this surgery by himself! Q-Boom sat down on a ledge above Cliffjumper's berth and watched Swoop as he paced around in circles and squawked pitifully."Uh, Swoop?" Q-Boom asked cautiously, feeling for once that she wasn't sure if she should say anything, "What exactly was Ratchet supposed to do to help him?""Him Ratchet would take empty spark chamber and place spark inside," Swoop explained, "It very complicated. Only have 5 minutes before spark start to fail from not being connected to body. Him Ratchet not have much time! Him Cliffjumper need that new spark chamber, or else him die!""Alright then," Q-Boom nodded with determination, "I can find the spark chambers. Honey Venom collects them, so I remember what they look like. You're gonna have to perform the surgery yourself.""No! Me Swoop not ready! Me only nurse!" Swoop protested worriedly."Yeah, well now you just got promoted to medic!" Q-Boom replied as she opened the first drawer looking for spark chamber shells, "Even if you fail, at least you tried. He might die if you operate, but he will die if you don't!"Swoop realized she was right. He hardened his face and set off to help Q-Boom look for spark chambers. He didn't have a lot of time, and he wasn't even sure if he could remember the connections correctly, but he had to try! If he was ever going to be a real medic, then this was his chance to prove he had what it takes to do it!They searched for a couple minutes before they found the spark chambers, and then Swoop read carefully to make sure he got one that was minibot sized. Q-Boom agreed to stay and hand him whatever tools he asked for. He didn't know the official names for most of them, but that was fine since Q-Boom didn't either. Swoop was careful and methodical as he removed the connections from the original spark chamber."Small cutty thing," Swoop ordered in a serious tone of voice."Small cutty thing!" Q-Boom announced as she handed him a laser scalpel."Clamp," Swoop stuck out his hand, and Q-Boom handed it to him as she said "Clamp.""Screw driver.""Screw driver!"Swoop kept his optics focused on his task as Q-Boom handed him tools. If he were human he might've sweated, so it was a good thing he wasn't human. He had to work fast, but at the same time he couldn't afford to rush. It was a fragile balance, and the poor Dinobot wasn't sure if he could do it in time. Focusing on the task at hand instead of worrying about Cliffjumper dying helped him to steady his nerves."Big-making glass," Swoop ordered."Right here!" Q-Boom exclaimed as she handed him a magnifying glass.He looked to make sure the connections were all in place before placing the spark with its new chamber back into Cliffjumper. He reconnected it, and checked the specs several times to make sure he was doing it correctly. He didn't trust his memory with this task."Chassis," Swoop ordered."Chassis," Q-Boom said as she handed him Cliffjumper's chest plating.Swoop screwed and welded everything back into place carefully. He had to go slowly because he would fumble the equipment and drop it if he didn't. When he was done with his work he looked up at the monitor. Q-Boom waited with bated breath to hear if the operation was a success."Hm...Readings normal," Swoop said as if he didn't believe his own optics, "Operation successful...Me Swoop...did it...YEAH! Me Swoop did it!"Swoop grabbed Q-Boom suddenly and threw her up in the air in triumph! Swoop then transformed into pterodactyl mode, and the two siblings flew around the room in a victory dance!Ratchet and Wheeljack were nearly finished with their respective repair jobs, and the commotion coming from above their heads was too loud to not notice."Would you two stop fooling around?" Ratchet yelled up at them, "There's still work to be done! What are you fraggers even doing up there?""Me Swoop did it! Me did it!" Swoop squawked joyously, his elation impossible to contain."Did what?" Wheeljack asked curiously."Swoop just performed open-spark surgery!" Q-Boom exclaimed; still pumped up from the experience.Ratchet blanched when he heard that! Swoop performed life-threatening surgery on an Autobot? Had he just killed someone? How had Ratchet not noticed? Why did he turn his back on the Dinobot?"Which mech was it?" Wheeljack asked, also nervous but keeping a clearer head than Ratchet."Him Cliffjumper had cracked spark chamber," Swoop explained calmly, having just landed on the ground in robot mode, "Me Swoop and her Q-Boom find a new one and replace it. Him Cliffjumper doing fine now.""I don't believe this!" Ratchet shouted in horror, "Cliffjumper was just operated on by a Dinobot and a sparkling? This is outrageous!""Congratulations. Swoop!" Wheeljack said happily as he shook his creation's hand (as is the human custom), "I am so proud of you! I guess we made the right call when we let you be Ratchet's apprentice! Wow, I can't wait to tell everyone that you saved Cliffjumper's life!"Swoop was beaming and Q-Boom wore a satisfied smirk. Ratchet, however, didn't know what to think. Swoop was still naive enough to believe Barney the Dinosaur was real, and enough of a brute to rip Decepticons apart with his bare servos. How could Swoop's hands heal with the same delicate touch as a real medic? Ratchet let him help sometimes, it was true, but he never expected anything like this from the Dinobot. He didn't know whether to be proud or upset.Phobia awoke to see Red Alert quickly typing in the password for their bedroom door and sprinting away once the door was open! She didn't know what was going on, but this behavior was curious enough to warrant the little sparkling's attention.She ran down the hall to see Red Alert meeting up with Inferno and Hot Spot at the entrance of the Ark. She ran up to them as they filled up their fluid tanks with water."Daddy, what's going on?" Phobia asked as Red Alert checked his scanners for accuracy again, "Who's the blue guy?""That's Hot Spot, sparklet," Red Alert replied, "He's the leader of the Protectobots. We're going to the city because there's been an accident. A gas station caught fire and there's a 50 car pile-up. The Decepticons are believed to be involved, so we're going to have to be on high alert! Inferno, you got the foam?""It's in my subspace!" Inferno shouted from the other side of the room."Can I come too, Daddy? I can help!" Phobia declared excitedly."I'm afraid not, sparklet," Red Alert shook his head no, "It's too dangerous. Besides, Prime only ordered rescue vehicles. The other Protectobots are already on their way there, and Ratchet is there too. We'll be fine.""You guys didn't mention there was a sparkling on board the ship," Hot Spot smiled when he looked down at the little femme, "So little lady, what do you turn into?""A hearse," Phobia answered, "Come on! I can help! I can carry injured humans. Well, one injured human. I only have room for one.""Sorry sweet spark, but the answer is no!" Red Alert said firmly as he transformed into his Lamborghini mode, "Let's go save some lives, gentlemechs!"With those words the trio of fire rescue vehicles took off and left Phobia looking on as they departed. She couldn't frown, but her optics said it all. She did not want to be left out again! Squaring her shoulders, Phobia transformed into her car mode and took off after them!She was lost! Phobia had to admit it now; she was totally lost! At first she had been able to track her father using his energy signature, but a fire rescue car was a lot faster than a hearse, and before long she couldn't even sense his dust trail!Phobia huffed out a frustrated sigh from her vents as she circled around again. She had seen some wrecked cars, but everybody was already gone by then except for some human workers cleaning up the scene. The road was empty despite it being the heart of town! Whatever had happened obviously scared the humans pretty badly. Phobia began to wonder if she should be afraid, too.She got her answer when she turned the corner and saw a black and grey semi truck blocking her path. She didn't know why that truck was being such a road hog, but she dismissed it and tried to turn the other way. She turned to find a couple of sports cars blocking that road! Okay, that was annoying, but she decided to keep her chin up and just turn around...Scrap! Two more sports cars!"Oh, come on!" Phobia finally exclaimed, "I know you two weren't there before! Cut it out!"Phobia tended to forget that human vehicles weren't alive, but that didn't matter at the moment, because those weren't human made vehicles…"Well, well, well...What do we have here?" The black semi taunted, "Looks like an Autobot got lost in the middle of town!""Are you sure it's an Autobot?" A yellow race car with 6 wheels asked from behind Phobia, "There's no red sticker.""That doesn't matter," The semi snorted, "If it ain't a Decepticon, then it's an Autobot!"Phobia gulped when she realized what was happening. She was an Autobot, or at least was supposed to be when she was upgraded, and she was surrounded by Decepticons! There were 5 of them and only 1 of her! What was she going to to do to get out of this, and would her daddy be able to find her in time?"I say we crush it!" The charcoal colored Ferrari shouted enthusiastically, "That car's long, so it should crush up real good!""Um…" Phobia tried to think of something to stall them, but almost wished she hadn't opened her mouth when she said "Excuse me, Mr. Grey Car? Has anyone every told you your accent sounds like Ironhide and Inferno?"No! Stupid stupid stupid! They don't wanna be like Autobots! Phobia cursed herself in her mind.To her surprise, the Ferrari actually started laughing hysterically at her little observation! If she thought she was safe though, she was sorely mistaken."Whew! That black car is funny!" The Ferrari said jovially, "Oh, I know, let's force it into robot mode and pull it apart!"Phobia screamed and tried to back up, but the yellow car and maroon car were behind her, and she also had to deal with the truck on her left and the grey and blue-red-and-white cars on her right!"I like the way you think, Wildrider!" The truck said smugly as he and the others transformed, "You gonna fight us like a mech, or would you rather we just crushed you in your alt mode?"Phobia was terrified! Their purple and red optics leered down at her menacingly, and she knew from experience that they meant what they were saying. She had seen that look too many times from other sparklings at the foundling home! She was sure she was doomed, but then a voice made itself known from the crowd."Do we have to crush it?" The maroon car asked, "I want to keep it.""You want to keep...an Autobot?" Motormaster's face contorted as he spoke those strange and disgusting words."Yes," Dead End replied matter-of-factly, "This Autobot's frame is perfection itself. A fine polish, a sleek black color, and the fact that it's a hearse makes it a symbol of the sweet taste of death. If we must kill it, then we should do so in a way that preserves the body.""Yeah, well could you hurry up?" Breakdown whined, "Its headlights are staring at me! Make it stop!""I promise I am not staring at you," Phobia said seriously, and then she recited words that she was too used to saying thanks to Red Alert, "I am not planning anything against you, and I don't know anyone who is. I have no hidden cameras on my person or in my subspace. We are not standing under or over anything that will fall on our helms and break our necks. I have no sharp objects or projectile weapons. I also don't want your job. Can I go now?"When Phobia was first adopted by Red Alert he was suspicious of nearly everything she did. When he grew to love her then he became afraid of things around the Ark that could potentially harm his little sparkling. After so many months of dealing with his paranoid tendencies, she had worked up an extensive list of reassurances, and they annoyed her every time."Your voice is awfully squeaky," Wildrider pointed out, "Hey, are you a cyberhound?""Cyberhounds can't talk," Phobia told him, "But I wish they could. That would be so cool!""We wouldn't know," Dead End told her, "We have lived here on this miserable excuse for a planet our entire lives. We will likely also die here. Probably soon given our track record.""You've been on earth your whole lives?" Phobia gasped, "Wow! So you know where everything is! I'm not allowed to see anything! My daddy thinks I'll trip on a rock and kill myself!""Hm...Hadn't thought of that one," Dead End shrugged indifferently."Can that happen?" Breakdown asked nervously."Wait, what's a daddy?" Drag Strip asked."Who cares? We should be killing this thing!" Motormaster reminded them."Wait!" Drag Strip waved away Motormaster, causing the black truck to silently fume, "What's a daddy?""It's a male creator, but it also applies to a male adopted guardian," Phobia explained, "My daddy works for the Autobots as a TV watcher! He watches every TV on the whole ship!""Wow, that sounds like a dream job!" Wildrider whistled at the thought of being paid to watch television, not knowing she meant security monitors."Hm...So if a male creator is a daddy…" Drag Strip pondered out loud, "Then that means Megatron is our daddy!""Really?" Phobia breathed in awe, "Wow, so you guys are like royalty! Cool! Is he gonna give you your own planet?""Yep, he's gonna give us earth when he's done with it," Motormaster bragged, "We're Megatron's greatest creations, the Stunticons! I'm the leader, Motormaster, and this is Wildrider, Breakdown, Dead End, and Drag Strip.""Hey, why did you introduce me last?" Drag Strip huffed indignantly, "I'm the fastest smartest strongest one on the team! Well, besides you, Motormaster, sir…"Phobia giggled despite the severity of the situation. Drag Strip reminded her of Q-Boom when she was feeling competitive, and Mototrmaster was kind of like their Honey Venom; only without the grace and backbiting."Um, may I transform now?" Phobia asked politely, "My tires hurt.""Oh, we intend to hurt more than your tires…" Motormaster said with a sneer."Must you?" Dead End asked both of them, "I like the hearse alt mode.""I can transform back in a minute," Phobia assured him, "Please, Mr. Motormaster?"Motormaster frowned at the weird way this Autobot was acting, but he nodded anyway. If the slagging thing transformed then maybe he could have a real fight instead of crushing what had to be the most pathetic vehicle mode known to mech kind.Phobia transformed, and they could see that she wasn't even as tall as most of their shins! She was tiny like Rumble and Frenzy, and more importantly…"Um, what's wrong with your body? It looks weird," Wildrider asked derisively."Huh? Is this because I don't have a mouth?" Phobia asked."No, not your face, your body!" Wildrider repeated, "It looks too smooth. Why?""Huh? Oh! I'm a femmeling, silly!" Phobia giggled, "I'm a sparkling still, but you can already see the feature differences between femme and mech. You mean to tell me you've never seen a sparkling femme before?""We've never seen any femme before," Dead End informed her, "We're only 2 years old.""Years? How long is that?" Phobia asked."365 earth cycles," Dead End supplied."Hm...Oh. Oh! You guys are sparklings, too!" Phobia suddenly realized, "Wow, I've never seen sparklings with adult frames before! Well, I mean besides Q-Boom's brothers, but they were invented by a maniac. Then again, I guess Megatron is kind of a maniac too. Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to insult your family! Please forgive me!""Don't worry about it," Motormaster dismissed her concerns, "We don't like him either. Still, you ever call us sparklings again and I'll rip your vocalizer out!""Thanks for the tip Sunstreaker, but you're gonna kill me anyway, so why should I bother pretending you're adults?" Phobia asked challengingly."Spoken like a true intellectual," Dead End said approvingly, "Guys, you go on ahead and continue with the demolition derby. I wish to speak to the femmeling in private."Motormaster snorted disgustedly, but he didn't have long to think about it as Wildrider and Drag Strip took off toward a nearby pier. Motormaster and Breakdown drove to catch up with them, and Dead End sat down in the road next to where Phobia was standing. Dead End looked her over, and noticed she had the red optics of a Decepticon.So, this is one of the ones Megatron wanted to take from the Autobots. Interesting. Dead End thought as he watched her shift her legs as she sat down."Thank you for saving me from your brothers," Phobia said sincerely as she looked up at the dark red mech."You shouldn't bother thanking me," Dead End shrugged, "Your life could've ended in a violent yet satisfying way, and yet I prolonged your suffering. If anything you should hate me. Oh well, I doubt you'll have long to ponder it before death takes you as well. Do you have a cleaning cloth? Drag Strip took mine and I have a nasty stain on my shin guard.""Sure," Phobia took a rag out of subspace and handed it to him, "Um, Dead End? Do you really want to be crushed to death?""The method isn't the point," Dead End explained, "Only that it happens.""Why do you want to die?" Phobia asked softly, her Crimson optics shining in the orange light of the setting sun."Why do you want to live?" Dead End asked evasively."I don't know," Phobia answered honestly, "I just do.""Try to understand, little one," Dead End put a hand on her back as he spoke, "My brothers and I were built with one purpose: to destroy everything we touch. Our only purpose in life is to kill until we are killed ourselves. This planet will fall to us, and then others, and others still. My purpose in life is death. My brothers don't understand that, and that's why they are still able to be happy. My only joy comes from staring death in the face and waiting for her to embrace me. That's all I have to look forward to.""...Have you talked about this with Megatron?" Phobia asked; her optics streaked with cleaning fluid, "He's your daddy. Maybe if he knew you wanted to do more than just kill he would help you.""He doesn't care," Dead End stated without a hint of emotion, "He made me to be a harbinger of death and destruction. He wants me to be this way.""Oh…" Phobia was quiet for a few seconds, but then said "Well, at least when your daddy made you to be a symbol of death he did it on purpose. My creators did it by accident, and then didn't want me when they saw what I was.""What do you mean?" Dead End asked curiously.Phobia turned her hand over to show him her energon suction tubes."I'm an energon leech," Phobia explained glumly, "I suck the life essence out of other mechs and femmes. My daddy understands, but my spark parents didn't want me, and this is why. All I have of my spark parents are their names. Honey Venom found out for me. My birth certificate says my mother's name was Starwish, and my father's name was Dirge. They didn't want a symbol of death for a daughter.""Wow…" Dead End stared at Phobia's servo in wonder and even traced the holes with his finger, "Young lady...Could you...Drain me?""What?" Phobia wasn't comfortable with the way he asked her that question. She had never had anyone actually want to be her next meal before!"Please?" Dead End asked again, "I want you to take as much as you can!"Phobia optics widened in shock at the request! Dead End was acting majorly creepy! She didn't know how to say no to people though. She always wanted to make others happy, and if being miserable made him happy then who was she to question it?Phobia spent the next few minutes draining energon from Dead End's arm, and his frame slowly went lax as her energy went up. When she reached 100% she stopped, and her systems felt a little sluggish afterward."Wow…" Dead End breathed contentedly, his own systems at a mere 32%, "That was incredible! I actually feel like I almost died! When you're older, you really will be able to kill mechs with that ability! You, my dear, are the angel of death!""What's an angel?" Phobia asked as she struggled to stand up, her vision getting cloudy and her sensors giving out false readings."It's an earth concept," Dead End replied, "Though personally I think they do exist. The angel of death is a legend involving a reaper of human life force. Angels are powerful and beautiful creatures. Hey, that's a good nickname for you! Angel! My angel of death!"Neither one was fit to hold a coherent conversation. Dead End was a few hours away from stasis lock, and Phobia was overcharged on his energon! She was barely able to transform into hearse mode, and Dead End watched her dreamily as she did. He was weird, that much she knew! She wasn't sure she wanted a friend like him, and she definitely didn't want to be a death angel!
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Chapter 20Name CallingSmokescreen had his work cut out for him with this emergency therapy session. Instead of having the sparklings come in like he was used to, it was instead the three fathers that had scheduled the appointment for themselves! Smokescreen tried to look caring and nonjudgmental as he listened to them vent about the recent trouble their kids were getting into."I don't know what I could've done differently!" Red Alert was wailing as the other two waited their turn to speak, "Last night my little Phobia runs away from home, and then comes back this morning overcharged and incoherent! She actually drove home that way! She could've killed someone! Not to mention she directly disobeyed me! Last time I checked she was still over-energized and talking about death! I don't know what I'm going to do with her!""That's nothin'!" Wheeljack interrupted him, "My kids performed surgery behind my back! We're not just talkin' sneakin' into daddy's high grade cabinet; we're talkin' major medical malpractice! I would actually be grateful to have your problem!"Red Alert and Wheeljack had been going on like that for about 20 minutes while Sunstreaker just sat back and silently waited for them to finish. He didn't interrupt, and he didn't even groan in frustration! Living with Terrabyte for so long had a calming effect on the frontliner. He was more patient than he used to be."I understand how these problems can dishearten you," Smokescreen replied in a sympathetic tone of voice, "But Sunstreaker hasn't had a chance to speak yet. Tell us what's on your mind, Sunstreaker.""Nothing. My kid's perfect," Sunstreaker shrugged, "I'm just here to return the 24 creds she stole from you."It took a minute for everyone to realize Sunstreaker was trying to be funny. He had a very deadpan sense of humor that didn't make itself known very often. Even after they figured it out their laughter was still mostly of the nervous variety."I appreciate that, Sunstreaker," Smokescreen replied with a serene smile, "Still, if you have any issues, now might be the time to voice them.""No, I'm good," Sunstreaker said coolly as he got up and left the room.He didn't want to stay in the same room with those whiny slaggers any longer than necessary, but Sunstreaker wasn't completely honest with them. There was still something bothering him. He couldn't tell the other dads, but he figured he should at least talk to Terrabyte about it so he could find out the truth from her. There was still a problem in their relationship, but Sunstreaker was having trouble figuring out how to broach the subject.Q-Boom and Phobia were playing target with the Dinobots in their lair. Target was a game Grimlock and Q-Boom made up together where she would fly around and dodge laser projectiles from the Dinobots. It was dangerous, and Q-Boom got hurt a few times, but that never stopped her from playing. Phobia, on the other hand, knew her daddy would ground her for eternity if he knew she had snuck out and was playing this game. For some reason though, she felt lighter than air and ready to take on anything. Dead End must have had some great energon, she reasoned. She just hoped the Dinobots didn't get too excited and accidentally burn her to a crisp during the game!"Okay, fellas! Ready when you are!" Q-Boom shouted from her perch on the ceiling."Alright Dinobots...ready...lasers!" Grimlock commanded as Q-Boom dove from the ceiling and Phobia ran for cover.Snarl shot lasers from his tail, all of which Q-Boom expertly dodged! Swoop dove down to try to land a hit on Phobia, but she dove under the couch and avoided the hit! Sludge looked from one to the other, and was confused about which one to attack, so he decided to forget the whole thing and lumbered over to the energon dispenser for a snack.Grimlock kept aiming for Q-Boom since she proved to be the bigger challenge. Phobia decided right away that she hated this game. She jumped from one spot for cover to the other, and hoped eventually those cyber-mutants would forget she was there. She was feeling too sluggish from all the energon she sucked out of Dead End earlier that night to run very fast.Q-Boom was almost out of the woods as the countdown clocked neared zero, but then she flew too low and Slag rammed her body with his horns! He impaled the little sparkling, and her cockpit began to flash red!
Beep. Beep. Beep beep beebebebebebebeebeepBOOM!
"Not again!" Grimlock growled as Q-Boom shattered into millions of flaming pieces on the ground."Oops…" Was all Slag had to say in reply.Q-Boom's pieces resolidified into the familiar seeker form, and she looked at her triceratops brother with a look that could best be described as miffed."Slag!" Q-Boom shouted accusingly."Ooohhh! Q-Boom said a curse word!" Phobia tattled on the seekerling, and then she hiccuped and staggered a little."What? No I didn't! Slag is his name!" Q-Boom explained defensively, "Hey, why is your name Slag? That's a bad word.""It is?" Sludge replied curiously From his spot on the couch."Me Slag no care if it cuss word!" Slag barked, "Me still Slag!""Yeah I know, but why are you named Slag?" Q-Boom asked again."Me not know!" Slag snapped irritably, "You go ask him Wheeljack!""Hm...Okay," Q-Boom shrugged, "Hey guys, can you watch Phobia while I'm gone?""Hey, how come they're the sparkling-sitters?" Phobia whined, "I'm older than them!""Yeah, but they're bigger than you!" Q-Boom replied despite having this same argument with Grimlock several times with the opposite opinion."Yeah! Us Dinobots bigger, so we the boss of you!" Grimlock added smugly.Phobia crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, but knew that she had lost. The Dinobots were bigger than her, and fighting over this wouldn't end well for her. She just hoped Q-Boom wouldn't be gone long…Terrabyte gently ran a cleaning cloth over Turret's spindly legs and in the joints. She wanted to ensure he was spotless before it was time for recharge. Shriek drank some energon left in a cube Sideswipe never finished, and Screwball chewed an old oil rag left behind by Sunstreaker. Terrabyte always enjoyed this quality time with her little Filterbots before the twins got home."Did you have a good day in class today?" Shriek asked her."YeS," Terrabyte replied, "HoWever, JaZz didN't fAll for my ViSual AiD TriCk the Way SMOkeSCrEEn did."Shriek and Screwball laughed at the gullibility of the Autobot, though Screwball didn't know that was why they were laughing. Turret didn't laugh, but his optics crinkled in amusement."Turret thinks we should use the money to buy a habitrail for the Filterbots," Turret said hopefully."SunStrEAkeR TooK the MoNEy," Terrabyte informed them."Oh, come on! Really?" Shriek asked caustically, "Why do you let that guy push you around?""He is mY PaReNT," Terrabyte reminded them."I think he likes me!" Screwball declared, "He smells like wax! Wax is my favorite thing!"Shriek sighed and Turret turned away. Out of all of them Screwball had been the only one to actually try to make the twins like him. Terrabyte admired his efforts to make a fresh start, but the other two thought he was a turncoat."Shh!" Shriek suddenly perked up, "Other!""ShRieK, ScreWBall, TuRrEt. RetuRn."The Filterbots transformed and were gently placed inside Terrabyte's compartment. She pretended not to notice when Sunstreaker walked in the door. She used the cleaning cloth in her hand to pretend to wash a spot on her forearm. Sunstreaker liked it when she was clean, so ever since she had been living with him she had become somewhat of a neat freak."Terrabyte, we need to talk," Sunstreaker said without preamble.Sunstreaker sat down on his berth, so Terrabyte walked over there and stood in front of him. She looked him in the optics and seemed to be the very picture of respectful attention."Terrabyte...Why do you call me Sunstreaker?" Sunstreaker asked.Terrabyte didn't quite know what to think of that question. It felt like a trap. Why would she call him anything other than his name? Did he want a more honorific title? Maybe sir or master? Terrabyte was confused as to why he would bring this up now after so long."ThAt...Is YouR NaMe," Terrabyte answered guardedly."I know," Sunstreaker shrugged, "But...Q-Boom calls Wheeljack Pop, and Phobia calls Red Alert Daddy. Why do you still call me Sunstreaker? After all this time shouldn't I be Dad or Father or Papa? I don't know! Look, just forget I said anything!"Sunstreaker rubbed his helm in an agitated manner, and Terrabyte could tell that this was bothering him. She wasn't good at giving comfort, especially to someone bigger and stronger than her. What did he want from her? She couldn't call him dad! She just couldn't do it! Still, he gave her everything she could want. She needed to do something to show him she was grateful."SunStrEaKer…" Terrabyte said hesitantly, "...I FouND a SonG...It RemIndS me of YoU and SideSwIpE.""Huh?" That seemed to snap Sunstreaker out of his melancholy as he looked down at Terrabyte with an annoyed expression and said "It better not be that stupid song about the naked human again!"Terrabyte shook her head no and actually smiled impishly as she scanned her music collection for the correct song.
Well there's a dark and a troubled side of life
There's a bright and a sunny side too
But if you meet with the darkness and strife
The sunny side we also may view
Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side
Keep on the sunny side of life
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way
If we keep on the sunny side of life
Sunstreaker listened as the entire song played over Terrabyte's inbuilt radio system. It appeared to be some sort of human hymn that spoke of keeping a positive outlook despite troubling circumstances. It was a bit too cheerful for Sunstreaker's taste, but he understood why Terrabyte picked this song. His nickname was Sunny, and Sideswipe's nickname was Sides, so Sunny Side sounded like a combination of their names.When the song was finished Sunstreaker didn't quite know how to respond, and it looked as if Terrabyte didn't either. He could tell she was unsure of herself, and he wanted to do something to reassure his little femme. Sunstreaker had never done this before, but out of the blue he decided to hug her.Terrabyte's optics went wide as she wasn't sure why Sunstreaker grabbed her. She realized though that he wasn't hurting her. His grip was firm yet gentle, and it felt nice. Secure even. He was hugging her! It felt weird, but in a good way, so she hugged him back and hoped he didn't mind the smudge marks on his paint.Wheeljack was just getting ready for recharge when he heard the door to his quarters slide open and saw Q-Boom fly in."Hey, Q-Boom!" Wheeljack greeted her happily, "I thought you were at a sleepover with Phobia and the Dinobots.""Oh, I'm goin' back, but first I have to ask you somethin'," Q-Boom said as she sat down on her berth across the room from his, "Why is Slag's name Slag? Isn't that a cuss word?""Well, that's a very funny story actually," Wheeljack said as he reminisced back on that time, "You see Q-Boom, when I made the first three Dinobots I needed help with their internal circuitry. I built the bodies and donated part of my spark, but I'm not good with living anatomy, so I enlisted Ratchet's help in building their internal life support mechanisms. Things went well and we managed to build three viable Dinobots. Then it was time to name them. First I named Sludge. I called him Sludge because he was an apatosaurus and they liked to wallow in sludge-filled waters, so I thought it fit. Then I named Grimlock. I called him Grimlock because he looked scary and grim, and also because his interlocking teeth reminded me of when traffic is gridlocked. Funny how the mind works...""Yeah, but why did you call Slag Slag?" Q-Boom asked impatiently."I'm getting to that," Wheeljack assured her, "Anyway, I had a cool name picked out for our triceratops, and Ratchet was putting away his tools after tuning up the bodies of my new creations. I turned on the processor recorder which would encode the new name I gave him, and I was about to give him his new name when Ratchet drops a huge wrench on his foot and yells 'SLAG' at the top of his vocalizer! Well, we couldn't change it, and now Slag has a name that serves as an eternal testament to Ratchet's temper.""Not to mention Slag's temper!" Q-Boom laughed.The two shared a good laugh at that one, but then after a minute Q-Boom thought of something else."Hey, Pop? Why didn't you build the Dinobots as sparklings?" Q-Boom asked, "I know you needed tough mechs and all that, but newsparks have trouble controlling adult bodies. Wouldn't it have been easier for them to have sparkling bodies? At least for a little while?""Well…" Wheeljack looked back at the closed door to his quarters, and then back at Q-Boom, "Can you keep a secret?"Q-Boom nodded her head vigorously; wondering what cool secret information Wheeljack was going to share with her."You see Q-Boom, when I started the Dinobot project, I wanted to build dinosaurs to help us fight the Decepticons," Wheeljack explained in a stage whisper voice, "But Dinosaurs are huge! They can get to be 50 or 75 feet tall. That converts to about an average of 42 mechano-meters.""Whoa!" Q-Boom gasped."Yeah, and the apatosaurus can be as long as 100 feet across!" Wheeljack exclaimed as he recalled his research from all those years ago, "Naturally, that's pretty big, and I coded the sparks so they would be to scale...in about 4 to 6 vorns.""So what you're sayin' is…""The Dinobots are sparklings," Wheeljack finished her thought, "Yeah. In another 350 to 500 earth years they're gonna be huge! I don't know where we'll put them then, but it'll be so cool when they reach their full potential. Well, to be fair, Swoop won't get much bigger, but he'll be upgraded with lots of weapons and tools! Who knows? Maybe I'll build him with an advanced medical scanner for when he finally becomes a medic! That'll be a great day…""You still working on my upgrade, Pop?" Q-Boom inquired."Sure am, but it's gonna take time. I wanna get it just right." Wheeljack explained.Q-Boom then flew over in a quick burst of speed and glomped Wheeljack in a big hug! He staggered back a little on his berth, but then hugged his daughter in return. He, his 5 Dino-children, and his adopted seeker daughter weren't exactly a typical family, but he wouldn't trade any of them for all the high grade on Cybertron.The next morning, Phobia awoke to realize Q-Boom never returned. She and the Dinobots had gone into recharge waiting for her! Phobia narrowed her optics in anger and stomped out of the Dino-cave without even waiting for the Dinobots to wake up. She wanted to give that smug seeker a piece of her processor!Phobia had been a little fuzzy-headed since the day before when she ran into those 5 Stunticons. She didn't remember driving home, but she must have if she was here. She remembered Q-Boom dragging her by the arm and saying they should throw a party with the Dinobots, but she didn't remember if they did.Her helm hurt so bad! In fact, everything hurt, but her helm was worse. She tried to recall what she did last night, but the last clear memory was of the Stunticons and especially Dead End. She knew they were big like adults, but they reminded her more of the gangs she would run into at the foundling home.When she was first released into the general population where the older sparklings lived she had been terrified. She heard horror stories of what orphan gangs did to those younger and weaker than them. If Phobia hadn't found Honey Venom and the other Sigma Sisters she highly doubted she'd still be alive. Still, sometimes she was worried that they didn't really like her. Honey Venom used people, Q-Boom called her names all the time, and while Terrabyte was nice that didn't really mean anything. Terrabyte was nice to people even if she hated them!Then again, Terrabyte saved her life when Ratchet didn't know what to do...Okay, so she knew Terrabyte liked her.Phobia tried to forget the sons of Megatron, but she just couldn't. The Stunticons were scary, and for some reason Dead End especially put her on edge. She hated the fact that he called her a death angel. She was not an angel! She didn't want mechs to see her as a death-bringer, but it seemed that was her lot in life. Phobia shook her head to chase the thoughts away, and regretted it when the pain shot through her like a plasma bullet!She made her way to Ratchet's office and hoped the medic was in a good mood, or preferably taking a break so she could see First Aid instead. She liked Ratchet well enough, but she knew he hated nonsense, and nothing about what she was going through made any sense.She entered the medbay and saw Ratchet talking to his human friend Sparkplug. The pudgy human was helping Ratchet rebuild an old catalytic converter designed for use in Bluestreak's alt mode. Phobia sat down on a berth and chose to wait until someone noticed her. She was in pain, but she never interrupted grown ups if she could help it.It took a few minutes, but Sparkplug finally noticed Phobia was sitting there and motioned for Ratchet to see what she needed. Phobia waved at them, and Ratchet brought Sparkplug with him to the berth Phobia was sitting on. He knew how much the little sparkling loved their human friends."Hey there, kiddo," Sparkplug greeted her first, "What brings you all the way out here by yourself?""My helm hurts…" Phobia groaned."I'm not surprised," Ratchet said as he placed a servo on his hip, "Red Alert told me about your little escapades. You drove home overcharged! How could you be so slagging careless?! More importantly, how did you even get overcharged in the first place? Who could you have been feeding off of all the way in Central City?""Um…" Phobia tried to recall what overcharged meant. She remembered it had something to do with high grade energon. That was the bad kind. "Are you saying I was...Did I drink the bad energon?""No, however you drank a great deal of mid grade," Ratchet explained, "How could you drink so much energon? Considering where you have to get it from, you could've killed whichever mech you drained! Not to mention driving home that way! You could have injured or even killed one of the natives!""I'm sorry Dr. Ratchet," Phobia said pitifully, "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to make him happy.""Make who happy?" Ratchet asked pointedly."Dead End," Phobia answered, "He's a Stunticon, and Megatron's son. I know I shouldn't have talked to him, but I couldn't get away from them. He wanted me to drain all his energon, but my tank wouldn't hold that much. Please don't be mad at me…""Those fragging Decepticons…" Ratchet growled lowly as he squeezed his wrench, "I wish I could reformat those slagging Stunticons into toilets and install them at the nearest bus station!"Phobia shook a little and wondered if she had crossed a line. She knew her daddy was mad, but if every Autobot was mad they might kick her out! She didn't want to be kicked out!"Calm down, kiddo," Sparplug said soothingly when he saw Phobia's petrified expression, "We know it wasn't your fault. I just can't believe someone would do this to a little kid. It makes me so mad!""Ditto," Ratchet muttered as he tried to reign himself in, "Phobia, I'll get you something for your hangover, but if you ever pull a stunt like this again I'll rebuild you into a speak-n-spell! Got it?""Yes sir!" Phobia shouted formally; sitting at attention.Ratchet chuckled and said "At ease, cadet."Phobia sighed in relief and looked at Sparkplug with a pair of happy optics. He patted her servo and stayed close while Ratchet placed an IV in her wrist. Phobia wasn't scared of going to the doctor, she really wasn't, but she was scared of getting in trouble. She was grateful that she had avoided trouble with Ratchet for the moment."Dr. Ratchet?" Phobia called as he checked the percentage of medical energon flowing through her systems, "I'm sorry I was bad.""You weren't bad, Phobia," Ratchet sighed, "It wasn't your fault.""Yeah, don't worry kid," Sparkplug said with a warm smile, "We know what you're really like. You're a little angel."Phobia's optics went wide, and she looked like she was going to fritz like her father! Angel? How did Sparkplug know? Was he scared of her now because she was a death angel? Was Dead End right about her? She wanted to crawl into a hole and cry…"There. All done," Ratchet informed her as he pulled away the IV, "That's my good little patient. You better stay out of trouble now, hear me?""Yes, sir…" Phobia's tone was much softer now; a tone of defeat.She slowly walked back to the quarters she shared with Red Alert. So she was an angel? She was a bringer of death, and everyone knew it...Even the humans. She supposed that was why the Autobots really wanted her. It was just like Honey Venom had told her. They wanted her because she would grow up to be a killer.
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Chapter 21What's The Plan?Phobia had been acting strangely for the past few days, and Red Alert had tried to figure out what was wrong, but so far none of his questions had satisfying answers. He feared she had been poisoned by those Decepticons, and it was driving him crazy that Ratchet wouldn't perform more tests! He must've had Phobia in for at least a dozen tests, and Ratchet was getting tired of the security director interfering with his business.When Red Alert heard about what Dead End had done to his little femme, he wanted to march to Decepticon headquarters and tear Menasor a new one! The problem was that the damage had already been done, and he couldn't go back in time and fix things. He just wished Phobia would talk to him so he could comfort her properly. He tried soothing her spark, but all that did was help her recharge at night. She was still closing off their emotional bond, and Red Alert felt helpless.Now he was walking into the rec room with his little sparkling in his arms. She still seemed to enjoy being carried around, so at least that was something he could do for her. Wheeljack and Q-Boom were going to the rec room with them, and Wheeljack was talking about some scientific nonsense he didn't understand. Red Alert looked down at the sparklings and noticed that Q-Boom was talking while Phobia ignored her, too. He had to suppress a chuckle when he thought about how alike he and his sparkling were.When they went into the rec room there were already several Autobots there for their afternoon energon, including Honey Venom who was sitting on the couch in the far corner. Q-Boom flew straight for the gold femme, and Phobia looked up at Red Alert in a silent request to be let down. He obliged, and she walked at a languid pace to where her friends were sitting."Hey Q, hey Phobia," Honey Venom greeted them with that ever-present sly smile, "How have things been? It's been so long since we've had a chance to talk.""Phobia got drunk off the blood of her enemies!" Q-Boom exclaimed in a pumped-up tone of voice."That's not funny!" Phobia snapped, "I think the Autobots are mad at me!""Oh?" Honey Venom asked curiously, "How has your father been acting?""Good, actually," Phobia admitted, "He's been even more worried than usual. Do you think he's afraid I'll run off and get overcharged again?""I doubt it," Honey Venom said coolly, "I've been watching your guardians carefully, and I can tell Red Alert trusts you. That's saying something, because the list of mechs that Autobot trusts is very short. I'm not even sure he's on that list."Phobia perked up when Honey Venom said those words."Do you really think he still loves me?" Phobia asked hopefully."Are you kidding? If I held you for ransom right now, he'd probably pay it," Honey Venom said reassuringly, "The same goes for Wheeljack. I'm surprised at how well you and he get along, Q. I never thought a brainiac would be your ideal parent, considering how against learning you always were back in Altihex.""Aw, shaddup!" Q-Boom drawled with mock irritation, "You're just jealous because we have parents and you have a chaperone. Say, how is the Designated Driver?""Skyfire is doing well, actually," Honey Venom said before taking a sip of her energon and leaning back, "He transported a group of humans from a flood zone. They gave him a blanket that was knitted by their local quilting club. He doesn't need a blanket, but I can tell he still treasures their gift. Personally I think the humans look like water-filled bugs mixed with monkeys, but who am I to judge?""Look on the bright side, I hear Banana hates the humans, too," Q-Boom teased her as she flew up to the backrest of the couch and perched on it, "Who knew you two had so much in common?""Do not compare me to Sunstreaker!" Honey Venom warned with a dangerous edge to her tone, "As I said, I've been watching the guardians carefully, and I have some concerns. I think Terrabyte is about to blow her cover, and Sunstreaker will not hold back if he knows the truth about her.""What should we do?" Phobia asked worriedly."What can we do?" Q-Boom asked rhetorically, "Terrabyte got herself into this mess, and she can get herself out.""That's the problem, Q. She can't," Honey Venom told her, "Sunstreaker views our dear Terrabyte as his daughter now. To try to remove her from the home would be suicide. She's done well so far, but she's not acclimating to her new environment. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe will become suspicious if she doesn't start behaving like an adopted daughter instead of a cornered turbo rat. Now that I think about it, you two have endeared yourselves to the Autobots very well so far. You are both model sparklings, and therefore might do well to tutor Terrabyte on the proper way to treat a foster father.""I know, I know!" Phobia jumped up and down and raised her hand, "She should give him a present! When I want someone to like me, I give them presents! Of course, she would have to get two presents because Sideswipe will want one too, but she has to give the best present to Sunstreaker otherwise he'll think she likes Sideswipe more.""Oh, and she can play games with Sunstreaker and follow him around while he's at work!" Q-Boom added, "I always follow Pop around when he's working. Maybe she could make something explode. That's always good for a laugh.""Um...Maybe Phobia should be Terrabyte's tutor," Honey Venom said as gently as she could manage, but it still came across as condescending, "No offense, but you have a very...big personality. Terrabyte is shy, and probably wouldn't be able to pull off your particular brand of socialization techniques.""It still won't work," Q-Boom commented, "Terrabyte will never love Sunstreaker, and she's not a very good actress. We still need a way to get her out of there without getting the twins mad at us.""Well...There is one avenue I haven't tried yet, but it's risky," Honey Venom replied hesitantly, "I will try it, but I won't tell you what I'm doing.""Aww, come on! You gotta tell us!" Q-Boom whined."No, I don't," Honey Venom replied with finality, "If this fails, I don't want anyone tracing my actions back to you. If anyone asks you know nothing, and I was acting alone.""Got it. We know nothin'," Q-Boom nodded."Yes, that shouldn't be too difficult for you to pull off," Honey Venom quipped as she stood up, "I'm going to enact my plan now. Wish me survival.""Hope you don't die!" Q-Boom chirped happily."Don't scratch Sunstreaker in his recharge!" Phobia added, "I know you want to, but don't do it!"Honey Venom rolled her optics at her friends. Sometimes they were just so blunt, but she knew she shouldn't expect anything else. After all, they were only sparklings.Later that day Phobia was feeding off Red Alert. He drank extra energon in the rec room to make sure she got enough, and he was feeling a little weighed down. The time she spent with her friends seemed to do her a lot of good, but there still seemed to be a cloud hanging over their heads."Sparklet," Red Alert tried again, despite knowing she probably wouldn't say anything, "Did I do something to upset you? You've seemed rather sullen lately. You know you can tell me anything, right?"At first he thought she would ignore his question again. He was sure she didn't want to talk to him, but then..."Why did you adopt me?" Phobia asked out of the blue."Because I wanted to keep you safe and happy," Red Alert replied without hesitation."Really?" Phobia asked."Yes, really," Red Alert said as he leaned back in his chair so he could hold Phobia at a more comfortable angle."Then why did the Autobots let you keep me?" Phobia asked suspiciously, "Are they trying to boost their ranks with death machines?""Sparklet, if that was all the Autobots wanted you would've already been upgraded by now," Red Alert answered her candidly, "That's how Megatron does things. He won't wait for a spark to be ready for adulthood. He and Shockwave will upgrade mechs that aren't even a vorn old yet. You know those Stunticons you ran into? They're only a couple earth years old. They're crazy because their sparks can't handle the adult bodies they were given. Of course, I would never do that to you. You're my little femmeling.""Does the Prime want me to upgrade?" Phobia asked nervously."No, he knows you're not ready," Red Alert reassured her, "Phobia, you are not a tool to be used and thrown away. You're a person, and everybody here knows that. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.""I love you, Daddy," Phobia said as she hugged Red Alert."I love you too, Sparklet," Red Alert replied as he put his arm around Phobia.The two just sat there in silence for a while. Phobia fed off Red Alert until she fell into recharge, and Red Alert didn't feel like getting up to move her to the berth, so he just sat there in the chair with his bundle of joy.Honey Venom took in a deep intake of air, and steeled herself for what she was about to do. Going into the Prime's office unannounced seemed like a very bad idea, but she needed to do this for Terrabyte. Out of all of her friends Terrabyte was the most loyal, and she couldn't afford to lose that loyalty when the others were no longer dependent on her to survive. To think she had been replaced by Autobots…She knocked on the door, knowing she could easily be turned away, but surprisingly the Prime invited her in. He even seemed happy to see her. She took this as a sign of his good mood and proceeded to sit down. She just hoped the words she chose for this meeting would be well-received. She needed the Prime on her side."Honey Venom, what can I do for you?" Optimus Prime asked in a friendly tone of voice.Honey Venom tried to keep her features neutral and her stance professional. She was an Autobot soldier after all, and she didn't want what she said next to sound too emotional."Prime sir, I am grateful that you have allowed me to see you on such short notice," Honey Venom said cordially, "I have a matter of great importance to discuss. You see sir, I believe that my associate Terrabyte is in danger.""Oh?" Prime asked as he quirked an optic ridge, "And why do you believe that?""Well sir…" Honey Venom froze for a moment. She was about to bad-mouth one of the Prime's most useful warriors. She needed to present a solid case. "...I believe that Sunstreaker is unfit to be Terrabyte's guardian, and I humbly request that you remove her from his care and transfer her to a different Autobot. If necessary, I will take her."Optimus Prime said nothing, and his face mask made him difficult to read, but Honey Venom was sure he was unconvinced. After an awkward pause, she spoke again."Please understand that I respect Sunstreaker's abilities as a soldier," Honey Venom quickly added before continuing to make her point, "I just don't think he's the best mech to raise a sparkling, and especially a special needs case like Terrabyte. She was sparked from Decepticon parents, and no matter what she is now, nothing will change the fact that she was born a Decepticon. Sunstreaker hates Decepticons, and has used this as an excuse to torment my associate. He treats her like garbage, and because of his abuse she is losing sleep and lives in constant fear. If she is ever to be an effective Autobot she needs to feel that her Prime will watch out for her. All I ask is that you find someone who will not use Terrabyte's coding against her."Honey Venom exaggerated her case, but she knew it was for the greater good. If the Prime was to side with her, then she needed him to believe in the immediate threat. Autobots were soft-sparked, and appealing to his sense of pity seemed to be the best bet for getting Terrabyte away from the twins."Honey Venom," Optimus Prime said after a moment, "I believe you are mistaken. I have seen Sunstreaker with Terrabyte, and the way he treats her. I've never seen Sunstreaker care about anything the way he cares about that sparkling. He and Sideswipe have done everything in their power to help Terrabyte to heal. I will have Prowl look into this, but I doubt he'll find anything untoward. I understand why you believe this. You're scared for your friend because of your shared Decepticon heritage. You are wrong about one thing though: what you are now matters more than who you used to be. I do not judge what you once were, and the Autobots accept you and your friends as you are.""I see," was all Honey Venom could think to say, "Thank you for your time, sir. I also thank you for looking into my claims. I'm sorry I bothered you, sir. Am I dismissed?""Yes, Honey Venom," Optimus said with an air of bemusement, "Hopefully everything will be ironed out soon enough. You and your friends are doing fine. Don't worry so much. You will fit in soon enough."Honey Venom bowed slightly at Optimus Prime and left without another word.That meeting was a disaster! Now not only was Terrabyte still unprotected in her home, but now Honey Venom would be a known saboteur (and not the official kind). She had to get the twins away from Terrabyte before they discovered what she really was...
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Chapter 22Give and TakeRed Alert was walking Phobia back to their quarters after another play date with her friends at Wheeljack's lab. Normally Red Alert was too worried about explosions to bring his little sparkling to such a dangerous environment, but this time had been different. Wheeljack's latest invention was finished and tested, and he just wanted to brag about it and let the sparklings and their parents try it out.The invention, affectionately named the vending machine, was a device that could refine energon with 99.9998% accuracy as well as infuse it with vitamin and mineral "flavors". The invention had been a success, and Red Alert felt great after having drank an energon concoction that was laced with cobalt and pure pantothenic acid. Since he couldn't drink high grade with Phobia around, Red Alert found even the slightest change in his energon increased the flavor sensation dramatically.When Red Alert and Phobia made it back to their shared quarters, Phobia looked up at him and said "Daddy, I'm hungry."Red smiled down at her and took his usual spot in the chair so Phobia could feed off him. She curled up in his lap and attached her suckers to his chassis. After a minute or two of feeding, however, Phobia said "Your energon tastes funny.""What do you mean? Do you think I've been poisoned?" Red Alert asked reflexively."I don't know, but it tastes funny," Phobia replied, "It kind of tastes like metal.""Huh? Oh, now I get it!" Red Alert exclaimed in relief, "You're tasting the cobalt. That's from Wheeljack's invention, Sparklet. That's all.""Hm...So I can taste what you drink?" Phobia posited."I guess you can," Red Alert assumed, "Maybe we should test this. We can go back to Wheeljack's lab and try out some other flavors. If you can taste those too, then we'll know."The pair went to Wheeljack's lab a few minutes later and found him showing off the invention to Sludge and Swoop, who were in their robot modes. Sludge looked at the device longingly as he waited impatiently for Wheeljack to finished mixing nickel and calcium into the energon."Hey, Wheeljack," Red Alert called out when he and Phobia entered the room, "When you get that finished, can I try some?""You Red Alert no steal me Sludge's energon, do you?" Sludge asked suspiciously."Who? Me? No, I just want to see if Phobia can taste it when it's in my system," Red Alert explained."Hm...That's an interesting experiment," Wheeljack commented, "Let's try it."The group then waited for the enhanced energon to mix and process, and then once it was finished Wheeljack gave some to Swoop, Sludge, and Red Alert. Red Alert drank some and shook a little from the bitter taste in the energon. Phobia watched him, and he realized he'd have to drink more of the awful tasting energon if Phobia was going to get to try any of it. Exhaling sharply, Red Alert downed the rest of the nickel/calcium energon and somehow kept himself from purging.Once he was sure the bitter tasting scrap was in his system he positioned Phobia in his arms so she could feed off him. Phobia took in the energon through her hands, and then yanked her hands away and spat out the energon through the holes!"Yuk! What did Mr. Wheeljack do, get Mr. Sparkplug to pee in it?" Phobia exclaimed sourly as she tried to purge her fuel tanks through her hands.Red Alert was shocked by what Phobia just said, but couldn't help but laugh at it just the same. Phobia didn't know what was so funny, and her confounded face just made it even funnier!"What problem?" Sludge asked, "Me Sludge like energon."Red Alert visibly cringed when he saw the apatosaurus slurp down that nasty energon! What was that Dino-brain thinking?The rest of the visit was mostly the same. Red Alert tried several things and then let Phobia try them once it ran through his system. Her favorite was when Red Alert ate an entire box of energon goodies so she could get a sense of the flavor. Red Alert didn't like candy, so that wasn't exactly his favorite moment.Eventually they left, and both were as stuffed as teddy bears by the time they made it back to their quarters. Phobia took a black marker out of the drawer and drew a big black smile across her face, and Red Alert didn't know quite how to react. When he didn't say anything, Phobia exclaimed "I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner!"Red Alert found himself laughing again, and soon the pair were going over her math homework together. Red Alert didn't remember the last time he was this happy, or the last time he'd laughed that much. As far as he was concerned, Phobia was one of the best things that had ever happened to him...Even if he did still feel like he needed to throw up.Skyfire loved being out in nature, and going up to the Andes Mountains to collect soil samples seemed like a perfect excuse to indulge in his love of the great outdoors. Honey Venom tried to keep a bright smile on her face, but at this point it looked more like the creepy wince of a prom queen being held against her will."Isn't the air so clean up here?" Skyfire asked as he looked up at the sky and inhaled an intake of cool mountain air."Is it always this cold?" Honey Venom asked as she held her arms together and shivered."No...From my experience it can get much colder," Skyfire said sardonically, "When I was frozen on this planet it was during an age of extreme temperatures for planet earth. I suppose going to explore the North Pole at that time was foolhardy, but I had never seen such an interesting weather phenomenon before. I suppose I should have just…"Honey Venom waited for him to finish, but he didn't. Skyfire's cheerful mood clouded in that moment, but Honey Venom didn't know why."Um, Skyfire?" Honey Venom said after a few minutes had passed, "Do we need any plant samples?"Skyfire nodded absentmindedly. What he was going to say before he caught himself was I should have just listened to Starscream. What would their lives had been like if Skyfire hadn't been so foolish and flown straight into a snowstorm? He had often thought of it. Would his former friend have joined the Decepticons if Skyfire had still been there? Would Starscream have become a serial killer if he had just had one friend to keep him sane? How many lives could've been saved if Starscream had never become a monster?"Skyfire!" Honey Venom called impatiently, and Skyfire could tell from the tone that it wasn't the first time she called him."Yes, Honey Venom?" Skyfire finally answered her."I need to borrow your loupe," Honey Venom demanded rather than asked."Oh, well, I suppose, but be careful with it," Skyfire cautioned her, "It is one of my most prized possessions.""Really? This old lense? Why?" Honey Venom asked cynically."Because it was one of the few things in my subspace when I was frozen," Skyfire explained, "I don't have many things from Cybertron, but I do have this loupe. It was a gift from my father on my graduation day from the Iacon Science Academy.""Oh," Honey Venom replied, a glint of realization in her optics, "Were you and your father close?""Oh, yes," Skyfire nodded fondly as he remembered the older shuttle, "He was so proud of me when I graduated. I was the first model in my family to ever go to college and be something besides just a transport vehicle. He wanted to get me a gift that was fit for an intellectual. Most of my friends and family gave me laser pen sets. He didn't want to give me something so generic, but he didn't know anything about the sciences, so he just bought the most stuck-up thing he could find; a jeweler's loupe. It was a good thing I majored in microbiology, or else that thing probably would've been used to burn insects."Honey Venom laughed at that last joke, but she could still tell that something was bothering Skyfire. She wanted her mentor to enjoy his work (even if he did choose the slagging tundra to work in) so she decided to stop avoiding the subject and try the direct approach."Skyfire, is something bothering you?" Honey Venom asked."Well...When we started talking about my father it made me wonder whether or not he's still alive," Skyfire told her, "He was alive when I was frozen, but that was thousands of vorns ago. What if he joined the Decepticons, too? What if he was killed or forced into slavery? How will I ever know?"Honey Venom was not in her element with this one. She could manipulate, she could command, and she could suck-up, but she wasn't good at giving comfort to others. She also hated talking about the past with Skyfire. His psyche was as delicate as a porcelain doll, and she knew talk about war and death would just upset him. The worst part was Honey Venom never knew what parts of her speech to censor. She had grown up with the war. It was all she knew. She didn't know how much Skyfire could tolerate."When we first rescued you," Skyfire said quietly to Honey Venom, "We noticed the electrum armor you had, and Ironhide said he was surprised that you weren't stripped for spare parts and left to die. If that could happen to a sparkling, then what could happen to an old mech like my father?""Anything," Honey Venom said bluntly, "Anything could happen, but that doesn't always mean bad things. For all you know he could be a high ranking Autobot official, or working for the Decepticon in a nonviolent sector, or maybe he ran away to be a neutral. That could've happened as well. Either way, you know he loved you, and when you look at your loupe you should think happy thoughts. After all, you don't know if anything bad happened, but you do know that good things happened on that day when you graduated and your father gave you a gift that makes a perfect anti-insect weapon."Skyfire smiled at her feeble attempt to be funny and cheerful. She just couldn't pull it off, but Skyfire was so grateful she tried."So Honey Venom, what is your most prized possession?" Skyfire asked; hoping to change the subject."Why should I tell you?" Honey Venom asked defensively."Oh come on, I told you mine," Skyfire reminded her, "It's only fair you tell me yours.""Well, alright, but you have to promise not to gag!" Honey Venom shouted with her servo on her hip."I promise," Skyfire replied with an amused smile."Alright then, as you may or may not know, I like to collect things," Honey Venom prefaced, "My biggest collection is my books, and those are probably my most useful items, but my most prized collection is my collection of spark chambers."Skyfire had been digging up a plant when Honey Venom said this, but he paused as her words finally sunk in."Spark chambers?" Skyfire muttered, hoping he heard that wrong."Yes, Skyfire," Honey Venom confirmed, "I lived in a zone with heavy casualties, and sometimes dead soldiers would just be lying around in front of the foundling home. I would search the bodies for identifying markers, find the spark chamber, and rip it out for my collection. I used red paint to mark Autobots, purple paint to mark Decepticons and green paint to mark neutrals or unknown bodies. When an orphan would die sometimes I would sneak past the adults and rip out the sparkling's laser core for my collection. I would write their names on the spark chamber if I actually knew who they were. If any of the Sigma Sisters die before me, I promised to take their spark chambers and bronze them. Would you like me to do the same for you?"Skyfire reflexively clutched his chest as if she were reaching for his spark right then and there! He was horrified by what he was hearing! His daughter was not only a former Decepticon but also a ghoul! Laser cores housed the very soul of a Cybertronian in life, and it seemed wrong somehow to take the laser core of a stranger as your own. He didn't understand why Honey Venom did this. Then again, maybe he understood more than he wanted to. He knew that Honey Venom had issues due to living in a loveless and threatening environment for her entire life. He sighed, and tried to show a little compassion for her."Honey Venom, I would rather when I die that my laser core be with the rest of my body," Skyfire said diplomatically."Okay...So I can have it?" Honey Venom asked; missing the point.Skyfire gave her a disbelieving look, and she said "I'm sorry, but you're body will probably be used for spare parts after you die. If I don't take it someone else will."Skyfire didn't know how to get through to the lion-former, so he just sighed and went back to work. She took the hint and started collecting samples as well. She was still cold, but the chill in the air wasn't from the temperature anymore.
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Chapter 23LessonsHoney Venom, Q-Boom, and Phobia sat outside the Ark soaking up the cool yet sunny day. Q-Boom normally broke away from the group to fly, but today she decided to sit on the ground and color in the sketch pad Wheeljack had just bought her. She still managed to talk, but she was drawing all the while."Hey, Q-Boom? Can I have some paper, too? I wanna draw too!" Phobia asked."Yeah, sure. Give me a second…" Q-Boom put down her crayon and then took the thick artist pad and ripped it down the middle so she could give Phobia half."Thank you!" Phobia used her black sharpie to draw a big smile on her face."You probably shouldn't use black," Honey Venom commented, "Red would show up much better as well as match your optics. You have such lovely red optics and shouldn't let that go to waste.""Still upset about the blue optics, huh?" Q-Boom read between the lines.Honey Venom sighed, but didn't deny it. She hated her blue optics. She missed the fire her expressions once held. She missed the sinister glare she could give off, and the warmth of the red light's reflection off a dark surface. Now it was blue, and it felt like something in her had gone soft and died."Why don't you just ask Skyfire to give you red optics again?" Q-Boom asked as she continued to draw."I can't. Red is the color of the Decepticons," Honey Venom explained for what felt like the hundredth time, "Do you know what the penalty for treason is? Death.""But you're not treasoning anybody," Phobia pointed out, "You just like red optics.""That's like saying I just like purple sigils or I just like the idea of Bumblebee crying like a little sparkling as he's thrown off a cliff," Honey Venom snapped, "It's not innocent! My aesthetic tastes must not take precedence over my faction! I am an Autobot, and whatever I was before is irrelevant.""Yeah, right!" Q-Boom scoffed, "You're miserable, that's what you are."Honey Venom sulked as she crossed her arms and turned away from the others. She hated it when Q-Boom was right. Still, she needed to set an example for her sparkling friends, so she needed to at least pretend like she wasn't dying inside from this painful transition. She wanted them to be happy as Autobots, and it would be easier for them if she could pretend to be happy as well.She turned back around after a minute, and in an effort to change the subjected asked Q-Boom what she was drawing."This? It's a science project," Q-Boom replied without looking up from her paper, "I remember you tellin' me you almost went with a wasp alt-mode, so I did some research on wasps to see what was so great about them.""You mean you looked at internet videos of people torturing wasps," Phobia clarified accusingly."Whatever," Q-Boom muttered before getting back to what she was saying, "Anyway, as it turns out, wasps are really tough! I thought they'd be weak because they're small, but as it turns out you can cut their heads off or their afts off and they'll still fly away or search for food. I saw one video of a wasp flyin' away carryin' its own head! It was so awesome!""Yes, but the thing in your picture is green," Honey Venom pointed out, "What does a green thing have to do with wasps?""I'm gettin' to it!" Q-Boom snapped, "Anyway, I was thinkin' about my upgrades, and then I thought about when I grow up and have sparklings of my own. I decided that I want to do what Pop did and build a sparkling with my own donated spark and a cool sciencey body! Bein' a livin' bomb is really inconvenient, but bein' able to regenerate has saved my skid plate more than once, so I thought I'd want my sparkling to be able to regenerate from any kind of damage possible, and then the idea of the wasp came to mind! I'll bet Pop and I could make this thing together!""Let me get this straight," Honey Venom said with an exasperated tone of voice, "You want to build a predator-based Autobot that has the special ability of...breaking. That thing would be the laughing stock of Cybertron!""Hey, you were the one that said animal alt modes are the way of the future!" Q-Boom reminded her."I meant giant felines and Dinobots! Not green Insecticons!" Honey Venom corrected her with an irritable tone of voice."Yeah, well my idea is good!" Q-Boom yelled as she got up and hugged her notepad to her chest, "The joke's gonna be on you when you're dead and my sparkling is still alive! Pit, this thing will probably be harder to kill than the Joker!"Q-Boom flew away with her drawing as Honey Venom and Phobia shielded their optics from the dust Q-Boom kicked up with her thrusters. Honey Venom didn't know what the Joker was, but given Q-Boom's current obsession with human television, it probably had something to do with that. At first neither one knew what to say to the other, but finally Phobia broke the tension by saying:"So, where's Terrabyte today?""Terrabyte said she needed to get ready for her classes," Honey Venom replied, "She is taking a new battle strategy course since Smokescreen deemed her advanced in the field of mathematics.""Really? Who's teaching the class?" Phobia asked."Prowl," Honey Venom answered."Great! Prowl is usually my math teacher when he has time," Phobia said cheerfully, "He's kind of strict, but really smart.""Yes, he's one of the greatest tacticians Cybertron has ever known," Honey Venom said appraisingly, "Terrabyte will learn battle strategy from one of the Autobots' most brilliant minds. I just hope she doesn't crack under the pressure."Meanwhile, Terrabyte sat on a chair she dragged from her room to the outside of Prowl's office. Bluestreak walked by and noticed the little sparkling sitting in a stiff pose and staring at the wall. He wondered what was going on, and decided to check for himself."Hi, Terrabyte. How are you today?" Bluestreak asked cordially."I aM FinE," Terrabyte replied.When she didn't elaborate but rather let the words fade into an uncomfortable silence, Bluestreak decided to say something else."So, um...Are you waiting for Prowl?" Bluestreak asked."ProWL saiD to be HerE at ExActLy FifTeeN HunDrEd," Terrabyte replied, "It is CurrEntLy TweLve MinuTes UntiL...FifTeeN HunDrEd. I Must waiT unTil...he ExPectS me.""Um, how long have you been sitting here?" Bluestreak asked."TwenTy oNe MinuTes," Terrabyte told him, "I muSt not be EaRLy."Bluestreak raised an optic ridge before he walked away from the little femme. He might've talked longer, but he had to get to his own assignment on time. He remembered when Prowl used to wait until exactly seven minutes before a staff meeting before leaving his quarters because that would ensure he got there at exactly the time he was supposed to be there. It seemed as if the sparkling knew just how to win the SIC over.Terrabyte sat there in stony silence and waited for the twelve minutes to tick away on her internal chronometer. When it struck exactly fifteen hundred hours she got out of her chair and entered Prowl's office for her lessons.Prowl had just finished reading a report on one of his data pads. He looked up and nodded toward a chair for Terrabyte to sit in. She obliged him without a word, and the silence between them was metaphorically suffocating. At least long awkward pauses was something she was good at."So Terrabyte, Smokescreen tells me you have an above-average memory component in your processor," Prowl stated as he neatly stacked his data pads on his desk."I ReMemBeR my OWn BirTH," Terrabyte replied matter-of-factly.It took a second before Prowl felt comfortable speaking again. Terrabyte seemed to be upset about something, but he couldn't quite put his servo on it. She stared at him with unflinching yellow optics. It was a far cry from the gelatinous mess she had been the first time he ever saw her, but she still seemed unhappy to be in his presence. He had a job to do however, and he couldn't allow himself to get distracted."Terrabyte, a good memory is a key component to planning an effective battle strategy," Prowl told her, "If you follow my lesson plan exactly, you will learn how to become a productive and invaluable strategist. Someday you may even aspire to work in special ops or security."Terrabyte listened to everything he said with rapt attention, but she didn't reply. She simply waited for Prowl to get to the point. At the very least, she was finally starting to figure out that he didn't want to harm her. At least, not yet. Not yet was good enough for the moment."Alright Terrabyte, watch this simulation carefully," Prowl said as he dimmed the lights and turned on a holo-projector that formed a 3D image on his desk, "These are the Decepticon forces on earth. The first projection will show you their usual method of attack. After you have seen it, I want you to select a group of Autobots from the roster and position them where you believe they will be most effective. Then we will see what the results of your selections are."Terrabyte watched with wide focused optics as Decepticons attacked the simulated Ark. Seekers flew, Megatron fired his cannon, and Soundwave's cassettes rushed the smaller entrances. Terrabyte would turn from one fighter to the next and memorize every move they made. She knew that if she wanted Prowl's approval she had to master his class.The simulation cut off and then reset to where the Decepticons originally were. Prowl called up the long list of Ark residents and waited for Terrabyte to select the attack force, defense force, and backup force. Prowl expected her to select a large group. He knew she would probably get the positions wrong the first time, but he wanted her to take her time and think about where each soldier fit best.Terrabyte scanned the setting with her optics, and then scrolled over every last name on the resident list for the Ark. She found Sunstreaker, and placed him in front of the front door. She found Sideswipe, and she placed in directly in the line of seeker fire out on the open battlefield with no cover. She scrolled until she found little Phobia, and she placed her on the roof of the Ark just above the largest air vent where the cassettes had rushed in. She finally selected Optimus Prime and placed him on the edge of the Ark near Megatron."I am ReaDy. PlaY the SiMULatioN," Terrabyte ordered after she was done placing her characters."Terrabyte, there are only 4 Autobots out there, and one of them is a sparkling," Prowl chided her, "This simulation is illogical and doomed to failure.""PrOVe it," Terrabyte challenged him.Prowl knew this simulation would fail, but he had to show Terrabyte that it took a full unit to fight off the Decepticons. He played the simulation and watched with her what happened next.As predicted, the seekers began to attack Sideswipe; causing him to bleed energon profusely as he shot back at them. His shot hit Thundercracker's wing, and that caused the blue seeker to land. Sunstreaker, at the entrance, saw Sideswipe getting pummeled by seekers and ran out to defend his brother. In berserker mode Sunstreaker made quick work of the seekers, causing several other Decepticons to flee in panic. Optimus and Megatron wound up fighting near the front door, which made it inaccessible to the other Decepticons. Rumble, Frenzy, and Ravage tried to get to the vent, but seeing Phobia the energon leech scared them away; causing them to run in front of Megatron and Optimus and get blasted! Megatron called for a retreat, and the simulation ended with the only injured member of the Autobots being Sideswipe.Prowl stared at the simulation, and then at Terrabyte. It was unconventional, but he understood why she had chosen this method. Fewer mechs on the battlefield meant there were fewer casualties. He also noticed that Terrabyte chose Autobots that she was personally familiar with with the exception of Optimus Prime. He found this interesting because most mechs and femmes he knew tended to be sentimental and less inclined to send their loved ones out into battle."Terrabyte, why did you choose Sideswipe to use as bait?" Prowl asked intently."BecAUSe SunStrEAkEr wouLd coMe for hiM," Terrabyte explained."Yes, but Sideswipe could die if you send him out with no defense and no cover," Prowl pointed out, "Aren't you worried about your uncle dying?"Terrabyte didn't answer him right away. She looked hurt, maybe, but it was hard to tell considering how few facial expressions she seemed to have."I thOughT You woulD be HaPpY," Terrabyte finally said, "You...DoN'T LiKe SiDeSwiPe.""Terrabyte, I know I'm hard on the twins, but that doesn't I hate them enough to want them dead," Prowl explained as calmly as he could considering what she was implying about him, "Quite the opposite actually. I care about the twins. I watched them go from jaded and hateful young gladiators to functioning members of the Autobot crew. I know they're adults and have been for some time, but in a lot of ways I still see them as younglings. I just want them to learn responsibility. They need to learn how to function for the day when there is no war. You need to learn the same, but sadly we must also look to a future where you will have to fight.""I'm SoRry," Terrabyte replied as she bowed her head sorrowfully, "I DoN't WanT to kiLL SideSwiPe. We CaN uSe SpiKe as BaiT inSTEaD. BuMbleBEE will SaVe him."Prowl sighed and set up the simulation again; grateful that there were no humans on the roster. Terrabyte was an odd sparkling to try to figure out. Did she like Prowl or hate him? Did she love Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, or not? All he knew for sure was that she had a logical mind and an unorthodox approach to battle.The next day, Q-Boom was in flight maneuvers class with Powerglide and the Aerialbots. Powerglide wasn't a very good teacher, but he was the best they could get when Skyfire was doing something else. The Aerialbots weren't the best classmates either. They were a gestalt, which meant Q-Boom was the weird outsider. She hated having classes with them, but it was fun to watch Silverbolt panic when he got too high off the ground. She still wondered why the Prime made Silverbolt the gestalt's leader."Alright class, first we're going to watch a video of the last fight you were in with Menasor," Powerglide addressed the Aerialbots, and once again Q-Boom crossed her arms and pouted at being left out, "I'll point out where your moves were spot on and where you could improve. After that, we'll work on flight maneuvers.""What makes you think you can tell us how to fly and fight?" Slingshot instigated for the third time that week, "We were built to fight! We're the best fliers on this ship! Why can't anybody see that?""They probably can't see it for all the smoke you left behind in your last crash," Q-Boom quipped grumpily."Cram it, pipsqueak!" Slingshot snapped as he pointed a digit right in Q-Boom's face."Guys, calm down," Silverbolt said as he stood between the two potential combatants and looked them both in the optics one by one, "Powerglide is just trying to help us be a more effective team. Let's just watch the tape, okay?""Fine," Slingshot said through gritted dental plates."Whatever," Q-Boom drawled as she sat down hard on her chair.Powerglide played back the last battle, and Q-Boom only paid half attention to what was going on. She knew that tape wasn't meant for her, and on some level this class wasn't for her either. This was for Optimus Prime's golden boys, the Aerialbots. She was smaller than them, she had never been in a fight with Megatron's forces, and she wasn't part of a gestalt like they were. Q-Boom hated to admit this even to herself, but she was jealous of them and the bond they shared. Sometimes she wished she and her Dino-brothers were a gestalt.It got to a point in the tape where Superion was grappling with Menasor. Menasor shouted "Destroy Autobots!" and Superion countered with "Just try it, Decepticreep!"Powerglide paused the tape to demonstrate something to the Aerialbots, but he couldn't talk right away because Q-Boom was laughing her helm off for reasons no one yet knew."Hey sparkles, what's so funny?" Slingshot asked rudely."That's Superion?" Q-Boom managed to ask between laughing, "You guys...haha! You sound like the Green Goblin! Hahahaha! You guys are like 50 feet tall, and you sound you got kicked in the ball bearings! Hahahaha!"Fireflight looked visibly embarrassed, and Air Raid and Slingshot scowled at the insolent femmeling. Silverbolt and Skydive looked more curious than offended, and Powerglide started laughing when he realized she was right. Nobody told Powerglide that she found his voice even funnier than Superion's.They watched the video for an hour followed by questions and comments. Q-Boom barely participated at all. This part of the lesson wasn't geared toward her, and she was just waiting for the flight training. That was when she really had fun with these overgrown bozos.Honey Venom grew more concerned by the day as she watched Terrabyte seclude herself more and more from the group. The lioness femme took to planting spy cameras in Sunstreaker's and Sideswipe's room to gather information on how they treated Terrabyte, and their future plans for Honey Venom's most loyal asset.Having Terrabyte in the hands of a maniac that hated Honey Venom's very circuits didn't set well with the newly upgraded femme. Turning to the Prime hadn't worked, and manipulation wasn't working, so she needed to think of a new approach to get Terrabyte away from Sunstreaker. She could think of only one Autobot that might be willing to help her, but it was risky. Then again, she'd already risked going to the Prime. How much worse could this be?She knocked on Skyfire's door, and he admitted her into his quarters. This was it. He was her last hope of getting her Sigma Sister back. She steeled herself for the level she was about to sink to, and hoped it wasn't for nothing."I am glad to see you Honey Venom," Skyfire said with a slight hint of apprehension, "Is everything alright?""Skyfire, I need your help," Honey Venom cut to the quick, "I need a huge favor, and I only hope that you will hear me out."Honey Venom hated baring her soul, and she hated asking anyone above her rank for favors. After all, that was what subordinates were for. In this case, however, she needed someone that the Prime would listen to."What do you need, Honey Venom?" Skyfire asked as he subconsciously put his servo in front of his spark chamber to keep her from stealing it."I need you to help me convince the Prime to give me custody of Terrabyte," Honey Venom said vehemently, "She needs to be here, with us, and not with the twins. They are only using her, and I cannot allow it to continue. She was my teammate first. They can't have her.""Honey Venom, I think I know what this is about," Skyfire replied gently, "You're afraid you're losing your friend because she has a life outside of your group now. Her busy schedule and your busy schedule keep you apart, and you're afraid your friendship won't survive. You have nothing to worry about, Honey Venom. She is still your friend no matter who she lives with or who her parents are. You-""That's not the problem, Skyfire," Honey Venom cut him off before he could continue, "You think this is about friendship? You think I chose those femmes for my gang because I liked them? No! That came later. This is business."Skyfire was taken aback by how blunt and how cold she sounded as she spoke about the sparklings as if they were never her friends and therefore never meant anything to her."Do you know what those three will be capable of when they're upgraded?" Honey Venom asked softly as she leaned in to look Skyfire in the optics, "Q-Boom will have the explosion capacity of a 4 megaton bomb. Phobia will be able to bleed mechs dry of all vital fluids and crush their bodies like soda cans over her knee joints. Terrabyte will be able to make a mech's head explode without moving a single servo. Sure, you look at them now and see cute innocent little sparklings, but when they grow up they're going to be monsters, the likes of which Megatron would eat his own fusion cannon to obtain. I'm already a monster. Sure, my poison is impressive and deadly at this stage, but my powers pale in comparison to what my Sigma Sisters will be able to do. Do you really want Sunstreaker to be master over that level of power? He isn't as benevolent as you. He might use Terrabyte to kill the Prime and take his place. She'll do it for him, too. Terrabyte would never disobey her father. Do you see the problem?"Skyfire saw a problem alright, but it wasn't with Sunstreaker. Honey Venom made it clear that her intent was to use the Sigma Sisters' abilities for whatever she saw fit, and clearly she was upset that the Autobots might interfere with her absolute control over her little sparkling puppets.Skyfire was upset with Honey Venom, but didn't want to say so right away. She was right about one thing: her poison was deadly. If she wanted to kill him and add his laser core to her collection then he probably wouldn't be able to stop her alone. He would've comm'ed security, but she technically wasn't doing anything yet, and she was an Autobot. It was a conundrum."Skyfire, answer me," Honey Venom said less harshly than he thought she would, "I know you probably don't want to incur the wrath of Sunstreaker, but Sunstreaker won't disobey the Prime if he orders Terrabyte's removal from his quarters. Please, I need you to vouch for me. The Prime must believe my story if he is to help us bring Terrabyte home.""No, Honey Venom," Skyfire hadn't meant to say that out loud, and he hadn't meant to say it so firmly, but he did, "No. I won't help you take that sweet little femme away from her guardian. My mind is made up."Honey Venom was taken aback by his refusal. She just stood there for a moment staring at him, hoping he would look up at her shocked and pitiful face and help her. She should've known he wouldn't. She wasn't little anymore, and she wasn't cute anymore. She needed a new set of tricks to get her way."Skyfire…" Honey Venom wasn't sure what she wanted to say at first, but finally she just settled for, "...Why don't you trust me?"Skyfire actually looked up at her for that one. Why didn't he trust her? Was she kidding? Every move she made was either self-serving, antagonizing, or manipulative. She'd just tried to convince him to vouch for her word when he didn't even know what she'd said! Rather than say that though, he just put his head back in his hand and slouched on his berth. Honey Venom got the hint and went away.Q-Boom and Slingshot were neck-and-neck racing across the clouds. The others were way behind them still worrying about their technique, but these two were tired of the lesson and just wanted to show each other up./Hey half-pint!/ Slingshot comm'ed Q-Boom, /You fly worse than Tracks, and he's a car!//Yeah? Well...You're...You're bald!/ Q-Boom shouted back after taking a minute to think up a quick-jab response./What are you talking about?/ Slingshot asked in a scoffing tone of voice./I mean you don't have a real helmet like everybody else,/ Q-Boom replied as if it should be obvious, /You're daddy Optimus Prime forgot to give you a helmet because he knew you didn't have a brain to protect!//Oh, yeah? Well- Tree!/ Slingshot suddenly shouted./Tree?/ Q-Boom asked obliviously right before she crashed into an oak tree and exploded.Her pieces went everywhere, and the oak tree caught fire! The other Aerialbots and Powerglide caught up just in time to see the destruction and see the oh frag expression on Slingshot's face."Not again…" Silverbolt moaned as he rubbed the bridge of his nose cone."Hey, it wasn't my fault! She called me bald!" Slingshot shouted defensively."So you set her on fire?" Fireflight asked worriedly."No! She crashed because she wasn't looking where she was going! Again!" Slingshot hollered.Q-Boom pulled herself together and looked back at the group who held a mixture of accusing and sympathetic stares."What?" Q-Boom asked as she picked a branch out of her vents and looked back at them as if nothing had happened.Honey Venom huffed as the door to her quarters shut obediently behind her. She couldn't believe Skyfire, her own mentor, had refused to believe her! She had no real friends aboard the Ark. She realized that now. Only her Sigma Sisters were reliable, and they were too small to do anything useful. Besides, every one of them, including herself, was beholden to the Autobots for their very survival.She was so angry! Everything was a lie! She tried to fit in, but it was all a sham. She had never done anything but help Skyfire and offer her services to the Autobots, and how did they repay her? With mistrust and empty platitudes!She couldn't take it anymore. She had to prove herself to them. She needed to prove she and the others were good enough. She had to prove she was worthy to be called an Autobot. She would deliver Megatron's helm on a pike if she had to, but they were going to accept her! She would make them beg her to stay!Her outrage soon found physical release when she raked her claws with all her might against the orange walls of her room! The screeching noise was ear-shattering, but she didn't care. It felt good to destroy something. She tore apart the circuitry to the ventilation system in her quarters, she knocked over the lamp, and she shredded her berth! She redecorated her quarters with her own fury!She vented hard as she surveyed the damage she had done, and that was when she saw the vanity mirror next to her desk. It was still intact. She walked over and looked at her reflection, and there they were...those horrible blue optics staring back at her, taunting her by being attached to her face.She thought about breaking the mirror, but that wouldn't help. The optics would still be there, and still be blue, even if she couldn't see them. No, there was only one solution to this problem, and at least this was one problem she could solve by herself. She gently pressed her thumbnails against her optics, exhaled, and suddenly smashed her optics out with her thumbs!She screamed in pain, and she couldn't see anymore, but her scans told her that it had been a successful operation. The ugly blue optics were gone. Now all she had to do was stay in here and avoid Ratchet forever, and they would never have to be replaced.
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Chapter 24Where Did I Go Wrong?Honey Venom sat on the medical berth after having her optics replaced by Ratchet. They were blue, of course, and she had a pretty bad dent in her helm after Ratchet found out how she lost her optics in the first place. Yeah...Honesty wasn't something that tended to work in her favor.Q-Boom, Phobia, and Terrabyte were all there to see how she was doing. She was grateful to see them, but she hated to see her Sigma Sisters when she was in this kind of condition. It was humiliating."Hey, I think these optics are an even deeper shade of blue," Q-Boom teased Honey Venom with an amused smirk, "Just like earth's oceans. Seriously though, I can't believe you tore up your own quarters! I hate to say this Honey Venom, but I think you might be losin' your marbles. You've always been a conniving glitch, and I don't mind that so much, but this new adult body has made you crazier than usual.""It is not my adult body," Honey Venom retorted with all the dignity she could manage, "It's...something else."She wasn't willing to tell Terrabyte that she had been planning to separate her from Sunstreaker by force. Terrabyte would never agree to that no matter what was at stake. She also realized how foolish she had behaved in her moment of anger, but she wasn't willing to admit this to her friends."Did you tell Skyfire where you are?" Phobia asked."I don't think he wants to see me right now," Honey Venom admitted, "We didn't part on the best of terms.""DOeS he HaTe yOu?" Terrabyte asked pointedly."I don't know," Honey Venom replied sullenly, "I should've bonded with his spark while I was still young. Now it's too late for us to have a true father-daughter bond. He's a brilliant mech, and I admire him so much. I just want him to like me, to accept me as his daughter, but I don't think he does anymore. He's afraid of me. I can feel it. Why wouldn't he be? This red sigil doesn't make me an Autobot. It just makes me a Decepticon in drag."Q-Boom and Phobia laughed at that despite the seriousness of her words, and even Terrabyte let out a soft "LOL". Honey Venom frowned and tried to think of what she could do to salvage the situation. She couldn't afford to lose Skyfire's support in such a hostile environment."Hey Honey Venom, speakin' of adult stuff, I just remembered somethin'," Q-Boom said, forcing Honey Venom out of her thoughts, "There's this mech in my class named Skydive. I found out he's really into history books about both Cybertronian and earth history. It kind of reminded me of your love of military history. If you want I could set you up with him.""Skydive is a child," Honey Venom scoffed, "Besides, I don't give myself to weaker mechs. If I were ready to bond, I would probably go for Prowl or Optimus Prime. Of course before I could hit on the Prime I would have to ensure Elita One was dead first, so it's probably more trouble than it's worth.""Who's Elita One?" Q-Boom asked."Optimus Prime's bondmate," Honey Venom said as she rolled her optics in exasperation, "Honestly Q, would it kill you to read a book? Or at least a pamphlet?"Q-Boom got angry and was about to reply when the proximity alarm blared to life and every femme covered her audio sensors in shock and pain!"What the pit is that?" Q-Boom shouted irritably."We're under attack!" Honey Venom supplied, "I have to get to the entrance! I need to help defend the Ark!"Honey Venom ran out still covering her audio sensors, and the three sparklings were left staring after her. After a moment of stillness however…"I'm GoiNg OuT TheRe," Terrabyte announced."Yeah, me too!" Q-Boom shouted over the klaxon blare, "Our fathers and Honey Venom might need our help!""Do I need to bring anything!?" Phobia screamed over the alarm noise."No! Just follow us!" Q-Boom shouted back.With everyone in agreement, the sparklings ran after their adult counterpart to see what all the fuss was about and maybe help the Autobots win a fight.When Honey Venom made it outside, she saw that the Autobots were indeed fighting against Decepticon forces invading the general area. There were so many enemies, and several of them she didn't even recognize. That was to be expected. Most of her information was millions of years out of date.She scanned the area to see where she should go. Skywarp, elite trine member, teleporter, do not touch him or risk teleportation. Thundercracker, elite trine member, can generate sonic booms without moving. Long range attacks only. Rumble, Soundwave's Cassetticon, pile drivers, air attack preferable. Starscream, SIC of Megatron's forces, PRIORITY KILL, watch out for null rays.Honey Venom nodded to herself and made her way to Starscream, who was in an armlock with Jazz and about to gain the upper hand on the black and white minibot. Starscream roughly pushed the special ops agent to the ground and pressed the null ray against his helm."Say goodbye, Autobot!" Starscream shouted as he readied his weapon to fire.Before Starscream could fire, however, Honey Venom shot him in the chest with one of her poisoned claws! Starscream shrieked in pain and fell to the ground in a paralyzed heap, and Honey Venom casually walked toward him."Thanks, Honey V, you just saved my spark," Jazz said gratefully."Not a problem, sir," Honey Venom replied confidently, "I think those fliers are going to attack Cliffjumper. You might want to give him a hand.""Sure thing," Jazz nodded as he ran further into the battle.Honey Venom then turned back to her prize. Starscream was still trying to move and still trying to fire his weapon at Honey Venom's ankles, but she knew it was useless. She was free to rip out his spark. Surely this spark chamber would make a fine addition to her collection. Then she remembered something Phobia had said once…When I want someone to like me, I give them presents!Of course! How could she be so stupid as to forget? It wasn't enough to assassinate Starscream for Skyfire. She needed to give Skyfire the spark chamber as a gift to show how much she appreciated him. Then he would trust her again. Honey Venom smiled wickedly as she aimed her digits at Starscream's face. Her poison only had a 35% chance of killing him without treatment now, but with 5 more nail turrets he would be dead within seconds!As Honey Venom went to fire, however, there was a shout in her comm link and she accidentally shot her claws a few inches away from Starscream's face! She cursed as she watched the energon leak from her exposed fingers, but then decided to tune into the comm link to see who was shouting and why./SHRIiiIEEeeEKK!/ Terrabyte screamed.Honey Venom gasped and looked around to see if she could find Terrabyte and/or Shriek. She found Shriek lying on the ground in a heap and ran to see if the bird-bot was alive. Apparently Shriek's wings had been crushed by Astrotrain, and Terrabyte was futilely kicking the triple changer's leg out of spite.Honey Venom used her left hand to fire a round of poison into Astrotrain, but she wasn't as skilled at aiming with her left hand and the poison missed. Astrotrain looked at her and laughed tauntingly.Terrabyte saw Honey Venom approach the prone form of Shriek and ran to get closer."Is ShE AliVe?" Terrabyte asked worriedly.Honey Venom checked for the spark signature of the Filterbot…"Yes, she's alive, but barely," Honey Venom said out loud to Terrabyte, and then she comm'ed Q-Boom and said /Q! I need you to lock onto my position immediately! We need you to fly Shriek back into the Ark at once!//You got it, Honey Venom!/ Q-Boom affirmed.Honey Venom stayed by the bird-bot's side to ensure Q-Boom would find them, and Terrabyte looked warily to see if Astrotrain was going to attack them, but he seemed to have already moved on. All they could do was wait.Phobia, meanwhile, was watching the fight while trying to figure out whether or not she should get involved. She kept searching for her daddy, but she couldn't find him. She saw Inferno fighting off a big purple triple changer, but he seemed to be winning, so he didn't need her help. She looked around some more, and that's when she saw Bluestreak surrounded by seekers! There were three of them, and they had ugly pointy heads. They were so much taller than her! Phobia was scared, but Bluestreak was a nice guy and she couldn't let him die because she did nothing.Phobia ran after them and tripped a couple times in her rush to save Bluestreak. She finally made it to where they were, and reached for the nearest jet, the white one, and started draining his leg."YAH!" Ramjet hollered as he felt his energon being forcibly removed by the tiny parasite, "Get this thing off me!"Thrust grabbed at the sparkling, but her suction tubes were firmly locked onto Ramjet and she couldn't let go if she wanted to. Ramjet started panicking, and Thrust continued to pull in an attempt to pry the little hearse-former off Ramjet's pede. Dirge watched the scene with keen interest, and Bluestreak took the opportunity to break away from the group and search for his previously dropped pistol. Maybe he could rescue the sparkling before Thrust pulled her arms off."Stop doing that, Thrust," Dirge said in his typical dull voice, "I think I've seen that thing before.""Of course you have," Thrust replied drolly, "That thing is our trine leader."Ramjet shot Thrust a dirty look as the red seeker chuckled at his expense. Dirge wasn't paying them any attention, however. He was more interested in the sparkling attached the Ramjet's leg."Doesn't she look familiar to you guys?" Dirge asked pointedly.By this time even Phobia was a little curious, so she relaxed her grip and allowed the red conehead to pull her off Ramjet. He pulled so hard, however, that it caused him to fall backward and land on his back; damaging his right wing!While the other two tried to help Thrust up, Phobia noticed that Bluestreak was gone, so she decided to leave as well. No sense in letting the Decepticons tear her to pieces if she could help it. She ran, stopped after she was a few meters away, and waved back at them. Dirge was the only one who noticed her, and for some reason he decided to wave back.Q-Boom had taken Shriek back inside and Hoist immediately took her so he could begin to reconstruct her wings. Q-Boom didn't waste any time going back out there and seeing if she could help her friends.She saw Phobia running for the door, and stopped to see why her friend was running so quickly."Hey Phobia, what happened to you?" Q-Boom asked."I...I think I'm going to throw up!" Phobia said pitifully, "I drank too much energon from that seeker guy…""Which one?" Q-Boom asked."I think his name was Ramjet," Phobia said woozily as she tried to remain standing, "I really need to purge my fuel tanks!""Alright already, go go go!" Q-Boom snapped as she pushed Phobia's back and forced her further toward the ship, "Just hurry up! There a lot of enemies out here and we can really use your help!""Okay…" Phobia said softly as she staggered back into the ship.Q-Boom then looked for her Dino-brothers. They were happily making chew toys out of the Constructicons. Well, so much for Devastator. She looked around some more to see where she could be the most useful. That was when she saw Wheeljack trying to wrestle his newest invention out of Soundwave's grasp."Oh, no you don't..." Q-Boom growled softly as she revved her thrusters and took off after the Decepticon TIC.Soundwave had just managed to grab the machine after Rumble and Frenzy pushed Wheeljack over. Soundwave was running away with the device; a thing Q-Boom recognized as a new type of fuel pump that conserves energon. Q-Boom flew at an incredible speed and grabbed the part from Soundwave before he even noticed she was there. Q-Boom was feeling incredible, but then Soundwave opened fire, and that was a huge problem for the integrity of Wheeljack's device...Beep...Beep...Beep beep beep beebebebebebebeebee BOOM!Q-Boom went up in flames, and so did Wheeljack's new fuel pump. When Q-Boom resolidified, and saw the shock on Wheeljack's face and Rumble and Frenzy stopped dancing when they realized Soundwave didn't kill her."Uh...Look on the bright side Pop, at least the Decepticons didn't get it…" Q-Boom said feebly as she simpered and wished she had a different sigma ability.Honey Venom had only one priority now: get Terrabyte out of there! Screwball and Turret had been injured and Terrabyte was carrying them back to the Ark. Honey Venom followed closely behind to draw fire away from her friends. If the Decepticons were going to choose between attacking a poisonous femme and a sparkling, well, even they weren't shortsighted enough to choose the sparkling.Terrabyte was close to the entrance, when she was stopped by the massive form that was Motormaster! Honey Venom immediately fired her nails, and one shot managed to paralyze Motormaster's left arm. He growled furiously at Honey Venom, but he still grabbed Terrabyte instead!"ScREwBall, TuRRet, RuN!" Terrabyte ordered as she dropped the Filterbots.Screwball grabbed Turret in his jaws and limped back to the Ark with him. Terrabyte breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them make it inside. That feeling was mixed with the pain of being nearly crushed in Motormaster's ham fist."Let her go, you tasteless piece of scum!" Honey Venom yelled at Motormaster."No way!" Motormaster bellowed, "Megatron's orders. He wants the sparklings."Honey Venom would've planned her attack strategy better, but she knew nothing about Motormaster. The older warriors she understood, but Motormaster wasn't even a vorn old yet. His strengths and weaknesses were a mystery, so she was flying blind and hoping whatever she did worked.She brought a small handgun out of subspace and fired at Motormaster's helm, but his inbuilt force field was so powerful that it didn't even cause a dent! Honey Venom was about to run up to him and scratch him, but then she felt a large weapon being pressed into her back.She turned around, and saw the cold calculating stare of Megatron, and saw that his fusion cannon was aimed right at her spark chamber."Lights out, Autobot," Megatron growled, and then fired.The shot went right through Honey Venom's chest, and Terrabyte whimpered in horror at what she just witnessed!Megatron and Motormaster walked away with their new prize, and Honey Venom struggled to remain conscious."Oh great…" Honey Venom croaked as her smooth voice filled with static, "...And on my first day…"Before she passed out however, she had to find a way to save Terrabyte, and as much as she hated to admit it, she could think of only one way…/Honey Venom to...Sunstreaker...Terrabyte...Megatron...Hurry.../ Honey Venom lost consciousness before she knew whether or not Sunstreaker heard her.The Autobots saw that the Decepticons had ordered a retreat, and at first they were celebrating being able to fend off the invaders. That celebration was short lived when they saw the number of injured they had. Shriek, Honey Venom, and Bumblebee were all close to death. There was one other problem as well...The Decepticons had captured Terrabyte.
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Chapter 25You Owe MeThe Ark was in an uproar over the situation. Honey Venom was barely clinging to life on her medical berth, Bumblebee had nearly been offlined and had to have his fuel pump replaced, Shriek had to be nearly reconstructed from the ground up, and Terrabyte had been captured by the Decepticons!Sunstreaker was outraged, and it was everything Sideswipe could do to keep his yellow twin calm. Skyfire was crying and refused to leave the medbay while Ratchet operated. The twins paced the room that held Teletran 1, and Wheeljack and Jazz were the only ones brave enough to stay in the same room with them. Optimus Prime had also been damaged in battle, and yet was trying to console the distraught Skyfire. He was the only one who seemed to notice Skyfire's pain since so many were in the room to check on Bumblebee.In short, it was tense and overwhelming chaos.Q-Boom and Phobia stayed locked away in the Dinobot's lair. They didn't want the adults to know what they were doing in case their idea didn't work. Grimlock didn't ask what they were doing, and they didn't tell him. The Dinobot leader could tell that Q-Boom needed space."Have you cut through the static yet?" Phobia asked as she paced the room on pins and needles."I can't cut through it," Q-Boom explained for probably the fifth time, "Terrabyte has to cut through it. I'll tell you once I've established a comm link, and then we can have a conference call.""What's a conference call?" Phobia asked."It means a bunch of humans call each other at the same time and discuss business and lunch," Q-Boom explained in her own childish way."Oh. Okay," Phobia accepted the flimsy explanation and went back to pacing the room, "Do you think she's...dead?""I don't know," Q-Boom replied honestly, "I don't know nothin' about Megabutt. Honey Venom would probably know what's goin' on, but she's still in surgery,""Oh...How are the Filterbots?" Phobia asked after a moment of uncomfortable quiet."They're recuperatin' in Blaster's chest compartment. You know, if Terrabyte dies he'll probably be stuck with them forever."Q-Boom lightly chuckled as she thought about Screwball annoying Blaster or Turret and Shriek correcting him on things. The laughter wasn't true mirth, but it was a way to forget how miserable she and her younger friend Phobia were.Sunstreaker couldn't take it anymore! Optimus Prime was still in the medbay, and Prowl was doing nothing to get his daughter back. He wasn't just going to stand there and let the other Autobots handle this situation when it was his responsibility.Sunstreaker mentally kicked himself for not noticing Terrabyte was on the battlefield until it was too late. He had been busy fighting Thundercracker while Sideswipe fought Skywarp. He never considered the sparklings going out into battle, but then he heard the static-filled distress signal Honey Venom sent out. It took him a while to realize what she was even trying to tell him, and by then it was too late. The 'Cons were already gone.Honey Venom. She had to be the worst influence on Terrabyte! Sunstreaker knew she was probably the one that told the sparklings to go out and fight when they weren't ready. If she didn't die he might kill her.Sideswipe could feel the anger and determination through their twin bond, and he could already tell where this was going./You're planning on breaking into the Nemesis, aren't you?/ Sideswipe asked his brother./So what if I am?/ Sunstreaker asked challengingly./I'm coming too,/ Sideswipe declared, /She's my family too, Sunny. We'll show them that they can't mess with one of us! We'll tear that ship apart!//Really?/ Sunstreaker asked in mild surprise, /I expected you to say some slag about how we Autobots are a team and we shouldn't rush into things and jeopardize Terrabyte's welfare or whatever.//Heh. Guess you don't know me very well then, do you?/ Sideswipe said with a smile in his tone, /Let's just sneak out of here. Hopefully we're not too late./Sunstreaker looked back over at Sideswipe, who was across the room from him, and nodded subtly. Wheeljack and Jazz were still in the room. They would have to sneak past those two in order to make their escape. Sunstreaker was closest to the door, so he inched away slowly. Wheeljack noticed what was happening and the hard look in Sunstreaker's optics, and decided against his better judgment to intervene."Sunstreaker, do you need anything?" Wheeljack asked diplomatically, not knowing how else to start a conversation with the frontline warrior."Yeah, I need something!" Sunstreaker replied harshly, "I need Terrabyte back. I don't get it! Why would those Decepticreeps take my daughter but not yours or Red Alert's?""Well, I don't know about Phobia, but they didn't take Q-Boom for the same reason they don't take most of my stuff. She explodes," Wheeljack explained half-jokingly."Listen, you don't have to worry Sunny," Jazz added reassuringly, "We'll get Terrabyte back before you know it. She'll be fine until then. Even ol' Buckethead wouldn't go out of his way just to kill a sparkling.""Megatron has killed plenty of sparklings," Sunstreaker argued, "And don't call me Sunny!"Sunstreaker then pushed Jazz out of the way, and Sideswipe walked right past Wheeljack to follow his twin. At first Wheeljack just stood there in stupefied silence as he stared at them leaving. He finally got his wits about him enough to check to see if Jazz was alright."We've gotta comm Prowl!" Wheeljack insisted after he helped Jazz up."Naw, we don't," Jazz shook his head and fixed Wheeljack with a hard stare, "Those two need to do this. I know it's dangerous, but that's Sunstreaker's only sparkling. If the tables were turned and one of your creations was captured, I know you'd feel the same way.""Feeling and acting aren't the same!" Wheeljack contested, "The twins could get themselves or Terrabyte killed! Worse, the Decepticons could use Terrabyte to force the twins to do something against the Autobots. You know they would do it, too. As much as I like the twins, I know they're more loyal to each other than to us. That same attitude applies to Terrabyte as well. She's one of them.""They're not that weak, Wheeljack," Jazz said in an uncharacteristically serious tone, "If anyone can save Terrabyte it's them. They won't compromise, and they won't surrender. They'll save her. Don't worry about it, 'Jack."Wheeljack sighed, but it was clear Jazz had won the argument. Wheeljack couldn't help but worry about them. That was why he wanted them to wait. Megatron had probably already killed or converted Terrabyte. He didn't want the twins to be lost, too. As these thoughts flitted through Wheeljack’s processor, he completely missed the knowing smile Jazz had on his face. His vocalizer said to leave it alone, but his optics said he had a plan.Skyfire, meanwhile, was speaking to Optimus Prime in the medbay and trying not to think about how close Honey Venom had come to dying. Ratchet had said if it weren't for the partial electrum armor Honey Venom had built into her frame that her spark would've been vaporized. It frightened him to think about how close he came to losing her."This isn't right…" Skyfire muttered as Optimus sympathetically listened, "She might look like an adult, but she's still just a youngling. Younglings shouldn't have to fight and die for a cause they barely understand.""Skyfire," Optimus spoke in a gentle tone, "Honey Venom probably knows more about what she's fighting for than you give her credit for. She has lived with this war her entire life, and she knew the risks associated with engaging the Decepticons.""I just don't understand," Skyfire replied impotently, "Why would Megatron try to kill her? She was sparked a Decepticon. Wouldn't trying to convince her to join them make more sense than just shooting her?""All Megatron saw was a female Autobot," Optimus explained, "Where she came from doesn't matter. It doesn't matter to me, and it doesn't matter to Megatron. He wants all Autobot femmes dead, regardless of whatever they used to be or what they could do for him. Femmes can create sparks without the Vector Sigma. Autobot femmes mean more Autobots will be born. Megatron wants to stop us from repopulating so that eventually we will cease to exist. Even on Cybertron there are very few femmes remaining in our ranks. Even my own bondmate is not safe from the Decepticons. I worry about my Elita every day.""But Optimus," Skyfire interrupted as he looked back at his leader in shock, "What you are describing is genocide!""I know," Optimus said ruefully, "The truth is Skyfire, there aren't many of our forces left. In fact, almost half of our total population resides here on earth. As long as the Decepticons wage war against us, no one is safe."Skyfire shuddered and went back to staring at his daughter. She was alive, and would likely pull through, but for what purpose? She would just go out there and fight again. She would just risk being killed by the Decepticons again. At this point Skyfire almost wished she had abandoned him and joined her own kind. Maybe she would be safer with the Decepticons than here in the Ark. After all, it wasn't as if she truly believed in what they were fighting for. She believed peace through tyranny was reasonable.He only hoped she would live long enough for them to truly discuss it. He would have to be careful to keep an open mind and allow her to express herself this time. He would find out once and for all what Honey Venom really wanted.Inferno entered the security room after getting patched up by First Aid. He just had a few dents and scratches, but nothing major. Blitzwing was really off his game that day and Inferno defeated him easily.He saw Red Alert was still stationed in the security right where Inferno left him. The Lamborghini was collecting data from the last fight and trying to determine how their security systems could've neglected to tell them about the Decepticons until their forces were right on top of Autobot Headquarters."Long day, huh Red?" Inferno asked sympathetically."Yes," Red Alert replied distractedly, "I think Soundwave used a jamming frequency on our seismic proximity alerts and sky spy devices. I'll need to change the passcodes on those things immediately."At that moment Phobia entered the room with Q-Boom. Inferno looked down at the sparklings and a smile worked its way across his face plate."Howdy there, kiddos," Inferno greeted them warmly, "Say, Q-Boom. I saw you out there kickin' butt and takin' names! Who knew such a small Autobot could do so well out in battle?""Aw, it was nothin'," Q-Boom waved away his praise with a shy but proud smile."Nothing? That was irresponsible, that's what that was!" Red Alert chimed in, "How could your father let you go out there like that? Those Decepticons could've taken you prisoner just like they took Terrabyte! I would never let Phobia run headfirst into such a dangerous situation.""But I did go out there," Phobia corrected him, "I drank Ramjet's energon until I barfed, and the dark blue conehead waved at me."Red Alert's typing fingers froze in their tracks, and he slowly turned to look at Phobia. The horns on the side of his head started flashing pale green, and his optics started twitching as his logic circuits fritzed."Uh-oh…" Phobia said softly, "Daddy's Spidey-Sense is tingling…"Red Alert then fell out of his chair when his paranoia glitch sent him into stasis lock. Inferno rushed to help his friend back in the chair, and Q-Boom started whistling and shuffling out of the room. Phobia noticed Q-Boom was running away and leaving her alone with this, and yelled after her to come back. Yep, just another typical day for the Alert family.Terrabyte was almost grateful when she saw the great purple spire rising up out of the ocean. The Nemesis wasn't exactly welcoming, but she was so sick of being carried in the air like food for a hatchling bird that she was grateful for any sort of landing spot. Motormaster hadn't held her gently, and Terrabyte was starting to grow less afraid of him and more annoyed by him.When they landed she was forced to walk with the troops to the bridge. Terrabyte's optics scanned the halls they walked down and she memorized every detail. If she was going to escape then she needed to know exactly where she was. She also looked at every face in the crowd, and there were quite a few of them. The Stunticons flanked her on every side, and there were also the members of the elite trine, the secondary trine, the triple changers, and the Constructicons. Somewhere in the back was Soundwave with his cassettes safely tucked away, and Terrabyte noted that she could no longer see Megatron.Finally they made it to the throne room, and Terrabyte saw that Megatron was already there sitting in his chair with the Combaticons on monitor duty. She knew they were the Combaticons because of Honey Venom's text books, but Terrabyte noted that their current alt modes were really scrappy. Megatron stood up and faced the crowd with a smug look as he paced back and forth like a Sharkticon circling its prey."Well, well, well, it looks likes one of my troops finally did something right," Megatron said with a pleased look on his face, "Well done, Motormaster. You and your team will receive extra rations for this.""It's an honor to serve you, Megatron," Motormaster beamed at his leader's praise, and gave a taunting look to everyone else in the room."Now, as for the sparkling…" Megatron purred, and Terrabyte tensed at the scrutiny, "I'm sure the Autobots have filled your head with ideas about peace and love, about how being a soft-sparked glitch is the best course in life. Well, you can forget about that now. From this point forward you are a Decepticon, and you will either grow stronger or you will die. First of all, how old are you?""ThREE voRNs, and FifTy Two cYclEs," Terrabyte informed him dutifully."Ugh! What's wrong with this thing's voice?" Starscream complained, "I've tortured things that didn't sound like they were in as much pain!""Like you're one to talk, Starscream," Trust teased."Silence, you fools!" Megatron bellowed, "Three vorns...Almost old enough for an upgrade, but not quite. Very well then. I shall have to assign the sparkling a guardian until she is old enough to contribute to our cause…"Megatron pondered who he would assign to adopt the sparkling, and Terrabyte looked around for who she actually wanted to take care of her until she could leave. This wasn't her first rodeo, and Terrabyte had managed to get her way before. She wasn't about to leave this up to chance, or to Megatron, if she could help it."Thundercracker, you will care for the sparkling," Megatron announced."NoO!" Terrabyte snapped defiantly.Megatron looked down at the petulant sparkling and growled dangerously, but she wasn't afraid of Megatron. She backed away without taking her optics off the warlord until she was standing next to the mech she wanted as her guardian."AstRoTRaiN...Will CaRe for Me," Terrabyte insisted as she placed her little servo on Astrotrain's leg."What?!" Astrotrain exclaimed in shock, "No way! I'm not a sparkling-sitter! Find some other sucker, kid! I'm not doing it!""YeS, yoU ARe!" Terrabyte argued as she looked up forcefully at the much larger mech. She might've been intimidating if she weren't so small and delicate."Oh, come on, kid! Why do you want me?" Astrotrain whined."BeCAuSe...YoU OWE me," Terrabyte replied with finality, "YOu InJurED ScrEWBall and ShRiEK. You OWe Me.""That doesn't make any sense," Breakdown pointed out, "He hurts your friends, and you trust him not to hurt you?"Terrabyte looked up at the blue white and red Stunticon with a bored expression. She was tired of trying to explain her actions, as her Sigma Sisters would often ask her similar questions when she tried to collect a debt."It's NoT abOUt TruSt," Terrabyte tried to explain, "He OwEs Me."Megatron actually found himself snickering at the insolent little femme. She had the right attitude for a Decepticon, he would give her that much. She was stubborn, and even the threat of death wouldn't stop her from achieving her goals. Unfortunately, it also seemed like the little carrier had a death wish. Astrotrain was a lot of things. Strong, brutal, conceited, stupid, conniving, and mean. One thing he wasn't though was a good role model or caregiver. Okay, that was two things. Still, forcing him to take care of a sparkling seemed like a recipe for murder/suicide. For some reason, the idea amused Megatron."Very well, sparkling. I will assign Astrotrain to be your guardian for now," Megatron conceded, and barely hid the smirk that was forming, "But if you want to survive here then you better do exactly as he says. Understand?""YeS, SiR," Terrabyte replied respectfully and without a trace of the triumph she felt."Very well. You are all dismissed," Megatron commanded as he turned to sit back down in his chair.Astrotrain looked like he had just been put in charge of the mud-taste-testing division of their operation. He didn't want a sparkling, and he definitely didn't want this one! She was bossy and sounded like a distorted horror movie soundtrack. Nonetheless, he wasn't about to say no to Megatron, so he grabbed the sparkling in his fist and walked away with her. She hated being carried around like a human, but she endured it so she wouldn't be crushed like a eggshell in his grip.Terrabyte didn't say another word to Astrotrain or anyone else for the time being. That being said, one thought surprisingly kept running through her mind: she missed her home on the Ark, and she missed Sunstreaker.
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Chapter 26Debt CollectionSunstreaker and Sideswipe walked briskly along the ocean floor on their way to the Decepticons' underwater base to confront them and get Terrabyte back. Sunstreaker had never been so angry before. Those 'Cons just waltzed right into their territory and swiped his sparkling out from under him! The worst part was that he didn't even notice until after the Decepticons had already left.He imagined everything that could've happened in the time since she was taken. It had already been hours. She could've been beaten, or thrown in a cold dark brig cell, or had her vocalizer completely removed by some angry 'Con that didn't like the sound of her voice. The more he thought, the more he seethed. Sunstreaker was ready to tear the Decepticons apart one by one, and Sideswipe both felt the urge from his brother and felt it within himself. They would rescue Terrabyte by any means necessary.What they didn't know was that they weren't alone on their quest to save the little sparkling. Jazz, Mirage, and Seaspray had followed the twins and were staying just far enough behind them to avoid detection. Jazz didn't lie to Wheeljack when he said the twins were tough and could do this on their own, but he never said he wouldn't go with them to provide back-up. He just didn't want to get Prowl involved because investigations and planning would take too long in a situation like this one."What's the ETA for the Nemesis, Mirage?" Jazz asked."Another four hours on foot," Mirage answered glumly, "Shouldn't we transform?""Can't. After what happened last time the 'Cons have started scannin' for vehicles underwater that don't belong there. Trust me, this is the best way to avoid detection. Seaspray, how far ahead are the twins?""14 kliks," Seaspray replied in that burbling voice of his."Cool, we should get there just in time to join the party," Jazz said jovially, but they knew he was feeling the tension just as strongly as they were.The trio traveled on in silence and kept a close optic on the Lamborghini twins. They only hoped the twins and their sparkling would be okay, and Jazz pitied any 'Con that stood in their way.Astrotrain groaned in boredom as he sat in a chair in Hook's office. He hated the Constructicons' offices because he only ever saw them when he was injured. Having a green and purple mech rip out random objects from his sensitive cables every time he entered their rooms made him associate those rooms with terrible things.This time he was only there to wait while the medic scanned and prodded Terrabyte for her physical exam. She was very patient and didn't squirm around the medic. Astrotrain was squirming enough for both of them though as he tried not to twitch his body while he sat.He had only had the sparkling for a couple hours, but he was already tired of her. She had a horrible caterwauling voice, she stared at him, and she failed the combat simulations. Megatron ordered him to train her to be a warrior, but she was just so slagging bad at it. She would let herself get hit rather than attack. Astrotrain assumed it was some sort of loyalty to the Autobots that made her hold back. He would have to force that loyalty for the Autobots out of her, but he wasn't sure how just yet."Hm, well, this is new," Hook commented as he looked at the sparkling from every angle."What's new?" Astrotrain asked with unrestrained curiosity, "Is she broken?""In a sense, yes," Hook replied eloquently, "The sparkling has a DCY-3800 vocal synthesizer, but it appears to be damaged.""She has a dicey what?" Astrotrain asked idiotically."It is a very rare sigma part," Hook explained longsufferingly, "The DCY-3800 is a vocalizer that comes with over 1,000 different modulations. A few of those ranges, if used properly, can be deadly for their intended targets. Unfortunately this one has been tampered with. If you look at the scan here you can actually see the indentation where a mech's fingers were closed around the vocalizer. The pain must've been excruciating. This would also explain why she sounds so compromised when she talks. The part was never replaced.""Wait, so all you have to do is fix that dicey-whatzit and the sparkling will sound like a normal kid again?" Astrotrain asked hopefully."The part was rare even during the Golden Age of Cybertron," Hook informed him, "Sigma parts are very rare and very complicated. Remember what happened when Skywarp had his teleporter ripped out by those human military officers? It took weeks to build a new one, and we already had the specs for that one. Not to mention the airy and sensitive metals used for a sparkling frame. The utmost care would be required for any operation, let alone one as doomed to failure as this one.""Oh," Astrotrain slumped over in defeat."That being said, I need you to get out of my office," Hook ordered, "I'll need to call Bonecrusher and Scrapper to get the parts and Mixmaster and Scavenger to sketch out a blueprint. Oh, and tell Longhaul to go over inventory to see if he can find an extra audial triangulating array.""Wait, you mean you're going to do it?" Astrotrain asked; dumbfounded, "But you just said it was impossible.""Impossible? No, I said it would be difficult, but nothing is impossible for the great builders of the Crystal City and the Gryphon Air Base! We are Constructicons, and one should never underestimate us," Hook boasted as he ran around his office in search of tools.Terrabyte just stared at the pair of mechs. She hated that they talked about her as if she wasn't even there, but part of her was very excited at the prospect of getting a new vocalizer. The Decepticons might have wanted the power of her sigma ability, but all she wanted was to sound pretty again.The twins felt like it was taking forever to get from point A to point B because of slogging through the ocean. The water made them feel light and heavy all at the same time. Light because they could jump higher and heavy because they couldn't walk very far. They tried to swim, but they were too dense and sank to the bottom every time they tried./Hey Sunny, how much farther do you think it is?/ Sideswipe asked over the comm./I'd say another 5 hours or so,/ Sunstreaker replied calmly despite how anxious he was feeling.As angry as Sunstreaker was at the 'Cons he knew he'd do some real damage once he got in there. He still remembered the last time he saw his daughter. She had asked permission to go to the medbay to see Honey Venom, and then asked if he would watch Screwball for her. Sunstreaker refused to watch the Filterbot because he hated it when that silver dog monster always tried to bite him. She had walked away dejected but understanding...just as she seemed to do every day.Sunstreaker felt his systems overheating but couldn't filter his intake because he was surrounded by water. He felt guilty over not saying something more meaningful to Terrabyte before she left. What if that was the last time he ever saw her? What if she was killed or turned against him to join the Decepticons? He didn't think he could live with either option.His thoughts were interrupted when the ground started to shake beneath his pedes, and he and Sideswipe slowly fell on their skid plates due to drag from the surrounding ocean. They looked ahead, and saw Rumble and Frenzy with their pile drivers kicking up the undersea sand and causing an earthquake that could cause a tidal wave!Sunstreaker saw the smarmy smirks those little devils were giving them, and he charged right for them. They tried to make the quake stronger to get rid of the yellow frontliner, but he jumped up in the water and landed gracefully on Frenzy. He then pounded the cassette twin's face in with his fists, and Sideswipe brought out pile drivers of his own to attack Rumble."Stop! Stop!" Rumble shouted through the liquid filter built into his vocalizer, "We give up! The sparkling's inside! Don't kill us!""Yeah, right!" Sunstreaker snapped as he continued to beat Frenzy; who was barely conscious at this point."Sunny, wait! We don't have time for this!" Sideswipe exclaimed, "We have to get to Terrabyte. We can kill these guys later."Sunstreaker narrowed his optics at Sideswipe, but released his hold on Frenzy. He knew his twin was right. He just wanted revenge so badly, but he knew that wasn't a priority just yet. He needed to ensure the safety of his sparkling first and foremost. The twins then left to storm the Nemesis.Rumble looked to make sure the lambo twins were far enough away before he activated his comm link./Rumble to Soundwave. Rumble to Soundwave. The Autobots have sent the twins to retrieve the sparkling. They appear to be alone but very dangerous.//Acknowledged,/ Soundwave replied dutifully, /Operation: surveillance.//Got'cha," Rumble replied before cutting off the connection.Rumble picked up his brother who had fallen into stasis lock by this time. He wasn't even sure if they should go back to the ship for repairs just yet. They didn't want to remind the other set of twins of their promise to kill them.Terrabyte came online feeling heavy-helmed and disoriented. When her audio sensor array came online the first thing she heard was the sound of somebody saying she should be awake any second now. She then heard another, probably Astrotrain judging from the ringing in her audios, ordering them to hurry up so he could see if the operation was a success.Terrabyte onlined her optics so she wouldn't keep Astrotrain waiting. The last thing she needed was a vengeful guardian, even if he was only temporary.Her spark felt so cold and alone on the Nemesis. Her Sigma Sisters barely registered due to the distance between them. She knew they were all there, but they could offer no warmth or comfort to her. The bond simply wasn't strong enough. They weren't family. She could've felt Sunstreaker, guided him to her, if she had just bonded with his spark. She never thought she would regret that decision this much."Well kid, did it work?" Astrotrain asked eagerly when she sat up, "Say something!""Um...What do you want me to say?" Terrabyte was as a shocked as anyone when her own voice came out, not the distorted garbled voice, but her voice."It seems the operation was a perfect success," Hook bragged immodestly, "Now sparklet, I need you to repeat after me. Say: Pack my box with five dozen high grade liquor jugs."Terrabyte cocked her head to one side in a questioning manner, but still did as she was told to avoid angering anyone."Pack my box...with five dozen...high grade liquor jugs," Terrabyte repeated, "How was that?"Her voice sounded very soft and angelic, certainly the voice of a child but a very precocious one."Perfect, I was testing your ability to form complex words and sounds," Hook told her, "Now try to sing."Terrabyte beamed at the suggestion. She hadn't been able to hear herself sing in over a century! Her parents had adored her singing voice, and all she had wanted for so long was to be able to sing again!
You leave again, I say goodbye
My lover from fair Vos
Flying over streams of clouds
Wash away my loss
I hope to see you once more
Though once is not enough
Oh how it pains me now
To try to be so tough
Fly away, fly away
Like the birds of yesterday
Fly away, fly away,
And don't look at my pain
Fly away, fly away,
A jet of mighty power
Fly away, fly away,
And don't look at my pain
"Hm...You tried to translate that song into English," Hook noted disdainfully, "A waste of effort if you ask me.""It didn't work," Terrabyte replied, "The feelings got lost in translation. It was for a project in Smokescreen's social studies class."Hook was intrigued by the Polyhexian accent this little carrier had. Despite fixing her voice she still had the same slow halting monotone as Soundwave. It was likely they were from the same city-state, possibly even the same neighborhood. Most carriers in Polyhex, despite Soundwave's popularity in his homeland, had sided against the Decepticon cause and had been subsequently terminated. Hook wondered if this little carrier lost her parents to the cleansing, and whether or not she held a grudge for that."Well Astrotrain, it looks like the sparkling will be fine," Hook said disinterestedly, "If you have any problems bring her straight here. See to it that she gets low grade energon every two hours for the next orn. Oh, and be careful with her. If Megatron finds out you damaged his new weapon he will be furious. You are both dismissed."Astrotrain scowled at Hook for a few long seconds before he grabbed the sparkling by the torso and carried her in his fist back to their quarters. He still hated being stuck with this thing, but at least now when she spoke it wouldn't hurt his audio receptors. When they got to his room he placed her on the floor and then pointed a finger at her as he spoke."Listen up you little retro rat!" Astrotrain yelled as soon as they were alone, "I'm going to a card game in Blitzwing's quarters. Don't. Leave. This. Room. Understand?""Yes, Astrotrain," Terrabyte replied dutifully."Good," Astrotrain said in a harsh tone of voice, "I'll bring you some energon later. I might be stuck with you, but as long as you live in my room you live by my rules! Got it?"Terrabyte nodded, and Astrotrain left. Terrabyte vented a long sigh of relief when he left. Astro-brain might've been stupid, but he was also a violent bully. She certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of his anger. One thing she was grateful for was that he was stupid. Because of this lack of reasoning ability, he forgot to lock the door. Such an oversight would not only cost him, but the rest of the Sigma's enemies as well…In the Stunticons' common room, Motormaster was beating the slag out of Drag Strip for messing up their latest mission to gather parts for a new doomsday weapon for Megatron. Motormaster was especially violent even for a Decepticon, and when he taught his subordinates a lesson they usually felt it for weeks.Terrabyte peeked inside the common room and hugged the door facing tight until she was sure the two Stunticons were facing away from her.She then walked in just as casual as anything while Motormaster punched Drag Strip in the face plate repeatedly. Terrabyte actually walked within a yard of Motormaster's pedes! Still, they did not notice her. Motormaster had his back to the sparkling, and Drag Strip was too slagged to see more than a mechano-meter in front of his face. The sparkling knew this, and used it to her full advantage.Once she was on the other side of the room she turned her attention to the energon dispenser. She climbed up to the top of the dispenser and then opened the top. She looked at the combatants to make sure they still didn't notice her, and then pulled a packet out of her subspace. She dumped the packet into the energon, and watched with focused optics as the energy started to glow brighter and then dimmed back to normal.Once her task was complete, she walked out of the room. The Stunticons didn't even notice as the door softly whooshed closed behind her. Drag Strip's cries and whimpers of pain could still be heard out in the hall, and Terrabyte felt her spark ache for the yellow Stunticon, but there wasn't anything she could do. If she hurt Motormaster then the rest of the Decepticons would turn on her. No, she had to keep going until she made it back to Astrotrain's quarters and pretend she never left.Skyfire catalogued samples from various crystals he had collected on earth, but his mind was distracted. All he wanted was for Honey Venom to be safe, and yet she had nearly gotten herself killed in the fight. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know what to tell her, and he especially didn't know if she would even listen to him.Skyfire heard a soft knock on the door, and he opened it to see no one. Then he looked down and saw Phobia looking up at him and hugging a stuffed VW beetle."Hello, Mr. Skyfire. Can I come in?" Phobia asked timidly."Of course young one," Sky fire replied with a small smile, "But why aren't you with Red Alert?""He's still passed out," Phobia replied, "His Spidey-Sense doesn't like it when I talk to strangers, and the Coneheads are pretty strange."Skyfire chuckled at her childish summary. He cleared a place on one of his work tables and then gently placed her up there so she could be closer to optic level. Even by Autobot standards Skyfire was huge, and he knew a human-sized sparkling might be intimidated by that. In fact, this was probably the first time Phobia had ever approached him willingly. He began to wonder why."So Phobia, what's on your mind?" Skyfire asked her."My helmet," Phobia replied wittily.It took Skyfire a minute to get the joke, but when he did Skyfire chuckled again and replied "No, I mean what are you thinking about?""Oh," Phobia replied in a serious tone that was cuter than it should've been on her, "I was wondering if you knew where Honey Venom's spark chamber collection is. Q-Boom needs it."Skyfire felt a little sick at how casually Phobia talked about this, but he didn't want it to show on his face, so he tried to collect his thoughts before answering."Um...Why would Q-Boom need empty spark chambers?" Skyfire stammered."It's a secret," Phobia replied solemnly, "If I told you then I'd be breaking the super secret sigma oath of silence. Sorry."Now Skyfire was befuddled. He knew sparklings liked to play secret club and have their own little worlds to themselves, but adding an adult like Honey Venom into the mix made this more complicated. Was it a secret like a password to a treehouse, or a secret like a plan to kill Optimus Prime? He wasn't sure how to approach this."Phobia? How well do you know Honey Venom?" Skyfire asked."What?" Phobia asked, genuinely confused, "That's a weird question. Honey Venom is always there. How would I not know her?""Yes, I'm aware that you know her," Skyfire tried to clarify for her young mind, "But I need to know if you know if she's planning anything...bad.""Bad?" Phobia asked again; shifting nervously, "She's not awake right now. She's still in stasis lock. Is she in trouble?""No Phobia, she's not in trouble," Skyfire replied reassuringly, "I'm just worried. She's my daughter, and I don't want anything bad to happen to her."Phobia looked at him for a moment, and then took out a piece of chalk and drew a white smile across her blue-grey face. Skyfire quirked an optic ridge, and she replied with "The marker was hard to wash off."Skyfire then picked up Phobia and cradled her close to his chassis. She looked up at him with that drawn-on smile and crinkled her optics happily.She didn't say anything else, but her processor was far away from the Ark in that moment. This felt exactly like how Tearjerker held her. She was big and sturdy just like Skyfire, but unlike Skyfire she used to hum until Phobia fell asleep. She hadn't thought about Tearjerker in months, and now that she was she felt guilty for almost forgetting the first Autobot that was ever kind to her. Tearjerker was practically her mother! How could she forget?Phobia whined softly and curled herself deeper into Skyfire's arms. First Tearjerker, and now Terrabyte. She hated losing people, and she just wanted to hold on to the rest of her world and never let go. When Red Alert woke up, she wasn't letting him out of her sight.Things aboard the Nemesis were getting out of hand. The Stunticons were always a pain in the struts, but somehow they managed to get ahold of some high grade and were running amok around the ship!Dead End had made several comm calls to Thundercracker that frankly made the seeker feel uncomfortable. Drag Strip had stolen Megatron's fusion cannon on a dare and was dancing with it in the rec room when Megatron found him. Motormaster had been an emotional wreck, and Breakdown was hearing voices. Wildrider has been very calm and collected, which was probably the scariest drunk behavior of all."Hey Thudnerclacker," Dead End slurred into the comm, "I never told you this, but you're my favorite seeker. I hope we die together *hic* in a bloody inferno! Picture it, our parts and the parts of our brothers strewn all over the place like dust in the cosmos...No wait, Starscream's a jerk. I hope he lives forever as the miserable creature that he is. *hic* Ya with me?"Thundercracker would've cut him off, but he knew the maroon Stunticon would just come to his quarters if he hung up. He suffered in silence but vowed to set all the high grade on fire if he found out where the Stunticons got their supply. If he didn't know better he'd swear they had been smoking energon.Meanwhile, in the Stunticon common room, Breakdown and Drag Strip were huddled against Motormaster. Drag Strip was overcharged enough to believe his brother who had beat him up only moments before would now protect him, and Breakdown hoped Motormaster could protect them from the orange fish goblins that lived in the painting on the wall in the throne room."Why is nothing ever good enough?" Motormaster asked rhetorically, "Megatron is never satisfied with us! I try my best, fraggit! I would die for that mech! He's the closest thing I have to a father, but he hates me! He spends more time with Optimus Prime than with me! What's wrong with *hic* me? I'm king of the road around here! Me! Motormaster!""Stop yelling, we can hear you," Wildrider said from his place sitting quietly in a corner and reading a book."Megatron better not hate me," Drag Strip said in a warbly voice, "I wanna live!""Me too!" Breakdown whined, "Why do the fish monsters taunt me with their big staring eyes? Why?""They're just fish, Breakdown," Wildrider said reasonably, "Will you please be quiet? I'm trying to read the safety manual for the Nemesis engine room.""That's it. It's the end of the world," Drag Strip commented on Wildrider's behavior.The Stunticons were almost too weak to move due to the vast amounts of high grade they drank. They didn't know they were overcharged however, because they didn't know they had consumed any high grade. Terrabyte's energy packet had sabotaged their dispenser.News traveled fast on board the ship, and it wasn't long before Terrabyte heard her new guardian Astrotrain gossiping with Bonecrusher about this turn of events with the car-forming gestalt team. Terrabyte showed no emotion on the outside, but inside she checked off another debt repaid. The Stunticons got Phobia overcharged without her knowledge, and now she had done the same to the Stunticons. So far her tally had been successful. Now she just had to think of an appropriate gift to give the Constructicons for restoring her beautiful voice.
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Chapter 27The Next LevelTerrabyte couldn't recharge. Astrotrain came back to his quarters overcharged and screaming about how Blitzwing and Swindle played him for a chump. His mood swings were scary, and Terrabyte coped by doing what she did best; trying to be invisible. It took Astrotrain a while, but he finally passed out and crashed on the berth. Terrabyte wanted to recharge while he was out, but she couldn't. What if he woke up? What if he stepped on her? She couldn't risk it, so she got up and left to explore the rest of the ship.She walked up and down the purple halls of the Nemesis, and as she walked she tried to think of a good way to repay the Constructicons for kindly restoring her voice to her. If only she knew what they liked...then she could give them the best present ever. Terrabyte wasn't good at giving gifts though, that was Phobia's specialty. What Terrabyte was good at was collecting information for Honey Venom. Hm...Maybe she could collect information for the Constructicons.Knowing her voice was worth only the best secrets she could gather, she decided to make her way to Megatron's throne room to spy on the command chain. Surely if she brought back something highly classified the Constructicons would be happy. That would definitely repay her debt to them.She listened to try to figure out when the best time to go through the door would be, but what she heard was a familiar yet ghastly sound...the sound of punches and cries for mercy.Terrabyte let herself in and quickly hid under a console before she was noticed. She saw that Soundwave was holding Starscream by his wings while Megatron beat the slag out of him. She watched with a mixture of horror and morbid fascination as the seeker was bashed, thrashed, ripped apart, and mocked. It reminded her of how caretakers at the foundling home had treated orphans they found to be unruly or slow to obey orders. Only Tearjerker had been different…The little carrier turned away when she realized Megatron was going to tear away one of Starscream's wings! Q-Boom had that happen to her a few times. Terrabyte's processor tormented her with the memories of little seekers pleading for the pain to stop...and Q-Boom clutching her dismembered wing in her hands and looking at the caretakers with such ire and hatred. She never wanted to see Q-Boom like that again for as long as she lived."Well Starscream, I hope you understand where your ambitions are leading you now," Megatron said in a low voice with a dangerous edge."Y..Y-yes, Lord Megatron," Starscream gasped as he crawled on his knees to retrieve his wing, "I...I will never challenge you again.""Like I really believe that," Megatron scoffed, "Soundwave, follow me to the armory. I need to speak to you about a special assignment.""As you command, Megatron," Soundwave dutifully replied, and then followed Megatron out of the room; leaving Starscream seemingly alone.Terrabyte looked at the battered and broken seeker and felt a strange mixture of emotions. On the one hand this was a mech that Honey Venom had declared to be her personal enemy. If Terrabyte was loyal to Honey Venom she should hate Starscream too. Then again she couldn't stand to see someone get hurt like that. It reminded her of her parents and of every other senseless death and injury she had ever witnessed.She knew one thing for sure. She hated Megatron. Terrabyte didn't blame the TIC Soundwave for his part in this action though. She saw the look in his visor. The way he spoke to Megatron and the way he followed him. Only another carrier could fully understand that look. Soundwave had entered into a loyalty bond with Megatron, and therefore would follow his master into The Pit and back if necessary. Terrabyte understood. She felt the same way about Honey Venom. It was a willing master/slave relationship unlike any concept that exists on earth.Terrabyte was pulled out of her stupor when she heard Starscream grunt and try to stand, only to be forced back down again due to his own energon loss. He vented air and tried to stand once more, it it just wasn't working.Starscream lied there and only hoped Thundercracker found him first. He could count on Thundercracker to get him to a medbay. Sometimes Skywarp would, but there were times when Skywarp would either have other things to do or else not believe Starscream's injuries to be that serious. Oh, how Starscream hated Skywarp when he talked like that!He suddenly felt a small servo on his shoulder, and turned around to see Terrabyte standing there and holding a small cube of energon. The look on her face was unreadable, but her actions spoke of sympathy, and Starscream hated that. It meant those slagging Autobots had corrupted her processor!"What do you want, sparkling?" Starscream asked harshly; his voice distorted from the beating.Terrabyte didn't reply. She just pushed the cube closer to Starscream's face (which was still on the floor). Starscream gave her a mean look, but it didn't phase Terrabyte. She understood that grown mechs had their pride, and soldiers in the Decepticon army had a lot to lose.Starscream managed to get onto his knees and slowly took the cube and drank it. He knew most of it would just leak onto the floor again, but this would at least buy him some time. He swore within himself that one day he would kill Megatron, and anyone else who stood in his way.He drank greedily, and only when he was done with the cube did he notice that the sparkling was still standing there staring at him."What do you want, sparkling?" Starscream snapped, "Scram!"Terrabyte wanted to comfort Starscream, but she knew he would never allow her to do so, so she came up with another way of dealing with him…"I don't want to recharge," Terrabyte told him, "I have nightmares.""That's not my problem, half pint!" Starscream replied crossly."Please...I don't want to be alone," Terrabyte said softly."What about Astrotrain?" Starscream asked critically."He is a drunk," Terrabyte replied bluntly.Starscream snickered despite himself. Still, Astrotrain abandoning his sparkling to go get crashed was unacceptable. Even if the sparkling was a burden it was still one of their new soldiers in training. The little thing needed guidance."Fine, I'll call you another guardian for the night," Starscream relented, "Just don't go fragging people off. I don't want to have to throw you in the brig."Terrabyte didn't reply with words. She saw that he was trying to be nice, even though that wasn't really something Starscream was known for. Instead, she walked up to Starscream and hugged him. She buried her face in his chassis, and after a moment of disgusted shock Starscream looked down at the cowering sparkling and felt some little piece of him melt. He decided to hug her back since there was no one around, and only hoped Skywarp wouldn't pick this moment to teleport into the room.Q-Boom was still inside Red Alert's quarters waiting for Phobia to return. She couldn't just sit there all day staring at Red Alert recharging! She had things to do! First she had to examine Honey Venom's spark chamber collection for signs of their latest project coming to fruition, and then she had a game of flag football to play with her Dino-Brothers, and then she had to see if Terrabyte managed to get a message out while the 'Cons weren't looking. She was booked, yet she couldn't do anything until Phobia came back with those stupid spark chambers!Q-Boom flew around the room in a huff and she was starting to feel the sky hunger coming on her on top of everything else! She needed to escape, yet she was trapped until Phobia got back. It was torture!/Q-Boom, could you come down to my lab for a moment, sweetie?/ Wheeljack asked her over the comm link./Huh? Oh, sure thing, Pop!/ Q-Boom replied; happy to be going anywhere other than where she already was, /I'm on my way!/When Q-Boom flew into the room she could see that her pop was working on some new invention under a tarp. Whatever this thing was, it was big, and it looked like it was secret."Okay Pop, I'm here, so what's this all about?" Q-Boom asked without preamble."Q-Boom, I've been thinking about what happened today," Wheeljack said solemnly, "Terrabyte's been gone for 12 hours, Honey Venom barely survived, and you and Phobia wound up in the heat of battle without supervision. It was a real wake-up call for me. You're not safe.""What? Sure, I am!" Q-Boom protested, "Nobody can steal me or kill me because I just explode. I'm probably the safest femme in the entire galaxy!""Q-Boom, just because you'd be difficult to capture doesn't mean the 'Cons won't try. I only bring this up because I don't want to lose you," Wheeljack's sparkfelt plea did not go unnoticed by his adopted daughter, "Q-Boom, I looked over your chart. You're 4 vorns, and very close to 5 vorns old.""Yeah, so?" Q-Boom asked; not knowing why her age mattered."Well sweet spark, I think it's time you were upgraded," Wheeljack said point blank, "I think an adult warrior is better able to defend herself than a sparkling. I know this is a big decision, and if you don't think you're ready yet we can wait another vorn, but I have to ask you to consider it. The upgraded body is almost finished, and it's exactly as we discussed. You'll have the same head blades as before, only bigger. You'll have rocket launchers on your wrists, spikes along your arms and legs, and those sharp teeth you wanted. The body isn't very pretty, but it's strong. You wanna see it?""Yeah!" Q-Boom replied enthusiastically.Wheeljack nodded approvingly and lifted back the tarp to reveal what he had been working on; Q-Boom's adult frame. She looked at the upgrade with a twinkle in her optics. She was struck by how similar yet how different it looked from her. That thing was her! She was staring back at the femme she was going to be. The upgrade had the same blue visor as Jazz, just as she had requested. A blue visor looked nearly unnoticeable amid a dark blue frame, but her white face made up for that. She also noticed it was tall; elite trine tall."Pop...it's...I'm beautiful," Q-Boom said in a surprisingly muted voice.She was stunned by what her father had been able to make for her. She was going to be an adult and officially fight for the Autobots. She rubbed her servo against the right leg of her adult frame, and shivered a little at how cold and dead the body felt. Well, they would change that soon enough."So Pop, when can you get started?" Q-Boom asked gamely."As soon as Ratchet is available to assist me," Wheeljack replied, "I'm not very good with Cybertronian anatomy, so I need Ratchet's help to ensure everything goes smoothly. I might even get Sparkplug to help if that's okay with you.""The human? No Problem!" Q-Boom waved away his concerns, "He's a decent guy. I'm sure he'll be just as careful as you and the Blood Bank."Wheeljack rubbed the back of his helm and wondered what he was going to do with her. Ratchet had saved her life, and would probably continue to do so, and she still treated him like a target. It reminded Wheeljack of the twins, which just made him worry all over again. He hoped their mission to rescue Terrabyte was going smoothly. If Ratchet had to deal with an upgrade and also treating their injuries he would blow a gasket!Terrabyte was placed with Onslaught until further notice. She wasn't very fond of being in the same room as a Decepticon criminal, but he seemed more stable than Astrotrain, so that was a positive at least. He wanted to read a data pad quietly and not be disturbed, so Terrabyte listened to music on her private comm frequency. It was a boring moment in time, but at least she was safe for the moment.Onslaught wasn't fond of the idea of being a babysitter, but he was at least grateful that the sparkling was quiet and well behaved. He read a human novel called Gone With The Wind. It was utter tripe, but he found the leading lady to be an intriguing if self-serving femme. He read for a couple hours until he got the comm from Megatron instructing him to lock the door to the Combaticon common room and keep Terrabyte inside. Apparently the Nemesis had an infestation…Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had spent the entire night fighting Decepticons and wading through water, but they were finally inside and nothing was going to stop them from getting Terrabyte back! Most of the 'Cons had fought them in the ocean, so they didn't have nearly the resistance they should have.Sunstreaker bashed Ravage into a wall while Sideswipe logged into a map of the ship to try to locate Terrabyte's life signature. So far Sideswipe wasn't having any luck locating their sparkling, and for a fleeting moment it crossed his mind that they might be too late. They should've waited for Optimus Prime to recover, and then they would have been able to get Skyfire to fly them there or something. It was so frustrating to be so close and yet so lost.The next fighter to greet them was Astrotrain, and the twins were ready. They rushed the larger Decepticon as he transformed into train mode and tried to run them over! Neither twin was afraid. Sunstreaker ran in front of Sideswipe and held his cupped hands in front of him. Then Sideswipe jumped into his brother's waiting hands and used the momentum to propel himself and jump on top of Astrotrain!"Get off me, Autobot!" Astrotrain hollered.Sideswipe then started ripping the train's plating apart, and Astrotrain transformed into root mode just to force the Autobot to fall off! Sideswipe tried to hang on, but he couldn't, and fell on his aft. Sunstreaker helped him up, and Astrotrain limped away. Their troubles were just starting however...Devastator was heading right for them!"Aw, slag!" Sideswipe moaned, "How does he even fit in the hallway?""Who cares?" Sunstreaker spat through gritted denta, "They took my sparkling, They tried to kill us, and the salt water ruined my paint job! These 'Cons are going to pay!"Devastator charged at them as his footfalls caused the entire hall to shake! The twins ran straight into battle crying out for energon and the lost sparkling Sunstreaker had come for. Sunstreaker jumped to hit Devastator in the chest while Sideswipe worked on trying to dent the pedes. If they could get the behemoth to trip then the separate components would have to break away. Then they could defeat the Constructicons in a fair fight.Terrabyte could hear the commotion, but Onslaught held her tight and kept her tucked away in the Combaticon common room. She knew what it was even without a spark bond. Those unholy battle cries could only come from Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Her guardians had come for her!If she was going to minimize the damage then she needed to get to Sunstreaker as quickly as possible. In order to do that, she had to get away from Onslaught. That was a surprisingly easy thing to do now that she had her voice.Terrabyte opened her mouth in the direction of Onslaught's helm. He didn't hear any noise, but that was because the pitch was too high to register while the decibels were at over 250! She couldn't crack his outer plating, but she didn't need to. His processor malfunctioned and put him into stasis lock, and a few more seconds worth of exposure would've caused permanent damage! Of course, she wasn't that sparkless. She merely caused him to pass out.Terrabyte ran to the door and triggered the locking mechanism. Once the door opened for her, she ran out into the hall. Her spark thrummed in her chassis as she ran around and listened to the banging and screaming the combatants were causing. It was the Altihex battle grounds all over again! She smelled the burning buildings, she heard her mother cry out as Scramble was killed by a tank-forming Autobot, and she saw the monsters that had killed her parents! It was happening again!Terrabyte hid under a console and looked both ways to see what was going on. She saw a Reflector run past her, and she heard the overpowering voice of Devastator in the hallway just two corridors away. That was the epicenter of the fighting, and if she had any sense she would run far away from that place.Devastator grabbed Sunstreaker and threw him against the wall at the end of the corridor! The golden warrior's vision was filled with static as he watched Sideswipe rig his jet pack to explode on Devastator's back. He felt himself smile when the device exploded and caused Devastator to separate.Six dazed Constructicons sat on the floor and rubbed their helms and sore spots. Sideswipe grabbed Long Haul and punched him in the face! Sunstreaker dragged himself over to where they were, and was ready to make them suffer for what they did to his sparkling!Sunstreaker stood up and grabbed the first Constructicon Within reach, Mixmaster, and hauled him up so they were face to face."Alright 'Con! Where is she?" Sunstreaker growled savagely."Where is who?" Mixmaster asked with unconvincing innocence."Where is my daughter, you slagging piece of trash!?" Sunstreaker screamed wildly at the cement mixer."Uh...Sunny?" Sideswipe tapped Sunstreaker's arm to get his attention, and then pointed to the end of the hall...at Terrabyte.Terrabyte cautiously walked over to where the twins and the Constructicons were. She looked up at Sunstreaker with wide yellow optics, and the yellow Lamborghini felt his spark tighten at finally seeing his little femme again.When Terrabyte was close enough to them she looked up at Sunstreaker, and then at the cowering Mixmaster still in Sunstreaker's grasp. Then she looked up at Sunstreaker's crystal blue optics and said as plain as day "Sunstreaker...Can I keep them?"Sideswipe laughed like there was no tomorrow, but Sunstreaker was too stunned at the foreign yet familiar sounding voice of his sparkling. He had never heard her real voice before, and it was like music to his audio receptors."Terrabyte...Are you hurt?" Sunstreaker managed to ask."No," Terrabyte replied."Did the 'Cons try to logic-wash you?" Sideswipe asked."Not literally," Terrabyte replied; her tone bland and unwavering.Sunstreaker couldn't believe it. After everything she had been through Terrabyte didn't seem affected at all. Then again, he knew his daughter, and he knew she was capable of hiding trauma like few others. He knew they had to have harmed her in some way, and he knew he should make the Decepticons pay for that."Sunstreaker?" Terrabyte's voice pulled him out of his reverie, "Please don't kill the Constructicons. They fixed my voice box. I owe them.""Is that what they told you?" Sunstreaker asked bitterly."No," Terrabyte insisted, "Please. Let's just go home. I want to return to you and Sideswipe.""Come on, bro," Sideswipe said encouragingly, "She's right. It's not safe here. We've gotta get her off this slag heap.""Oh, you're not going anywhere…" The menacing voice of Megatron said from behind them.The twins and Terrabyte turned around to see Megatron, Soundwave, and Skywarp blocking the exit and aiming their weapons straight at the trio."If you Autobots want to survive this day, then I suggest you hand over our sparkling," Megatron ordered as he leveled his fusion cannon, not at the twins, but at Terrabyte's spark."You think we're gonna give up that easily? Puh-lease!" Sideswipe taunted."Sides, no," Sunstreaker hissed, "You know he'd sooner kill Terrabyte than let us have her. He'll do it."The standoff was tense as every second felt like an eternity. Terrabyte didn't want to go with Megatron, but there were eight adults in the line of fire if she didn't count herself as a casualty. The twins that gave her a home and treated her as their own, and the Constructicons that gave her back what had been brutally taken from her. She couldn't allow them to be hurt because she was afraid.Terrabyte slowly began to walk toward Megatron and his troops. Sunstreaker took her by the wrist to prevent her from walking away from him, and looked at her with an angry and hard expression."Terrabyte, I won't let them take you," Sunstreaker vowed, "Stay here, and I'll deal with the 'Cons.""No," Terrabyte replied resolutely, "You will kill each other. That doesn't seem necessary. I will go with him."Sunstreaker looked hurt by those words, but hurt soon turned to anger as he looked at Megatron with burning enraged optics. Sunstreaker was about ready to charge the Decepticons himself when he saw that Soundwave and Skywarp dropped to the ground like dead weight!Megatron turned around just in time to see Mirage appear before his optics, and the blue and white Autobot was soon joined by Jazz and Seaspray as they rained laser fire onto Megatron! Megatron wasn't falling down, but he couldn't fight the three new Autobots and also Sunstreaker and Sideswipe! He knew he had lost, so he ran down the hall and into the armory.The Autobots, believing they had won, cheered and turned around to leave, but then Megatron came barreling out of the armory wearing a suit of energized armor! His fusion cannon poked out of the suit, and he wore an evil grin as he took aim for Jazz! The Autobots tried to shoot at the armor, but it wouldn't break.Megatron fired, but Jazz dodged the blast just in time! He began to fire at the Autobot warriors, but in his violent ecstasy he failed to notice that the sparkling wasn't running away from him. Instead, Terrabyte stared up at him, gauging the tensile strength and durability of the armor in her mind. When she saw that its weak spot was its joints, she screamed in Megatron's direction and shook the armor apart!While Megatron was distracted with the loss of his new battle suit, Sunstreaker took Terrabyte in his arms and ran away with her; the other Autobots in tow. They fired behind them as Megatron and his forces tried to capture them once more. It took quite a while for the Autobots to lose their pursuers, but finally they were out in the open ocean and on their way home.Terrabyte never took her optics off Sunstreaker's face the entire way back to the Ark. His was an expression of hardened determination and protectiveness. In the right light he almost looked...heroic. Terrabyte never thought she would see Sunstreaker this way, and she never dreamed he loved her that much. She vowed in her spark that she would find a way to make this up to him. She would become the daughter that Sunstreaker wanted her to be.
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Chapter 28Dreams Come TrueThe few Autobots that walked by Blaster's office that day slowed down in confusion and listened for a moment before going on their way with raised optic ridges. Normally loud rock music or politically motivated rap would blast from the boombox-former, but on this day everyone could hear calming lullabies of Cybertronian origin wafting through the air like audial strands of translucent crystal.Blaster was playing this soft music to calm down the cassettes and the Filterbots. His chest cavity felt so heavy with seven little Cassettibots inside. He had only had to take care of Terrabyte's three Filterbots for a day and he was already tired. He didn't know how Soundwave put up with six little minions in his chassis every single day. It was especially difficult with the Filterbots. He was used to the idiosyncrasies of his own brood, but the house guests were another matter. Screwball shouted and ran around all day, Turret complained about Blaster's music choices, and Shriek just complained in general.Blaster was trying to stay online and not fall into recharge at his work station when he received a call from Jazz. The twins were okay, Jazz and his team were okay, and they had rescued Terrabyte!"All right, outta sight!" Blaster exclaimed as he pumped his fist in the air victoriously."What is it, Blaster?" Steeljaw asked from inside the tape deck."Hey guys, check this out, the terror twins have taken Terrabyte back, and the team's returnin' home!" Blaster announced joyously.Even in their cassette forms all seven Autobots whooped and cheered in jubilation! Their team had won against the Decepticons, and the sparkling was safe! It was a real red letter day."I'm so grateful they came through for us," Shriek said in pure relief, "I couldn't bear to lose Terrabyte. We've lost too many family members already.""Yeah, I heard about your carrier. That stinks," Eject said sympathetically."It wasn't just Zetabyte and her bondmate," Shriek replied sadly, "It was my split spark twin, Scramble.""Scramble? Where's Scramble?" Screwball asked eagerly, "When's Scramble coming back?""Scramble will not be returning at this time," Turret replied vaguely, "Screwball needs to get a grip, or Turret will shoot styrofoam pellets at Screwball.""What's his problem?" Ramhorn asked rudely, "I thought you said Scramble was dead.""He is, but Screwball doesn't remember," Shriek explained in a low whisper so the aforementioned mechanical dog wouldn't hear them, "When Screwball was still a youngling, this was before Terrabyte and Turret were even born, our family was attacked in the city-state of Polyhex. Screwball's head was crushed, and while his spark was young and strong, his processor wasn't so fortunate. His processor damage is irreparable, and that's why he has trouble with long term memory and focus. It isn't so bad once you get used to it.""Turret disagrees," Turret disagreed, "Screwball is broken, and very annoying.""Yes, but he's still our brother," Shriek reminded him in a stern voice."I understand. Eject and I don't always agree on everything," Rewind told them, "I like the botanical gardens on earth, but Eject likes rugby football. I like to read, but Eject likes to dive helm-first into a waterfall. If I say it's green, he'll say it's blue. We're brothers, and that means we get on each other's last circuit sometimes. For some reason I don't have these issues with Steeljaw and Ramhorn.""Yeah, but Steeljaw and I have issues with each other," Ramhorn added."Hey guys, cool it," Blaster said suddenly, "I'm gettin' a comm signal. They're here! Everybody out, guys!"Blaster then hit the eject button and every cassette came bounding out like kids on the last day of school! Blaster always grinned like a fool when he saw his cassettes transform in midair and run for the door. He didn't know why, but seeing them like that made him so happy. It was also nice to see his guests finally happy as well. As they left, he could hear Screwball shouting "Wait for me! Hey, I just remembered! Running is my favorite thing!"The Autobots mobbed around the entrance to the control room to get a good look at the conquering heroes and their rescued captive. Sunstreaker held Terrabyte with her sitting on one of his arms and supported by the other. He looked so proud, and Sideswipe had a slag eating grin on his face that probably wouldn't go away for weeks.Terrabyte looked around at the celebrating crowd with confusion. She could see Phobia, but she couldn't see Honey Venom or Q-Boom. Even the Dinobots weren't there. It was just a bunch of adults. She instantly shrunk further into Sunstreaker's armor when she saw Optimus Prime approach them."Sunstreaker," Optimus Prime addressed his frontline warrior, "What you and Sideswipe did today was reckless and could have resulted in your termination. However, your quick thinking is the reason we have one of our smallest Autobots back in our care. I won't discipline you for this infraction, but in the future I insist you follow proper protocol before engaging the enemy in this manner.""What? Prime, you can't be serious!" Prowl objected vehemently, and then in a calmer voice he added, "They went against direct orders and tried to engage the Decepticons on their own.""I am aware of this Prowl, but I also understand why they did it," Optimus replied in a gentle tone of voice, "Sunstreaker wasn't acting as a reckless youngling the way he has often done in the past. Today he was acting as a parent protecting his child. I cannot find fault with a mech who is only looking after the interests of his sparkling. Also, before I forget, the five of you that went on this mission can have the rest of the night off.""Gee, thanks Boss Bot," Jazz grinned amiably as he made his way out of the crowd and toward the rec room.After a few minutes the crowd dispersed, but Phobia continued to stand near the twins and Terrabyte with crinkled red optics and a drawn-on chalk smile. It took the lambos a few seconds to notice her, and even then it was only when Sideswipe almost stepped on her."Whoa!" Sideswipe exclaimed when he saw Phobia in his path, "Hey, kiddo. What are you up to?""Can Terrabyte come with me to Mr. Wheeljack's lab?" Phobia asked politely, "He says Dr. Ratchet is almost done with Q-Boom's frame transfer. I wanna see it, and I thought Terrabyte might wanna see it, too. You guys are also invited if you wanna come with us."Phobia shifted her feet nervously as she spoke. She wasn't very comfortable talking with Sunstreaker or Sideswipe, but shyness never got in the way of a Sigma Sister function, and Q-Boom's upgrade definitely qualified."Q-Boom is...upgrading?" Terrabyte asked slowly in mild disbelief.Phobia gasped and exclaimed "Terrabyte! Your voice is pretty now!""My voice was fixed by the...Constructicons," Terrabyte explained hesitantly, "Why is Q-Boom upgrading?""Her daddy was worried she might get kidnapped, too," Phobia explained, "So now she's gonna have a cool adult body like Honey Venom. It'll probably be full of high tech gadgets because Mr. Wheeljack is better at building bodies than Mr. Skyfire. So, are you and your guardians gonna come with me to see her?""I think I'll sit this one out," Sunstreaker declined, "Hey Sides, why don't you take Terrabyte to Wheeljack's for me?""No way! You do it!" Sideswipe demanded as he playfully punched Sunstreaker's arm, "She's your sparkling. You just got her back and now you don't wanna do anything with her? What sense does that make?""Look, it's not Terrabyte," Sunstreaker explained, "I just don't like hanging out with Wheeljack and his mutants. Q-Boom is a pain in the aft, and you know the Dinobozos are going to be there. I think I'd rather just go back to our room and take a nap.""Uh-uh!" Sideswipe shook his head with an evil grin on his face, "Naps don't happen when you have a sparkling. Now get your skid plates in gear and take your daughter to see her friends. I'm going to the rec room for some energon. See ya.""Traitor…" Sunstreaker muttered under his breath, but then put Terrabyte down and followed the sparklings to the lab.Sunstreaker thought about something as he watched the two femmelings run down the corridor in playful excitement...they were the only sparklings left now. Honey Venom and Q-Boom were now technically adults, though their processors told a different tale. Still, he wondered if he would have to spend more time with Red Alert now that the security director was the only one left with a friend in Terrabyte's age group.When they made it to the lab Sunstreaker sighed and sat down near the doorway when he saw he was right about the Dinobots being there. There was also Wheeljack and Ratchet, but Honey Venom was conspicuously missing. Terrabyte seemed to notice as well, because she kept looking at the door to see if her best friend was coming."Hey Terrabyte," Phobia whispered so no one else could hear, "Were you hurt?""No," Terrabyte replied in a low-volumed voice, "The Decepticons wanted a healthy soldier. It would not make sense to beat me so early.""Your voice sounds weird," Phobia commented, "I mean, it always sounded weird, but I mean now...It doesn't sound like you. I'm used to the way you used to sound. You know what I mean?""You didn't know me before I lost my original voice," Terrabyte pointed out, "This is how I'm supposed to sound. It doesn't seem real yet. Sunstreaker...saved my life. He was willing to risk himself, and so was Sideswipe. They love me."Those words felt like a revelation to Terrabyte, though any Autobot with optics could see that obvious fact. She looked over at Sunstreaker, and saw that he looked annoyed and thoroughly bored with just sitting there waiting for Wheeljack to come out of the lab again with Q-Boom. Terrabyte realized that this quiet moment was just as powerful as her rescue. Sunstreaker hated social functions, and he didn't really like her friends, but he endured these visits because he wanted Terrabyte to be happy. She began to wonder how she could've been so blind."What are you gonna do now?" Phobia asked as she placed her servo on Terrabyte's shoulder."I'm going to find my father," Terrabyte replied vaguely.Just then, Wheeljack opened the door with a look of deranged excitement on his face plate. He made sure he had the crowd's full attention before he began to speak."Ladies and gentlemechs, I now present to you, live from the Ark, the new and improved Quantum Boom!" Wheeljack announced in a hyped up voice."Pop!" Q-Boom whined as she walked out of the dark room beyond the door, "Don't call me that!""Wow!" Phobia exclaimed with wide optics, "You look really sharp!"She meant that literally. Q-Boom's once jagged body was now taken to its logical extreme. Her head blades were now black instead of navy blue like the rest of her body. Her elbows and knees had pointed tips for maximum damage in battle. She had long fingers that ended in talon-like claws. The missile carriers from her jet alt mode were now mounted on her arms. Her legs were long but thin, making her pedes look even bigger than they should have. She also had sharp teeth and a crystal blue visor from Jazz's model. She almost went with Trailbreaker's, but they were too small. Her wingspan was almost inconvinient in the crowded room, as it was as wide as a male seeker's. In short, Q-Boom looked like an angry gargoyle ready for war."Q-Boom...You look incredible," Terrabyte said honestly."Yeah, well you sound incredible," Q-Boom remarked as she stared down at Terrabyte, "Hey, you girls are so tiny now! I feel like I could stomp on you if I wasn't lookin'.""Me Grimlock say welcome to the team!" Grimlock congratulated her, "Me Grimlock so happy to have new 'Bot under command.""She's not your teammate, moron," Sunstreaker groused with crossed arms, "She's not a Dinobot, so she doesn't have to take orders from you.""I don't mind," Q-Boom shrugged, "Hey, can I be second in command? That was my position in the Sigmas.""No way, me Slag am second in command!" Slag protested."Says who, sulphur breath?" Q-Boom taunted him.Slag transformed into Dino-mode and started charging at Q-Boom! The sparklings dove out of the way just in time, and Q-Boom pushed him outside so they could fight in the halls. Grimlock and the other Dinobots wanted to see the fight, so they left the lab, leaving only 5 occupants left in the room."Uh...Should I comm Prowl about this?" Wheeljack asked helplessly.Ratchet just muttered his breath about slagging unruly sparklings and stormed back into the interior lab to get his tools. Sunstreaker laughed at the absurdity of how quickly this unveiling ceremony devolved into chaos, and the sparklings just looked at each other; not sure what to do."Phobia, where is Honey Venom?" Terrabyte finally got around to asking."Oh, she's in stasis lock," Phobia replied sadly, "Megatron shot her, and she still isn't fully healed yet. She's going to be alright, though.""That's good," Terrabyte replied; relieved.Terrabyte actually remembered the shot that Megatron fired on Honey Venom, but she had no idea that such a weapon could actually kill Honey Venom. The electrum armor was a source of pride for Honey Venom, and Terrabyte just assumed that it would protect her from anything.Sometimes she wondered if Sunstreaker had electrum armor plating since he was gold colored and could take a lot of punishment, but that was probably unrealistic. Despite his expensive appearance, Sunstreaker wasn't actually rich or even middle class. He had been an orphan just like her. He had known want and suffering just like her. After seeing how brutal the Decepticons were, Terrabyte finally understood that both sides of the war had good and bad mechs. She also saw that Sunstreaker was willing to go the distance to give her a good sparklinghood. She knew just what she needed to do to repay his kindness.It was a few hours later when Sunstreaker found himself back in his room. Sideswipe was in deep recharge and so was Terrabyte. She hadn't recharged on the Decepticon ship, and after spending time with her friends she was beyond exhausted. He knew Terrabyte would likely have nightmares again, but Sunstreaker still enjoyed the moment of peace watching her rest in her berth cuddled up with her Filterbots.Sunstreaker smiled when he thought about the shock the Decepticons must've had to discover she turned into a Roomba. His silent laughter died when he once again thought about how they must've treated her, and how they could've easily killed his sparkling. He would've known she was gone if he had only been paying attention. It was easy with Sideswipe. Their sparks were bonded to each because they were family. With Terrabyte he actually had to watch her.Before he could even get to the bottom bunk where he slept he saw Terrabyte begin to twitch. Then she screamed, and then she started thrashing! He sighed knowingly, and went over to her berth to awaken her from the nightmare. The Filterbots had already moved aside to give him room to work, and he prepared for the sparkling to scratch his paint when she awoke. That was common as well, and no matter how many times he scolded her for it the behavior never went away."Terrabyte! Wake up! You're safe!" Sunstreaker yelled as he firmly held her waving arms in his hands, "Terrabyte!"The little white and black femme's optics flashed open instantly, and she screamed. It was a real scream, not the noiseless gaping mouth she usually produced, and it startled both Sunstreaker and her Filterbots! Screwball and Turret ran under the twins' berth, and Shriek looked at her with concern.The scream also seemed to snap Terrabyte out of her stupor, and she looked at her surroundings with recognition. Sunstreaker carefully let go of her arms, and vented a sharp exhalation of air. He was about to go back to his own berth when he felt a slight tugging at his spark. At first he thought it was Sideswipe trying to get his attention, but a quick check of the bond showed Sideswipe was out like a light. This was too faint to be Sideswipe anyway. Then he realized…"T-Terrabyte? What are you doing?" Sunstreaker asked dumbly.Terrabyte didn't reply, but the tugging at his spark became more insistent. He knew then that she was trying to initiate a guardian bond so he could comfort her. She was really trying to become part of his bond! It was exactly what he had wanted for months and yet never expected it to really happen!Shriek squawked at Terrabyte, but Sunstreaker didn't know what the bird-bot was saying."Yes, I am sure," Terrabyte replied to Shriek, "I want to do this.""Terrabyte...I love you so much," Sunstreaker said in an uncharacteristically emotional tone of voice.Terrabyte gave him a small smile, and she could feel the warmth of his spark seeping into her already crowded connection. Their emotions were now all out in the open, and they would be strangers no more.Terrabyte's side of the bond showed uncertainty, caution, fear, determination, hope, and respect for Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker's side showed relief, protectiveness, anger at the Decepticons, awkwardness, comfort, and most of all love. She felt love from his spark bond. It was all true. Terrabyte's side projected guilt and sorrow, and Sunstreaker's side gave off waves of forgiveness and reassurance. No words were needed, and that suited both of them just fine.Their own families, like Sideswipe and the Filterbots, were nothing more than echoes from the perspective of the non-relative. Terrabyte could barely identify Sideswipe at all, and Sunstreaker hardly noticed the Filterbots and the Sigmas were even there. If he had bothered to count, he would've noticed six connections to Terrabyte's spark, but all were weak even by spark bond standards. She had no strong family connections left. Even the Filterbots weren't real relations, but rather creations from her mother's leftover spark energy. Not even enough for a full frame."Terrabyte?" Sunstreaker finally spoke after several long minutes."Yes, Sunstreaker?" Terrabyte's yellow optics glowed in the dark as she looked up at him."Do you think you can recharge now?" Sunstreaker inquired."Yes, Sunstreaker," Terrabyte replied, "Good night.""Goodnight Terrabyte," Sunstreaker patted her helm before he went to his berth to catch a few hours recharge.He smiled back at her one last time, but somehow she had already fallen into recharge. The Filterbots climbed into the berth with Terrabyte, and for once she looked completely at peace. He only hoped it would last, and if not it would be easier to know how she felt and to give her the support she needed.
Altihex. The battle grounds. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were covered in the energon of fallen Decepticon soldiers. The Autobots had been sent to claim the river of Altihex, but the Decepticons outnumbered them 10 to 1 and had no intention of giving up their prize without a fight. That suited the twins fine. They were trained in the gladiatorial pits of Kaon and could defeat any enemy that dared attack them!
Most of the Autobots raided the Decepticon barracks, but by the time Sunstreaker and Sideswipe drew close To the front their commander had comm'ed them saying the base was already destroyed, and most of the Autobot forces with it. At least 40 Autobots had died in the attack. Both twins were furious. Those Decepticon scrap heaps would pay for raping this land and killing their friends!
One by one the twins found and offlined the straggling Decepticon forces. The 'Cons were running like cowards, and if there was one thing uglier than a Decepticon it was a coward.
The fighting sent the twins into a frenzy of punches, kicks, and even biting! No 'Con stood a chance against them.
Off in the distance they spotted at least two more soldiers. Well, no Decepticons were getting away this time. Not after what they did to those 40 Autobots. Sideswipe went in first, and Sunstreaker followed closely behind to offer backup if his twin needed it. The first Decepticon warrior was huge with dull armor. Clearly adept at hand to hand fighting. Sunstreaker noticed the other warrior was a carrier frame type. Those could be dangerous since they had hidden soldiers in their compartments. Sure enough, he saw the carrier releasing cassettes.
He decided not to chance Sideswipe's safety, and quickly ran up to the carrier 'Con. He disconnected its vital cables before the slagger could even blink! The carrier went down in a heap of scrap, and Sideswipe fought valiantly against his oversized foe. It looked like this would be too easy, but then something happened.
There was a sudden noise. It almost sounded like a beautiful operetta, but Sunstreaker knew they were nowhere near a concert hall. Not in the ruins of this scrapped and smoking crater of a city. That was when he noticed it. There was a minicon standing just a few mechano-inches from Sideswipe and using some kind of inbuilt sonic weapon to try to kill him! Sideswipe fell to his knees, and Sunstreaker was overcome with blind fury at this mini-monster for trying to hurt the other part of his own spark!
Sunstreaker ran up quickly and grabbed the minicon by the throat. He knew he should have used a quicker method to kill it, but his first priority was to take out its vocalizer so it couldn't harm Sideswipe anymore. He strangled the little Decepticon until it finally stopped moving. He threw the thing away and went to check on Sideswipe. His brother was glitching pretty badly, and if he didn't get him to a medic quickly enough the red twin would die from severe processor damage!
/Sunstreaker hailing on a general Autobot frequency!/ Sunstreaker comm'ed as his voice grew more desperate, /I need a medic now! My coordinates are listed. We're on an abandoned city street and I need a medic to repair my brother's processor! Hurry!/
Sunstreaker held his brother in his arms and waited for the medic to arrive. He was so worried about his twin. Surrounded by Decepticon bodies and a firey inferno off in the distance, Sunstreaker didn't see any of it. All he saw was his brother lying there helpless and twitching uncontrollably. He hoped he killed that 'Con…
Sunstreaker awoke suddenly and bolted up in his berth, hitting his head on the top bunk in the process."Ow! Stupid slagging berth!" Sunstreaker cursed as he rubbed his sore helm.That had been a weird dream. It was a flashback to a battle he hadn't thought about in years. Just some random skirmish in Altihex. It wasn't a big deal, and Sideswipe had been fine after Ratchet had found them and repaired the red twin. Why was he dreaming about that now?He replayed the memory over in his mind now that his head was thinking clearly. It took him a minute, but he finally realized what had him feeling so uneasy about that faded memory. It was the part with the minicon. In his memory it looked just like Terrabyte! Wait...Terrabyte had been strangled in Altihex by a-"No…" Sunstreaker whispered in the dark.He quickly turned around to look at his sparkling, only to see she was awake and staring right back at him. Did she know about his dream? Could she sense his fear and anger over the bond? Did she know that he might be the one who…?"Terrabyte…" Sunstreaker called out warily."Yes, Sunstreaker?" Terrabyte replied calmly."I, um...I had a nightmare," Sunstreaker stammered uncomfortably."I know. Me too," Terrabyte replied without a hint of judgment."Terrabyte...Have we...Met before?" Sunstreaker asked, dreading the answer she might give him."We see each other every day," Terrabyte replied evasively."I know. I just- it's nothing. Forget it. Let's just go back into recharge," Sunstreaker dismissed his uneasy thoughts.For a few minutes all was quiet, but neither slept, and both knew it. Sunstreaker shifted in his berth trying to get comfortable again, and Terrabyte stared at the wall surrounded by her sleeping Filterbots."Her name was Zetabyte," Terrabyte finally said, and the sudden noise actually startled Sunstreaker."W-What?" Sunstreaker asked obliviously."My mother. Her name was Zetabyte," Terrabyte supplemented, "My father's name was Tug. We were going to a dance club that night.""What night?" Sunstreaker asked."The night they were murdered," Terrabyte told him, "I've always wondered, which side planted the bombs in the city, the Autobots or the Decepticons?""I'm pretty sure it was the 'Cons," Sunstreaker answered, "They were trying to keep us from getting their plans for a new weapon system.""Oh," was all Terrabyte said at first, but then she added, "No one remembers that battle because it happened right after Praxus. Praxus was bigger, and there were no survivors, so it got a lot more media attention. No one cares when you're second to do something. Did you dream about your time in Altihex?""How did you know?" Sunstreaker asked, though he suspected he already knew why."Because that is what I dream every night, and we are connected now," Terrabyte wasn't used to talking this much, and she was starting to grow weary from the effort of holding a conversation, so she lied back down on her berth."So...Do you know who killed your parents?" Sunstreaker finally gathered the nerve to ask."Yes," Terrabyte replied simply.She wanted to say more. She wanted to say 'Of course I remember! My mother's killer lifted me up by my throat and forced me to look him in the optics as he choked the life out of me! Of course I remember you!' She didn't say that, however. She knew she didn't have to. She was afraid this would happen if they bonded. Now he knew who she really was, and now her fate was left in the very hands that had once given no thought to extinguishing her spark.
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Chapter 29Why?Honey Venom awoke to the sight of bright lights in her face, which told her she was in a medical facility. She turned her head to see where she was, and orange walls confirmed she was in the medbay. It took her a moment to remember the details of her injury. She had been shot by Megatron at point-blank range, and Terrabyte had been carried off by the Decepticons!"Uhn," Honey Venom grunted weakly as she tried to force herself to sit up, but her struts weren't strong enough to support such movement, so she was forced back against the berth."Oh good, you're awake," Skyfire said happily when he saw her from across the room, "Your pain receptors have been turned off, so you should feel numb."You…" Honey Venom breathed groggily, "...You...stayed here with me? Why?""You were hurt, and I wanted to be here when you woke up," Skyfire explained clumsily, unsure about what could possibly be strange about caring about a relative's welfare, "Ratchet took good care of you, as did Hoist and First Aid. The sparklings have been asking about you.""Terrabyte…" Honey Venom groaned pleadingly."She's fine," Skyfire understood her unasked question, "She was rescued by the twins last night. I haven't seen them since, but rest assured that the Decepticons did not harm Terrabyte.""Of course not, she's useful to them," Honey Venom pointed out cynically, "Skyfire, are you still angry with me over the past week? I did not mean to offend you when I asked for your help in undermining Sunstreaker's agenda. I won't bring it up again if you would be willing to allow me to continue to work in the laboratory with you."Skyfire smiled and held Honey Venom's face in both hands. He laughed in relief that she was safe, and was caught off guard that she even still cared about their little tiff. He remembered then that their fight had actually been the last time they had spoken to each other, and then that realization made him sad all over again."Honey Venom, I might not trust you, but I do love you," Skyfire told her honestly, "We are very different people, and we have both been hurt in the past, but I want to try to make our family arrangement work. No matter what, you are still my daughter, and I'm in this for the long haul. You don't need to worry about that.""Thank you, Skyfire," Honey Venom smiled back, "I suppose I owe the twins an apology as well, considering they just saved Terrabyte's life.""You really do care about her, don't you?" Skyfire asked in an amused tone of voice, "You try to sound like you barely think about them, but I know better. Those sparklings are your family, and you do care about their safety.""Terrabyte is my best friend," Honey Venom admitted without hesitation, "I know I probably shouldn't play favorites, but Q-Boom annoys me and Phobia is practically a newspark. Terrabyte understands me like no one else does. I might be the more vicious between us, but we share a lot of similarities. We both care about logic and fairness. We're both intelligent, and we both had strong ties to the Decepticon cause. Of course, we are also both adaptable and embrace our new Autobot heritage.""I'm glad to hear that, Honey Venom," Skyfire told her, "Maybe you should get some rest now. I don't want you to relapse.""You mean you don't want Ratchet to hit you for forcing me to strain myself," Honey Venom said with a mischievous smirk, "I understand. Good night, Skyfire.""Well, technically it is morning, but good night," Skyfire replied as he rubbed Honey Venom's shoulder and waited for her to fall into recharge.When her optics shut down and her ventilation stalled Skyfire finally got up from the chair next to her berth and left the medbay. He was grateful that the two of them would have a second chance, and he wasn't going to waste this one. He would help Honey Venom learn how to be a true Autobot, and he would keep her safe from the Decepticons no matter what.Sideswipe couldn't help but notice how differently Sunstreaker was acting around Terrabyte. He knew they could be awkward around each other sometimes, but this was different. Sunstreaker spoke softly to her, moved slowly around her, and in general treated her like she would either break into pieces or else attack him. He didn't understand this at all. When he went into recharge he was sure the sparkling was finally warming up to them. Now suddenly they were back to square one! What happened?After going to the wash racks Sideswipe had to get ready for his shift. He was going on patrol duty and Sunstreaker had monitor duty. They were going to leave Terrabyte with Bumblebee since he had a day off and loved watching the sparklings."Hey Sunny, you seen my police scanner?" Sideswipe asked as he dug around a pile of junk on his side of the room."How can you keep your living space so messy?" Sunstreaker asked in disdain, "It's disgusting! Also, why do you need a police scanner?""I'm going racing after my shift, and I want to know where the cops are so I can know where I won't be," Sideswipe replied cheekily.Terrabyte watched the twins converse for a few moments. Sunstreaker was trying not to intrude on her feelings at the moment, but he could still feel her curiosity coming to the fore. That was certainly different than the fear and apprehension he had been feeling since last night."Found it!" Sideswipe declared victoriously as he held up his treasure, "Now I can really hit the town today!""Sideswipe," Terrabyte called out softly, "Can I come with you?""You wanna go out on patrol?" Sideswipe asked casually, "It's pretty boring.""I don't mind. I want to go," Terrabyte requested, her optics never breaking contact with his.Sideswipe grinned at the idea of a partner in crime, but then felt Sunstreaker through their bond, and then saw the look on his face. Sunstreaker was hurt and confused. Sideswipe didn't know what that emotion meant, but he suspected it might have to do with whatever happened between Sunstreaker and Terrabyte last night. Sideswipe wasn't there, but he felt that his brother had a night terror. That made him suspect Sunstreaker and Terrabyte bonded last night."Um, sure kiddo, you can come with, but you better not play that stupid Let It Go song on my radio again," Sideswipe said playfully."I promise," Terrabyte said seriously, "Thank you."Sideswipe guided Terrabyte out of the room, but seeing the way Sunstreaker looked at them almost made Sideswipe want to turn back. He could tell Sunstreaker was jealous of Sideswipe spending time with Terrabyte, but he didn't know why. This had never been a problem before. Quite the opposite in fact. Sunny loved it when Sides took on some of the responsibility because it meant Sunstreaker could rest. Now though...something wasn't right.Red Alert and Inferno sat at a rec room table and drank their energon in peaceful companionship. Phobia was with Hound asking him about some rare type of bird he saw on a scouting mission. Red Alert wasn't trustful of every mech to watch his precious sparklet, but Hound had often proven himself a capable sitter and friend. Phobia seemed to be able to make friends with just about anybody."So then I get to the sight and wouldn't you know it? It wasn't a real human kid at all! It was just a dummy!" Inferno exclaimed as he told his story to Red Alert, "I'll tell you, that was scary! Next thing I know I'm trapped in a human's mansion in some kind of sadistic death trap! Oh, I am so glad you weren't there!""I keep telling everyone not to underestimate the humans, but no one ever seems to listen to me," Red Alert tsked and shook his helm, "Danger can lurk anywhere. One must be ever vigilant in order to survive. Decepticons are not the only enemy we will ever encounter."Just then Inferno glanced at the doorway, and Red Alert followed his friend's gaze. Honey Venom had come in to refuel, and she seemed to stumble every other step. The rescue vehicles were surprised she would allow anyone to see her in such a state out in public. Honey Venom turned their way, and surprisingly she started walking toward where they were sitting."Excuse me, sirs? Do you mind if I join you for a moment?" Honey Venom asked politely."Not at all, sweet spark," Inferno said with a charming smile, "Sit yourself down and tell us what's on your mind.""Thank you, Inferno," Honey Venom replied cordially as she took her place with the two older mechs, "I was just wondering how the other Sigma Sisters are faring, and I knew I could get honest information from you two.""Phobia ran out into the heat of battle," Red Alert groused, "I explained why she should never do such a thing, and I'm fairly sure it sunk in.""Ah yes, the Coneheads. I noticed," Honey Venom replied with an edge to her tone, "Red Alert, if I were you I would never allow Phobia anywhere near the Coneheads. Especially Dirge.""I don't intend to allow her near any Decepticon!" Red Alert replied defensively."Sir, you're the chief of security. Information is your business," Honey Venom surmised, "Therefore I feel that being part of the team means not keeping secrets from you. When the girls and I lived in Altihex the Coneheads were not yet members of Megatron's inner circle. I never suspected they would be here. If I knew we could encounter them in battle, then I would never have allowed Phobia to fight with us. I apologize for my error in judgment. I mean that. She could've died, and it would have been my fault. I know Dirge wants her dead, and I should've researched the crew complement of the Decepticons better."Honey Venom had not come merely to check in on Phobia and Q-Boom. She had in fact sought out Red Alert purposefully. She might've hated Sunstreaker, but Honey Venom knew Red Alert was a good father. She wanted him to know exactly what he would have to defend Phobia against, and confess her own guilt before things got out of hand like they did with Terrabyte. No matter what, Phobia could not afford to be captured like that."You keep saying Dirge," Inferno pointed out, "Why would that fear-monger care about Red's sparkling?""Because he is Phobia's spark-father," Honey Venom bluntly told them."What?" Red Alert asked incredulously, "That's ridiculous! My sparklet might've been born to a Decepticon, but a Conehead? She's a car-former!""That is rather strange," Honey Venom admitted, "Especially considering her mother was a deep space shuttle.""How do you know about Phobia's parents?" Red Alert asked skeptically."The records are public knowledge, and my information was augmented by a first-person account," Honey Venom replied calmly, "Phobia's father was Dirge, and her mother was one of his concubines; a femme named Starwish. The Coneheads made a habit out of capturing Autobot and neutral femmes for the purposes of turning them into pleasure bots. Starwish just happened to be unlucky enough to form a newspark with her erroneous master.""Phobia did say her mother was a pleasure bot…" Red Alert muttered softly, realizing now that she probably learned this bit of knowledge from Honey Venom, "Phobia also said her father was one of her mother's customers.""That information is false," Honey Venom replied, "It was easier for the caretaker to tell Phobia that rather than explain the concept of becoming the spoils of war. Tearjerker didn't want to give little Phobia nightmares. You need to understand that Dirge didn't want a sparkling, and once he learned she was an energon leech he insisted that his slave kill it. Starwish went against his wishes and paid a sympathetic neutral to take the newspark to Altihex foundling home. It was two city-states away from where the Coneheads lived. She had to steal that money from Dirge, and was beaten for it, but at least he never knew what happened to Phobia. You cannot let her anywhere near him. He will kill her on sight because of what she is.""Who told you all this?" Red Alert asked suspiciously."Tearjerker," Honey Venom replied, "I would suggest asking her yourself, but she died trying to save us all from becoming the next Starwish."Honey Venom knew she got her point across, so she got up and went over to where Skyfire was refueling instead. Red Alert and Inferno were quiet as each one tried to process what Honey Venom had just told them.Honey Venom turned one last time to look at Phobia. The little femmeling thought her mother was bad and had abandoned her. If only she knew that her mother sacrificed everything to save them. If only she knew how far Tearjerker had gone just to save her sparkling. Tearjerker never wanted Phobia to know her true identity, and Honey Venom respected the deceased shuttle-former enough to take that secret down to her grave just as Tearjerker had.Sideswipe used a perfectly shaped stone as a ramp and practically flew over the canyon below! He whooped and hollered as he drove beyond the designated patrol area, and every now and then he would hear Terrabyte let out an excited LOL. For some reason that sound was virtually unchanged despite her new voice."Hey Terra, what channel do you want the radio on?" Sideswipe asked."It doesn't matter," Terrabyte said calmly as she stared out his windshield."Alright!" Sideswipe shouted as he turned it to a rock channel and started listening to an Alice Cooper song, "Say Terrabyte, I couldn't help but notice you and Sunny have been kinda cold to each other. What's going on?""Nothing important," Terrabyte replied evasively."Oh, come on! It's me, your Uncle Sides. You can tell me," Sideswipe coaxed the young femme."Well...Alright," Terrabyte conceded, "Sunstreaker is upset because I used to be a Decepticon. I think he wants to kill me.""No he doesn't," Sideswipe dismissed her concerns, "We know you used to belong to 'Cons. It doesn't matter to us. You're an Autobot now.""He knows about my dream," Terrabyte added, "Sideswipe...could you do me a favor?""Sure thing, kiddo. What is it?" Sideswipe asked jovially."If Sunstreaker decides he doesn't want me anymore, could you kill me?" Terrabyte asked stoically.Sideswipe braked hard and kicked up a lot of dust from the terrain."What!? Kill you? Why would I do that?" Sideswipe asked; still in shock from the request."Because I believe you will kill me quickly," Terrabyte replied matter-of-factly, "You will not force me to suffer. I believe Sunstreaker would, since he thinks I deceived him.""Deceived? What do you man by that?" Sideswipe asked intently.Terrabyte did not answer, and refused to so much as move. She continued to stare out the windshield, and Sideswipe realized she was done talking. They drove on in silence, and Sideswipe began to wonder what exactly had caused this radical change in Terrabyte's attitude. They were doing well. Why would Terrabyte even consider the possibility of one of them killing her?"Did the Decepticons tell you that's what we do? Kill innocent sparklings?" Sideswipe asked with ire in his voice, "Well, whatever Megatron and his goons told you, it's a lie! We love you and would never hurt you."Terrabyte still didn't answer, and the rest of the ride was spent in uncomfortable silence.Sunstreaker heard the door open and expected it to be Sideswipe and Terrabyte. He looked over his shoulder from his spot at the computer terminal and saw that Terrabyte was alone. Sideswipe was in serious trouble for leaving the sparkling alone! Sunstreaker hated it when his brother was such a flake."Terrabyte. Where's Sideswipe?" Sunstreaker tried to ask casually, but he still sounded like the situation was bothering him."He went out," Terrabyte answered vaguely.Terrabyte let her Filterbots out of her hip compartment and watched as Screwball ran around in circles and the other two stood back and watched him."LOL!" Terrabyte laughed happily as she observed her little companions.Sunstreaker looked over at her and felt his spark torn. She was so young and so innocent, yet at the same time he knew she was traumatized. If he really killed her parents and left her in a pile of scrap to die, then why would she want him anywhere near her? He wanted to protect her from everything bad, but he realized now that what she was really afraid of was him."Hey Terrabyte, I want to show you something," Sunstreaker said lightly in an effort to make her feel comfortable.Terrabyte didn't want to stop watching her Filterbots play, but she begrudgingly did as she was told and sat beside Sunstreaker on his berth. He pulled a data cube out of subspace, and Terrabyte instantly recognized it as a photo block. He opened it and the first picture to pop up was a picture of an orange mech and two sparklings; one red and one yellow."This is me and Sides with our sire," Sunstreaker informed her, "His name was Vapor Lock, and he was a medic. In this photo we're posing in front of our new house in Vos. That was where Sideswipe and I learned how to use jet packs. Everything in Vos was above ground, so it was either jet packs or waiting for the school shuttle, who was never on time."Terrabyte smiled as she remembered the city shuttles in Altihex, who were also always late. Usually they were cranky, too."Vos was the last city-state we moved to before he died," Sunstreaker said with a hint of sorrow in his voice, "Our house was one of the only ones on the ground, and we had a basement. It was used as a storage room, but we usually didn't have a lot to store. It's hard to collect things when you move so much. That basement saved our lives when the Decepticons came.""Yes, they destroyed Vos," Terrabyte recollected Honey Venom telling her about this, "You were there?""Yeah," Sunstreaker sighed, "We weren't affiliated with any side at the time. The war was new, and many Cybertronians thought the whole thing would blow over. Sire said if we kept our heads down and congratulated the winner everything would be fine. No one thought Vos was vulnerable. Both sides fought there, trying to take each other out. My family and I were unlucky enough to live in a small sector that was mostly Autobot citizens. The Decepticons didn't care if we were civilians. We lived there, and that was all that mattered to them. Sides and I were about the same age you are now when it happened. Sire heard the soldiers coming and hid Sides and me in the basement. It was cold and dark, and we waited for hours. Sideswipe fell asleep in my arms, and shortly after that I heard the Decepticons break the door down and heard my sire being slaughtered by them. After we dared to open the basement door we saw Sire's remains, as well as all the furniture that had been destroyed in the chaos. We stayed there for 4 orns refueling on whatever energon we could siphon from the appliances. Eventually we started wandering the streets, but it wasn't long before we were picked up by a patrol and taken to a foundling home.""You lived in a foundling home, too?" Terrabyte asked, surprised."Yeah. I think The Pit would be a nicer place to live," Sunstreaker replied wryly, "We were never adopted, and when we came of age we had trouble earning a living. I tried painting portraits on the street corner, but it wasn't enough to live on, so we wandered aimlessly until we made it to Kaon."Terrabyte's optics went wide at that statement. Kaon was a lawless pit, and was usually a place kept from the rest of the decent world."In Kaon we started fighting as gladiators," Sunstreaker continued, "I was pretty good, and we won enough money to survive on. That was also where I learned the importance of personal appearance. Fighters that were beautiful could usually get better sponsorship deals and attract bigger crowds. Bigger crowds meant more prize money. I admit that I liked the attention, but I wouldn't wish the living conditions on anyone. If it weren't for the Autobots taking us in when Kaon fell, Sideswipe and I would've probably died a long time ago.""Sunstreaker, why did you tell me this?" Terrabyte asked point-blank."Because I feel like we don't talk enough," Sunstreaker told her, "Besides, I feel I haven't been very clear about how I feel about you. Terrabyte, I know this might be hard for you to understand, but I've been where you were. Family taken by enemy soldiers, lost and alone in an orphan scrap yard, wondering if you even have a future. I've been there, and I came out of it a pretty messed up mech. All those years of fighting made me cold and mistrustful. I just assumed that as long as I had my twin I didn't need anyone else, and I lived only to fight and eat. I don't want that to happen to you. You're a good sparkling Terrabyte, and I want to help you grow up to be a good femme."Terrabyte nodded, but Sunstreaker could feel through the bond that she was still confused. Finally he decided to bite the bullet and just ask her what he really wanted to ask her."I think I killed your parents, Terrabyte," Sunstreaker said and winced immediately after those words had left his vocalizer, "Did I?""No," Terrabyte replied, and Sunstreaker relaxed until she said "You killed my mother. My father was killed by Sideswipe."Sunstreaker groaned as if he had been physically hit in the abdomen. She was so literal-minded!"Terrabyte, if you knew from the beginning that I killed your...I mean, if you knew that, then why would you want me to adopt you in the first place?" Sunstreaker asked; utterly puzzled, "I still remember, you wouldn't leave me alone. You were scared, but you still insisted I had to be your new father. Why?""Because you owed me," Terrabyte replied matter-of-factly."What do you mean I owed you? That's it? That's really the only reason?" Asked a perplexed Sunstreaker."Yes," Terrabyte replied."Then why wouldn't you just kill me, or have Honey Venom do it?" Sunstreaker asked in a harsher voice than he meant to convey, "You can do that now, so why haven't you tried?""Because you don't owe me a spark. I still have one," Terrabyte explained calmly, "You took away my family, therefore you owed me a family. The easiest way for you to give me a family was to become my new family. Once I am an adult, your debt will be repaid, and if you wish to never see me again I will respect your wishes."Sunstreaker didn't know what to say to that. She was so cold when she spoke, yet he could feel the pain in her spark from talking about this subject. He could tell she was still afraid of him. She was probably also afraid of being abandoned, but Sunstreaker couldn't tell.He didn't know what to say, so he opened up his part of the bond to show her his feelings. He sent waves of comfort and love, and for a moment he feared she would recoil from his attempts at reassurance. Instead, her part of the bond drew closer to him. Within their bond, as well as out in the real world, they hugged one another. No words were needed. Terrabyte knew Sunstreaker didn't hate her, and he wouldn't leave her. Sunstreaker knew she didn't hate him, and whatever brought them together no longer mattered. They were a family.
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Chapter 30Love Is In The AirRed Alert went over files and reports trying to locate the surveillance of the last Decepticon attack on a power station. Lately their attacks seemed to be getting more vicious, and they seemed to be stealing more than just energon now. They were taking human technology, so clearly they were trying to build something, but the question was what.Phobia sat on the floor playing with her toys while Red Alert worked. He had recently bought her a model car kit from the hobby store. It was a 1958 Bel Air that was meant to be painted, so Phobia painted it black with red stripes. It didn't look too good by human standards, but by Cybertronian standards it was pretty close to a real paint job.Most kids who buy these cars roll them across the floor. Still others just display them on a shelf as a proud collector's piece. Not Phobia. She was cradling the model car like a sparkling and held a plastic baby bottle up to its gas cap."There you go, little Booboo. Drink up your energon before recharge," Phobia talked to the toy car as she fed it from the pretend energon bottle, "When your father gets home we'll watch all the TVs in the closet."Red Alert suppressed a laugh at that one. Phobia thought her father worked in a closet and that his security monitors were all TVs. He tried to explain it to her, but she was just a vorn old, so everything he said went in one audio sensor and out the other. Oh well, at least she respected him."Hey, Daddy!" Phobia called up to him from where she stood near his pedes, "You wanna give Booboo a goodnight kiss?""Well, I don't see why not," Red Alert smiled as he took the toy car in his servo and kissed it, "Booboo's very lucky to have you, Sparklet.""Yeah. When I grow up I'm gonna have 5 sparklings, and adopt 10 sparklings!" Phobia declared randomly."You want 15 kids?" Red Alert asked incredulously, "That's a lot of responsibility.""I won't raise them by myself!" Phobia said as if that should be obvious to him, "My bondmate is gonna help me raise them. It'll be just like before the war. He'll have a cool job and be really nice, and I'll be the best mommy ever! I'll play with my sparklings, feed my sparklings, and keep my sparklings nice and clean. They won't worry about anything.""I see," Red Alert said with a bemused expression on his face plate, "I hope me and the other Autobots can help make that future for you a reality.""My Sigma Sisters and I talk about plans like this all the time," Phobia informed him, "Terrabyte doesn't care about a bondmate. She says she'll bond if Sunstreaker lets her, but doesn't care if he doesn't want her to. She wants lots of cassettes though, and that's great, because her sparklings and my sparklings can play together!""Oh yeah? And what do the others say?" Red Alert asked in an effort to take an interest in Phobia's thoughts."Honey Venom says she won't bond unless she finds someone really powerful," Phobia replied, "When we lived at the foundling home she said she would bond with someone like Megatron, but now I think she wants Optimus Prime. Of course, she'll never admit that. She doesn't want to fall in love. She says inta- intro- introducing- no...What was the word? Oh yeah! Honey Venom says interfacing is a tool that must be used only when it guarantees you an edge. I don't know what that means. What's interfacing?"Red Alert nearly choked when she asked him that! She was too young to ask about such an intimate subject. How was he supposed to explain to her the ins and outs of a physical relationship between Cybertronians?"Well sweet spark...Interfacing is when you, um…" Red Alert fumbled his words, but tried his best to explain anyway, "Interfacing is when two bots come together for, um, uh...Well, you know that port under your spark chamber that has four holes?""Yes, but I don't know why it's there," Phobia commented, "It doesn't do anything.""That's where you're wrong, Sparklet," Red Alert explained awkwardly, "Those holes are your interface ports. Some femmes have fewer holes than you, and some have more. It's kind of random that way. The point is, you have interface holes…" Red Alert squeaked uncomfortably after saying that out loud, "...because you're a femme. A mech has interface cables, sometimes referred to as spikes, connectors, or plugs. The plugs are designed to fit into interface holes. Sometimes on rare occasions the interface bond will produce a spark inside one of the mechs or femmes. Of course, adults don't always do it for sparklings. Sometimes they interface just because they feel like it. It makes them feel good, but you have to be careful. It's not just a physical act, but also an emotional one. Interfacing means exposing your circuits and spark to your partner. It means giving yourself to them completely, and trusting them completely. You'll understand someday. I know you will.""Oh…" Phobia seemed to concentrate really hard on processing the new information, but finally she asked "Then how could Honey Venom use it as a weapon?""A weapon?" Red Alert repeated; feeling scandalized."Yeah, she said interfacing could ensure a higher position if used correctly," Phobia relayed the lion-former's words, "She never has, and after what you said I can see why. She doesn't trust people. It is kinda strange though. Using a love bond to get what you want...It seems wrong.""It is wrong," Red Alert confirmed, "For one thing it's a form of bribery, which is against the Autobot code of honor. Also it cheapens the idea of love and bonding. If Honey Venom is smart, she'll never use her body that way."Phobia didn't say anything else for a few minutes. She just stared at the floor and tried to process the information again. After a few minutes though…"I guess I don't have to worry about Q-Boom then," Phobia commented softly, "She said interfacing is stupid. One day I asked her what kind of trine she wanted and what kind of mech she wanted to bond with when she grew up, and she said she wasn't gonna bond with anybody. She said she was fine being alone. That's strange because she gets depressed when she's left by herself.""Well, I guess a lot of mechs and femmes feel that way these days," Red Alert conceded, "She might change her mind someday though. She is still young, and her adult body is new.""Hey, Daddy?" Phobia suddenly asked, "Booboo looks lonely. Can we go to the hobby store tomorrow and get another car-former for my sparkling so he can have a little brother or sister?""Sure, Sparklet," Red Alert replied with a smile, "Inferno told me they have a new line of classic Cadillacs in that store in Seattle. Maybe we can check there.""Hooray!" Phobia cheered and jumped up to hug her father, "I'm gonna go tuck Booboo into his berth! I made it out of a Kleenex box and an old oil rag.""That's fine, Sparklet. I'll be in there in a few minutes to read to you," Red Alert told her.Phobia ran through the room into a smaller closet area she used for her own berth. It was a quirk Phobia had that she didn't like to sleep out in the open. Red Alert was exactly the same way when he was a sparkling.In the back of his processor however, he was still haunted by Honey Venom's words to him the other day. How could someone as sweet and kind as Phobia come from something as evil as Dirge?Q-Boom stretched her joints as she and the Aerialbots waited for Powerglide. They were going to work on agility training that day, and Q-Boom was ready to wipe the clouds away with Slingshot and Skydive! They were so smug and annoying; especially Slingshot."Is everyone fueled and ready to go?" Silverbolt asked his team, and Q-Boom noticed that she was once again ignored by the gestalt leader."We're ready!" Fireflight exclaimed with his game face on, "Powerglide will give us all a passing grade for sure!"Q-Boom huffed as she looked at those teacher's pets, but then she noticed that Slingshot was staring back at her. Well, this seemed like a good time for some trash talk."Hey baldy, I hope you brought some copper spice, 'cause you're about to eat my dust!" Q-Boom taunted Slingshot."Huh? Oh, did you say something, Q-Boom?" Slingshot asked distractedly."Yeah, I said eat my slag, you lead weight!" Q-Boom was harsher this time in hopes of getting a reaction from the strangely withdrawn Slingshot."Hey, are you gonna let Thundercracker over there talk to you like that?" Air Raid asked Slingshot as he glared threateningly at Q-Boom."Um, uh…" Slingshot seemed lost for words as his optics went wide and his face grew hot with unreleased air."Hey guys, Powerglide is here!" Fireflight announced happily as he pointed to the small red plane-former.Powerglide strode up to the class of six and looked over all of them before he turned on a simulation of the skies above the Ark."Alright class, here's the map," Powerglide told them as he pointed to a graph chart that was overlayed on the picture, "I want you to race around this grid twice, turn around, and then fly low to get back to the Ark. I will catalogue your speeds to see who needs more training or possibly upgrades. Winner gets the day off tomorrow.""Oh, I am so gonna win!" Skydive declared, "Then I won't have to do my cleanup duty tomorrow!""Alright class, take your marks at the starting line," Powerglide ordered."After you, Q-Boom," Slingshot offered politely."Okay seriously, who are you and what have you done to Slingshot?" Q-Boom asked as she gave him a suspicious look.Slingshot giggled nervously and went to take his place at the starting line. Q-Boom knew something was wrong with this picture, but she couldn't put her servo on it. Was he going to play a prank on her? Was he sick? Did he need a favor from her? Nothing panned out, and Q-Boom was starting to feel uncomfortable around her rival. She wasn't afraid or anything...but she had to admit she was worried about him."You Q-Boom lost?" Grimlock asked critically, "But you best flier!""Apparently not," Q-Boom groused, "My new form isn't made for speed. I was faster as a sparkling. This new form flies, but it's geared more toward ground combat. I had Pop do it that way so I could help you guys fight.""So who won?" Swoop asked."Silverbolt! Can you believe it?" Q-Boom threw her hands up in the air in incredulity, "Mr. I'm-afraid-of-heights actually managed to win after Skydive and Air Raid crashed into each other and Fireflight stopped to check on them! Slingshot was even weirder. He stayed behind me the entire time, and I mean right behind me! He could probably see up my thrusters when I was in jet mode and everythin'!""Why he follow you?" Snarl asked."I don't know!" Q-Boom moaned, "Somethin's not right with him. He forgets how to talk, he stares at me, and he's been really nice to me. It's weird. He's my rival, not my best friend! How am I supposed to feel good about beatin' him if he lets me win?""Hm...It sound like him Slingshot have processor damage," Swoop reasoned, "We need to get him Slingshot to see him Ratchet before he loses all senses.""Okay, I'll take him to the medbay," Q-Boom decided, "I'll need back-up.""Me Grimlock will help you Q-Boom," Grimlock offered."Okay, but if you have to subdue him, don't go for the helm," Q-Boom insisted, "He has damage in there, so we need to be careful."Grimlock nodded, and together they went to go find Slingshot and get him the help they assumed he needed.Slingshot walked out of the firing range feeling a little better. He couldn't believe what an idiot he made himself look like out there in the sky. His brothers must've thought he was glitched! He couldn't help it though, Q-Boom seemed to dominate his thoughts lately.Slingshot knew it didn't make any sense. It felt so surreal to him...One day she was a bratty sparkling that goaded him into races and made him angry, and the next day she was a hot femme. It wasn't just her looks, though that played a big part in his new infatuation, it was her compatibility with him. She was loud, proud, and knew how and when to show off. They had so much in common, and he really wanted to ask her out. He couldn't though. He didn't know why, but he couldn't.Slingshot's thoughts were interrupted when he heard massive footsteps coming down the hall. He turned, and saw Q-Boom and Grimlock in his robot mode walking down the hall together looking for something."Hey, guys!" Slingshot waved at them and hoped this time he could work up his nerve to ask Q-Boom out."Grab him!" Q-Boom suddenly shouted.Slingshot didn't have much time to process that he was being abducted by a Dinobot and the only femme flier on the ship. He struggled, but Grimlock was much stronger than him, and he finally sagged in defeat as the T-Rex walked away with him."This is for your own good, Slingshot," Q-Boom said from the left of Grimlock and Slingshot."W-what's going on?" Slingshot asked her, "Where are you two taking me?""To see Ratchet," Q-Boom replied, "You're not well, Slingshot. You've got a processor hiccup. Don't worry though, Ratchet is a trained professional. He'll fix you.""Don't move head," Grimlock instructed Slingshot, "That where the damage is.""You're one to talk…" Slingshot muttered under his breath, "Look, I'm not sick! I don't need to see Ratchet. Let me go!""Then why have you been actin' so weird?" Q-Boom asked, "You stutter, and you're actin' all nice and considerate. You're not nice! You're a jerk! This new not-jerky Slingshot is givin' me the creeps!""What? Is that all-? You've got it all wrong, Q-Boom!" Slingshot tried to explain, "My, uh, not-jerkiness isn't because of a malfunction. I've just been...thinking, a lot.""Oh," Q-Boom said flatly, "I guess that would do it. I don't do so well with deep thoughts neither.""Does that mean me Grimlock can let go now?" Grimlock asked, "Me Grimlock not looking forward to seeing him Ratchet.""Yeah, I guess you can go now," Q-Boom said with a shrug, "I think there's a movie on channel 163, The Dynamite Network."Grimlock grinned wide and stomped away to go watch the violent action movie. That left Q-Boom alone in the hall with Slingshot, and the Aerialbot was feeling very awkward just staring at her perfect wings and perfectly pointed spines. That Wheeljack really was a genius."Q-Boom, I guess I should tell you what's been going on," Slingshot said uncertainly, "I just hope you don't think I'm a freak for what I'm about to say.""You're growin' a second helm?" Q-Boom joked, "What? You said freak, and that was the first thing that came to mind.""No, Q-Boom. I just wanted to say…" Slingshot cleared his vocalizer before he continued, "...I've been thinking, and, uh...I was wondering if you, and me could, maybe...Get some energon together sometime? Maybe watch a movie on Teletran 1 after everyone else goes into recharge?""We could do that stuff right now," Q-Boom said uncomprehendingly, but then like a light switch her processor finally caught up to what he meant to say, "Oh. You mean- You want us to go out on a date together? You and me?""I know, it sounds stupid!" Slingshot growled in frustration, "It's just that I think you and I would be good together. Two flying aces like us, why wouldn't we be?"Q-Boom just stared at him for a few tense seconds; her expression blank and unreadable. Finally she furrowed her optic ridges and seemed to be deep in thought. Slingshot didn't like the way that looked, and hoped she wasn't trying to think up a witty insult to turn him down with."Slingshot, I don't know quite how to say this…" Q-Boom said in a serious tone of voice that didn't seem to fit with everything he knew about her, "First of all, I'm kinda surprised you would want to go out with me. We've hated each other since we met, and we've been rivals since we started goin' to classes together. It seems like a bad way to start a relationship. That bein' said, I have nothin' against the idea of you personally. I do, however, hate the idea of datin'. Not just you, but anybody. I know you're lonely. A lot of people are lonely. I'm not lonely though. I've got my Pop, my friends, my Dino-brothers, and my teammates here on the Ark. I don't need a romantic bond to be happy, and I honestly don't think it's worth it to try. Too many 'Bots get hurt when their loved ones leave them. I don't want that. I'm sorry.""That's crazy!" Slingshot snapped before he realized he was talking, "So what if you're not desperate? That's not a good reason to close yourself off! If anything that would make our relationship even healthier. We wouldn't be codependent on each other.""You don't get it, sparky!" Q-Boom's sudden lash of anger surprised the Aerialbot, and he flinched for a second before listening again, "You and your brothers haven't actually lived through the ugly parts of this war. I have. I watched my spark-father fall apart from the moment I was born. The only reason I exist is because he lost his trine and couldn't stand bein' alone. I never want to rely on someone that much, and I have no need to interface, unlike a great deal of the population, so I'm never gonna date. That bein' said, maybe we could try to not hate each other so much. I'll stop callin' you bald if you stop comparin' me to Decepticon seekers. Deal?"Slingshot didn't know what to say. He never would've pegged Q-Boom as someone who was so emotionally unstable. She was always laughing, always right in everyone's faces, and always excited. To think she was harboring that kind of hurt was unsettling. He wanted her to give him a chance. He wanted to prove to her that true love wasn't impossible for her. However, this wasn't a movie, and she wasn't going to magically give him that chance. She was a wall, and he couldn't get through.
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Chapter 31What These Optics SeeSkyfire walked toward Honey Venom's quarters. It had been a week since she requested her own quarters away from the lab, but up to this point Skyfire had not visited her there. He reasoned that he was giving her privacy, but the truth was he was still a little nervous around her.Skyfire had to admit though that Honey Venom was making a real effort to be more of a team player. She wasn't very empathetic, but at least she was trying to make the other mechs feel more comfortable around her. He at least gave her credit for trying. Because she was working so hard to fit in, Skyfire decided he wanted to do something special for her to let her know that he wanted her feel happy and loved.He walked up to her door, but before he could knock, it opened to reveal Q-Boom leaving the residence."Oh, hey Designated Driver!" Q-Boom quipped when she saw him, "How you doin'?""I am well, thank you," Skyfire replied politely; ignoring her pet name for him, "Is Honey Venom inside?""Yeah, she's workin' on somethin'," Q-Boom replied, "You, uh, might not wanna go in there…"Q-Boom then left, and Skyfire couldn't help but wonder what she meant by that. Still, he had great news for Honey Venom, and he didn't want to wait to tell her.He knocked softly on the door, and Honey Venom invited him in. He ducked his head so he could fit through the door, something he had to do often on board this ship, and he looked to see his daughter. Her blue optics were glowing, and she was repairing a hole in one of her empty spark chambers. Skyfire suppressed a gulp and made to sit down at her desk in a chair that was too small for his large frame."Skyfire, what brings you by?" Honey Venom asked cordially as she stroked the macabre sphere she held in her servos."I, um…Could you put that thing away please?" Skyfire asked uncomfortably."Of course, Skyfire," Honey Venom replied as she placed the spark chamber delicately in a glass display case with several others, "So, what's on your mind?""Well, I know how you feel about your blue optics," Skyfire said, and Honey Venom made a disgusted face that confirmed what he already knew, "And I know how hard you've worked to accommodate your teammates. So, I wanted to repay you with something I know you'll love. Look what I got from Wheeljack's lab…"Skyfire then held up two flat red circular pieces of glass, and Honey Venom immediately recognized them as Q-Boom's old optics from her sparkling frame."I'm not sure I understand…" Honey Venom said hesitantly, though she actually did guess where this was going."These optics are very large, and I believe I can cut them in such a shape so as to fit your face plate," Skyfire explained, "I know you loved your red optics, and I explained to Optimus that I don't think you'll ever truly feel like yourself without them. I know it's against regulations, but just this once, we can bend the rules. Do you like the idea?""Oh, Skyfire…" Honey Venom said softly, but then she screamed as grabbed him in a bear hug, "Oh Skyfire! This is the best day ever! You're the best mentor in the universe! The Prime can chuck it! I love you so much, Skyfire!""Easy there, you sound just like Q-Boom," Skyfire chuckled."Yes, well…" Honey Venom let go of him and attempted to regain her composure, "When one has been friends with someone for three vorns certain habits are bound to rub off on a femme. Anyway, thank you Skyfire, truly. I won't forget this."Skyfire smiled, and Honey Venom hugged him again, a bit more gently this time. She was finally going to have her beautiful ruby optics back. She could think of very few Cybertronians that had ever cared about her feelings the way Skyfire had. She was so glad that he was the one who adopted her last year.Red Alert went to Wheeljack's lab to pick up Phobia. He found her conversing with Q-Boom in the main lab while Wheeljack worked in the smaller testing area. He was just going to leave with her, but Wheeljack had a new security device for the door that he just had to explain to Red. The red and white Lamborghini pretended to listen, but he was actually watching Phobia to make sure she didn't get hurt while his back was turned."I don't understand. You said no?" Phobia asked incredulously."Yeah. Why not?" Q-Boom shrugged, "He's a pain in the transistors, and he only likes me for my frame. When I was a sparkling Slingshot never saw me as anythin' other than a nuisance. Why should I forget that just because he's got a case of the surges? I say forget him.""But Q-Boom, he thinks he's an adult," Phobia pointed out, "Just because he's younger than us doesn't mean he knows it. The Stunticons are the same way. They think they're adults even though they're not. It's only natural he'd have adult feelings about you now that he sees you're equals.""Yeah, and would you date Motormaster?" Q-Boom asked with a quirked optic ridge."Actually, I think Dead End was the one that liked me," Phobia admitted timidly, "He was weird. At least when Slingshot asked you out he was nice about it. He didn't make you eat him and call you a nasty earth creature name.""Yeah, well...I still don't wanna go out with him," Q-Boom huffed stubbornly, "That bein' said, I guess I should try to make an effort to get to know him and his gestalt. They are my classmates, after all. I just feel more comfortable with you girls and my Dino-brothers. Sometimes I don't feel like a real seeker. Seekers are masters of the sky that look down on anythin' that can't fly, but that ain't me. I'm fine on the ground. Okay, so I get sky sickness sometimes, but if anythin' that's a weakness. Why would anyone brag about that?"Phobia shrugged and looked up at Q-Boom with a quizzical expression on her face plate. Red Alert had finally finished testing Wheeljack's invention and was ready to leave with Phobia. Phobia waved goodbye to Q-Boom and walked back to her quarters holding her daddy's servo.When they got back to their room, Red Alert handed her his arm so she could feed off him. She nestled comfortably in the crook of his arm, and noticed that he had eaten energon goodies before he came to her."Daddy, can I ask you something?" Phobia asked as she look up at Red Alert with hope in her twinkling optics, so Red Alert assumed she wanted a favor."Yes? What is it, Sparklet?" Red Alert asked as he rocked a little in his chair."Well, Q-Boom says Honey Venom is gonna get red optics installed," Phobia said with hesitation, "Well, I was wondering...Can I get blue optics?""Sparklet, you're too young to worry about upgrades," Red Alert reminded her, "You're just a sparkling. Give it time. You'll get there.""But Daddy, I like blue optics!" Phobia argued, "Besides, I'm gonna be an Autobot when I upgrade, so I wanna look like one! Can I get blue optics Daddy? Please?"Red Alert couldn't say no to that starving puppy face. Red Alert was known around the base for his suspicious nature, but what most didn't know was that he was a naturally generous person who had trouble saying no to requests. Inferno knew this, but didn't take advantage of it. When his little sparkling begged him for something with pleading optics, how could he say no to her?"Alright Sparklet, I'll talk to Ratchet about getting you a pair of blue optics," Red Alert promised, "Maybe we can even use Honey Venom's old ones.""Great!" Phobia cheered, "Now I'll look like a real Autobot!"Phobia disconnected her suction tubes from Red Alert and ran for her room in the closet. She pulled out Booboo and her newest car, a yellow painted '87 Cadillac Seville model she named Canary. Red Alert smiled as she proceeded to tell her toys all about her getting new optics. He noticed that since two of the sparklings upgraded Phobia had been playing with her toys a lot more. He hoped she wasn't feeling disconnected by only having one other true sparkling on board the Ark.The next day Ratchet had both Honey Venom and Phobia in at the same time for optic replacement surgery. It felt like a waste of resources to perform such a cosmetic operation on the two femmes, but Skyfire said it was for the sake of morale, and how could Ratchet argue with that?Aside from Ratchet and First Aid, the room also had Red Alert, Skyfire, and Q-Boom observing the medics' every move.First Aid was going to perform Phobia's optic replacement so he could get some practice working with Autobots. He spent so much time helping humans that the light yellow ambulance was better at fixing organics than Cybertronians."Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Red Alert asked nervously of First Aid as he shifted from one pede to the other."Yes, sir," First Aid replied without a hint of offense, "Ratchet showed me exactly what I need to do. She'll be just fine.""She better be, or you'll be locked in the brig until you rust!" Red Alert snapped."Relax, Paddy Wagon," Q-Boom said casually from where she leaned next to Honey Venom's berth, "Phobia's survived worse medical care than this.""Easy for you to say! She's not your daughter!" Red Alert barked at Q-Boom."Nope, but I've known her longer than you have," Q-Boom pointed out.First Aid worked diligently on removing the connections to Phobia's face plate while Red Alert and Q-Boom argued. Normally he hated it when Autobots fought, but this would at least keep them from ganging up on him while he worked."Hey! Be quiet over there before I strap you both down to a berth and reformat you into telescopes!" Ratchet hollered irritably at Red and Q."Hey, at least he didn't say rectal exam thermometers," Q-Boom whispered to Red Alert, and then they both snickered despite their earlier differences."Red Alert," First Aid cut into their conversation, "There's something I've been meaning to ask you...about Phobia.""What is it?" Red Alert asked warily."Well, I know she's an energon leech, and I was just wondering, I mean...How did you get used to her sucking your energon out through your plating?" First Aid asked as he suppressed a shiver, "It sounds awful. Like a tick feeding off a human or a morphobot trying to eat away at you…"This time First Aid did shiver at the image in his mind. Red Alert was offended, but he noticed that Q-Boom actually smirked at the inexperienced medic."It ain't like that, Doc," Q-Boom said as she crossed her arms over her cockpit, "She ain't a parasitic worm or anything. Think of her more like a baby bird.""A baby bird? I don't follow," First Aid said sheepishly."You see, here on earth baby birds are helpless," Q-Boom explained, "They can't feed themselves, and even if they could they can't digest it. Because of that, the mama bird has to eat the food first, and then when she's done digesting it she throws it back up in the baby bird's mouth.""That's disgusting!" Red Alert exclaimed."Yeah, but it's pretty much what you do for Phobia," Q-Boom shrugged, "She can't digest energon and you can. Therefore, she sucks the energon out of you so she can survive. Hey, maybe instead of Paddy Wagon I should call you Mother Hen.""You could try calling me by my name," Red Alert suggested crossly."Eh, I don't think so," Q-Boom smirked teasingly, "I don't remember names so good, so I just call people like I see them."Red Alert huffed, but he didn't feel like it was worth his time to argue further. First Aid had Phobia's helm wires exposed and was at that moment cutting the cerulean blue optics to perfectly match the holes in her face plate. Ratchet was already finished with his patient and was reattaching the face plate to Honey Venom's frame. Skyfire sat by himself to watch Ratchet work, and Q-Boom felt like she should say something to him, but she didn't. Skyfire was awkward and difficult to talk to. Even if he was one of the few fellow fliers, she just didn't understand him.It was a few days later that the Sigma Sisters all found themselves together in the rec room for a rare moment of quality time together. They hadn't had a lot of time to talk about the past few weeks, but each of them had gone through a lot of changes."I can't believe you actually did it…" Honey Venom said with muted shock, "You mean for the past three weeks you've been bonded to Sunstreaker as his daughter? What would possess you to do such a thing?""He saved me," Terrabyte said simply, as if that should explain everything."So what does he feel like?" Q-Boom asked curiously, "Is his spark really a black hole like Sheath from the foundling home said?""No, he mostly feels tense," Terrabyte replied, "I don't think he fits in here. Neither do I. At least we share one common trait.""...Does he know?" Phobia asked worriedly."Yes, he knows about my parents," Terrabyte replied without inflection, "He feels remorse. It was more than I expected, actually. He hates Decepticons, but he loves me even though I was a Decepticon. I cannot be one anymore, and it is not just because of Sunstreaker. I hate Megatron.""I understand," Honey Venom replied; surprising her friends, "I hate Starscream.""I saw Starscream," Terrabyte commented, "He is frequently beaten by Megatron. I pity him.""If I ordered you to hurt him would you still do it?" Honey Venom asked pointedly."Yes, Honey Venom," Terrabyte replied without hesitation."Good. I don't want you forgetting where your loyalties lie," Honey Venom said with an edge to her voice."You know, the red optics really do make you look more intense," Q-Boom observed, "And Phobia! Scrap, you look good! I never realized how much blue would match your color scheme."Phobia tittered and blushed at Q-Boom's brazen compliment. Q-Boom never was one to hold back from saying how she felt; good or bad. That did remind Phobia of something though…"So Q-Boom, have you heard from Slingshot?""Of course I've heard from him!" Q-Boom replied patronizingly, "We're in the same flight class! That bein' said, things have been a little weird between us. Look, it's not that I don't think we'd have fun if we went out, but I know how quick fun can turn into feelings, and I don't want feelings right now.""I think you made the right call," Honey Venom said haughtily, "Slingshot is a gestalt subordinate. If you were to date an Aerialbot you should go for Silverbolt. He might be timid but at least he's a leader. In fact, his spinelessness would come in handy when you wanted something from him.""I don't want any of them!" Q-Boom snapped defensively, "I just want things to be simple again! No mechs that wanna date me, no weird stares, no detonator that could take out the city of Portland, nothin'! I don't wanna be an adult anymore…""Q, it had to happen," Honey Venom replied, her tone much softer now, "You can't be a sparkling forever. Take it from me, waiting too long to transform into the femme you are supposed to be can damage you. I almost died when I wasn't given my upgrade in time, and your father saved you from that. Not to mention he took his time and gave you a really cool design. Skyfire didn't have the luxury of time when he built me. My lioness alt mode is the only reason I don't look like a bulky lampshade right now. By the way, we used your old optics for my new ones.""What? You cannibal!" Q-Boom replied in a joking tone; her original spunk back in place as if it never left.The friends laughed together and drank their energon together. Everything was finally starting to go well, but then Honey Venom and Q-Boom received a comm message from Optimus Prime, and both paused to take it. After a few seconds, they looked back at their friends; both wearing expressions of determination and readiness."Who was it?" Phobia asked, though Terrabyte was sure she already knew."The Prime has ordered Q-Boom and I to accompany a team to Lake Superior," Honey Venom informed the sparklings, "Decepticons are causing a series of tidal waves there in order to collect the energy, and the human population is in danger. Don't wait up."Honey Venom and Q-Boom ran for the exit without looking back, and when they got there they saw that they were going with Skyfire, Jazz, Gears, and Bluestreak. Q-Boom smiled and transformed into her jet mode while Honey Venom climbed into Skyfire with the others."Aw, come on Honey Venom! I got plenty of room!" Q-Boom complained, "Hey Gears, you wanna ride?""I ain't flyin' in no kamikaze jet! You'll blow me to The Pit!" Gears snapped caustically as he walked into Skyfire."Hey, I'll roll with you," Jazz offered jovially as he climbed into Q-Boom's pilot seat, "You got any tunes in here?""Sure do!" Q-Boom replied happily, "I just downloaded the Spark Mandrill theme from Megaman X!""Hm, unconventional, but I like it," Jazz replied as he leaned back into the seat to enjoy the ride.The crew took off to stop the evil of the Decepticons. Skyfire and his team flew with grim determination, while Jazz and Q-Boom relaxed to the sound of shrieking metal SNES music.Megatron was very pleased with his troops on this day. For once nobody screwed anything up, and they were gathering energon by the Astrotrain-full. In order for their latest plan to work, they needed lots of energon."Megatron," Soundwave called out from his post on the edge of the flying platform they had set up, "Autobots are converging on our position. Estimated time of arrival, two minutes.""Seekers, to the air! I want those Autobots destroyed!" Megatron ordered."You don't have to ask me twice!" Starscream yelled as he and his trine took off to converge on the Autobots.Skyfire and Q-Boom were steadily flying toward the lake when they saw on their radars that the seekers were closing in."Skyfire, I'll draw them away, you get the others to the water!" Q-Boom called out."I do not wish to endanger you," Skyfire hesitated."Don't worry about us," Jazz reassured him, "Q-Boom and I can handle anythin' those seekers dish out, so get goin'!"Skyfire didn't want to use his comrades as bait, but he did feel a special urgency to land with his only daughter tucked away in his alt mode. Reluctantly, Skyfire flew off to the right before the seekers could spot him, leaving Q-Boom and Jazz to engage the enemy alone.Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp flew in formation and rated straight toward Q-Boom like a vengeful arrow! Q-Boom, rather than maneuver away, accelerated to get closer to the enemy."Okay Jazz, I'm gonna drop you on top of Thundercracker since he's the slowest," Q-Boom relayed her plan, "I'll draw Starscream and Skywarp away from the dam."Jazz outranked Q-Boom and therefore should've come up with the strategy, but Jazz liked her idea so he said nothing. She turned over so she was upside down in the air and opened the cockpit to deposit Jazz. One wrong move and Jazz was scrap, but they coordinated their moves just right and managed to get him on top of Thundercracker!Meanwhile, Q-Boom started firing her missiles at Starscream and Skywarp, but she couldn't get a single shot in. Starscream was too fast in the air for her slow frame to keep up, and Skywarp could just teleport to get away. Then they flew to either side of her and opened fire! The barrage was heavy, and she exploded in a hail of shrapnel! Starscream and Skywarp, their task accomplished, flew back toward the dam.Thundercracker, meanwhile, couldn't shake the saboteur. Jazz wasn't too familiar with jet judo like the twins were, but he knew enough to start pulling on Thundercracker's wings to redirect him. Unfortunately, there wasn't anywhere to go, and Jazz felt like he was trapped on top of the Decepticon.Thundercracker was getting tired of this game, and decided to finally end it. He let out a sonic boom, and the sheer force knocked Jazz off the seeker! He was falling fast, and it looked like he would shatter on the ground, but at the last second Q-Boom flew in and caught him!"You alright, Jazz?" Q-Boom asked."Yeah, but that was too loud even for me!" Jazz replied wryly as he rubbed his helm.Back at the dam, Megatron and his forces were fighting against the Autobots and greatly overpowering them. The Autobots hadn't expected so much of Megatron's army to be here, and Bluestreak had called for backup the moment he got a chance. As it stood Bluestreak was firing on Blitzwing, but it was having little effect. Gears was pinned down by two of the Constructicons, Honey Venom was in lioness mode biting at Soundwave's arm, and Skyfire was getting his skid plates handed to him by Astrotrain and Bonecrusher.Starscream and Skywarp returned in that moment, and Skywarp decided to go after Honey Venom. He pulled at the lioness, which only made her dig her jaws into Soundwave's arm deeper, causing intense pain in the Decepticon carrier but Soundwave still refused to scream. Skywarp then started bonking her on the head, and she finally got frustrated with the winged idiot and transformed back into robot mode."Don't you have anything better to do?" Honey Venom asked in a bored tone of voice."Wow, you're pretty hot for an Autobot," Skywarp remarked, "I don't know whether to kiss you or kill you.""Megatron wants you to kill me," Honey Venom reminded him in a dry tone of voice."Oh yeah," Skywarp nodded as comprehension dawned on him, "Well then, prepare to die, femme!"Skywarp then fired one of his missiles, but Honey Venom dodged and fired one of her poison nail turrets, whic Skywarp dodged frantically."Oh, I remember you now," Skywarp said as he ducked another nail, "You're the toxic femme. How does that work, anyway?""My spark poisons my energon," Honey Venom replied simply, "I for one have always admired your teleportation sigma ability. Perhaps in another life we could've been part of the same street gang."Skywarp laughed at her melodramatic turn of phrase, but then continued to try to attack her. Honey Venom had read up on Skywarp long ago, and knew most of his moves, but he was still very quick and efficient. If she got out of this alive she would be very lucky.Skyfire, meanwhile, was within an inch of his life by the time Astrotrain and Bonecrusher stopped beating him. He had tried firing on them when he landed, but they were both faster than him. Part of his mind berated him for being slower on the uptake than those hulking morons. That part of his mind was quickly crushed by the pain and the worry. His daughter was out there on the battlefield, and he was helpless to save her.He saw a looming winged shadow overtake him, and for a moment he felt relief."Q-Boom...Is Honey Venom…" Skyfire managed to say, but it wasn't a coherent sentence."No, you get one more guess," a screechy voice said snidely."Starscream, no…" Skyfire croaked feebly."My, my, look how far you've fallen," Starscream shook his head with fake pity, "I told you not to join the enemy, but you never were the type to listen to me, were you?""Please...Don't...Help me," Skyfire felt his systems trying to shut down, but he willed them away. He had to stay awake."Don't help you?" Starscream mocked, "Don't worry. I wasn't planning on it.""Starscream...My daughter…" Skyfire practically sobbed the words as he tried to lift himself up and failed."Your what?" Starscream asked in disbelief, "You have a sparkling? Let me guess, you adopted one of the Decepticon sparklings that were taken from us. You really think I'm going to forgive that? You really think I'm going to forgive your betrayal, your lies, and you thievery? This is your fault, Skyfire. I saved your life and offered you a position of power, and how did you repay me? By serving my enemies! Rot in The Pit, you ungrateful slagger!""No, Starscream wait!" Skyfire cried out desperately.Starscream's weapon thrummed to life and he pressed it to Skyfire's chassis to shoot his spark chamber at point-blank range! He fired, and purple light shot right through Skyfire! Skyfire's optics went wide and then dark. His entire frame jerked violently, and then slackened."Skyfire!" Starscream heard a feminine voice cry out in primal anguish, but he didn't care.Skyfire's frame was already grey whe Starscream casually transformed and flew away from the scene. Honey Venom ran over to where Skyfire was. Skywarp had been so taken aback by her shock and grief that he actually let her go without shooting at her anymore.Q-Boom and Jazz flew to the platform at that moment, and Megatron, upon seeing the dead Autobot, called for a retreat since they had achieved such a great victory over their enemies that day. He was sure backup was on the way, and the warlord didn't feel like pressing his luck.Q-Boom and Jazz landed, and Jazz went over to see about an injury Bluestreak had suffered. Q-Boom walked over to Honey Venom ready to tell her about her dogfight, but then she saw the large dead corpse of Skyfire and stopped in her tracks. Q-Boom then looked at Honey Venom's face, and while there were no tears, her face was more slack and lost than Q-Boom had ever seen on the gold femme."Honey Venom...What do we do with him?" Q-Boom found herself asking."Backup is coming," Honey Venom said in an empty hollow voice, "The Prime will know what to do with the body. Skyfire will be treated with respect.""Oh...So, you want his spark chamber?" Q-Boom asked her."No," Honey Venom said in a hoarse voice, "He wouldn't want me to take it from him. He was particular like that."Honey Venom didn't fall apart per se, but Q-Boom could see a storm was brewing inside of her best friend. Honey Venom was grieving inside of her spark where no one could see or intrude, but on the outside she was still too stunned to do much of anything.
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Chapter 32Unfinished BusinessSkyfire's funeral service had been small but meaningful. Honey Venom had stood alongside everyone else as they watched Prowl, Ironhide, Jazz, and Red Alert carry Skyfire's still frame over to Omega Supreme, who would then launch the body into the sun in a time-honored Autobot tradition. The fact that this sun was not the star that held Cybertron in its orbit was irrelevant at this point. Honey Venom wondered absentmindedly if this was what became of Tearjerker's body as well. Honey Venom hadn't exactly been online when Tearjerker was disposed of, and she had never bothered to ask what happened to the body.The funeral had been two earth days prior. Honey Venom had continued her duty as a member of the team, but when Prime found out she was working too hard he insisted Honey Venom take some time off to recover and take care of Skyfire's affairs. She looked over the data pad she had been given. Apparently Skyfire's lab was going to be consolidated to make the medbay bigger, so Honey Venom needed to clear out Skyfire's personal effects.She entered the room with trepidation. It felt like a physical force field holding her back, but she knew logically that it was only her aching spark. She took in some air, and then walked into the room to see what she should keep and what should be thrown away. His lab was surprisingly sparse now that she really stared at it, and she knew his personal quarters was the same way. He was a simple mech with simple tastes.She went over to the workbench and rubbed at the smooth orange metal. That was where Honey Venom would watch him work when she had recovered enough to not need the wheelchair anymore. She looked at the table in the center of the room. There were plants with markers from Skyfire's carbon dioxide enrichment experiments. Even the plants looked droopy; like they knew something was missing.Honey Venom carefully placed the plants in a box along with some yeast cultures. These would have to be taken to Perceptor. She set them out in the hall and continued her inspection. She was sure most of the things that mattered to Skyfire were still in his subspace. That was another inconvenient thing about death; once a Cybertronian died all of their subspaced items were lost forever too.She looked at the shelves, and paused when she saw a familiar item. It was his jeweler's loupe. She held it gently and recalled their trip to Peru. Honey Venom then clutched it protectively before reluctantly subspacing it. If Skyfire's father lived she would ensure he got this back, but she highly doubted such an elderly mech could make it this long in the war.She growled at the thought of everything Skyfire had to endure only for it to come to this. She was used to pain and death. Pit, she was born into it! She had never before considered what a world of peace looked like until she met Skyfire. When he spoke of the Golden Age world she could picture it. When she saw the light and innocence in his deep blue optics she understood what a true civilian looked like. He was one of the few mechs Honey Venom had ever met that she felt truly didn't deserve to die or suffer. She wasn't even on that list.With these thoughts swirling through her processor she unsheathed a set of nail turrets, screamed, and began to rip the entire room apart! She knocked over beakers, scratched up the workbench, and smashed the lights out! Honey Venom's red optics were all that was left to light up the room as she vented in and out. She didn't feel satisfied yet, so she got down on her knees and ran scratches along the floor! Tearing up the room wouldn't solve anything, but this was how Honey Venom dealt with anger and frustration.She didn't speak, and the only sounds were that of her venting and the thrum of background machinery, but her thoughts were as loud as thunder, and one thought dominated them all…
Starscream will pay.
Sunstreaker came into his quarters to see Terrabyte huddled in a corner with the Filterbots. This didn't surprise him like it once would have. He had felt her distress and helplessness over their spark bond."Hey, Terrabyte," Sunstreaker greeted her in a voice barely above a whisper, "So, how are you holding up?""Honey Venom is going to die," Terrabyte replied; catching Sunstreaker off guard."What?" Was all he could manage to say."Honey Venom speaks of killing Starscream to avenge Skyfire, but she won't do it," Terrabyte replied stoically, "She thinks of it often, but Honey Venom has never killed anyone before. I doubt she can actually go through with it.""Oookaay…" Sunstreaker dragged out the syllables in an attempt to make sense of her words, "...So why do you think she'll die?""Because she will fight him again," Terrabyte explained, "But she will not win. She will die.""How do you know?" Sunstreaker asked, "She might surprise you.""I know her," Terrabyte replied with absolute certainty, "I've known her most of my life. I can anticipate most of her actions. She does not believe in a balance of debt the way I do. She believes in the Decepticon way of justice, which is to kill all that oppose you. Starscream took her mentor away. She will not stand for this, but I don't think she can win in a fight against Starscream."Terrabyte turned away from Sunstreaker to pet Screwball on top of his helm. The dog 'Bot cuddled up closer to her and barked. Terrabyte nodded, so Sunstreaker assumed Screwball said something to her."Sunstreaker...What do you do when you cannot speak?" Terrabyte asked vaguely."What do you mean by that?" Sunstreaker asked; truly confused at this point."If I should ever lose my voice again…" Terrabyte hesitated before she continued, "If I should feel that no one understands what I say...How do I let them know?"Sunstreaker didn't know why she suddenly worried about her voice box again, but he felt like he knew an answer to her question."Let me show you something," Sunstreaker said as he gently guided her to his berth.Sunstreaker then ducked under his berth and started rooting around. Terrabyte was surprised there was anything under there since Sunstreaker was so particular about keeping his part of their living quarters clean (despite Sideswipe's squalor). He pulled out a long box with a lock and took a key out of his subspace. Terrabyte watched intently as he opened it, and she saw that it was a stack of static-charged canvases. She could only see the top painting, but it looked like there were over two dozen in there!"These are paintings I did when I was younger," Sunstreaker explained, "I sold most of my paintings when Sideswipe and I traveled from town to town, but I kept some of my favorites for myself. I felt like these were my deepest forms of expression. Here, let me show you the first one."The first painting was of a haggard looking oxidized mech crawling in an alleyway toward a cube of rainbow glowing energon. The way it was painted made it so the mech was facing the observer but staring desperately at the cube. Terrabyte noted that energon with so many colors didn't really exist, but she also felt like she understood what the colors were meant to convey."That cube...Has a lot of energy," Terrabyte said timidly; not sure she was correct in her assessment."Yeah, this was from a time when Sides and I were really broke and nearly starved to death," Sunstreaker explained, "I thought about how even a simple cube of energon could be the most beautiful thing in the world when that's all you think about, so I painted the cube in brilliant detail while leaving the rest of the painting in muted tones of grey, brown, and green."Sunstreaker took out the next painting, and Terrabyte shrunk back by how terrifying this one looked. The brush strokes were much cruder in this piece, and the technique not as advanced. It was a painting of a dark purple background with shadowy figures surrounding two huddles blobs that were colored black as well. She noticed the ugly looming shadows had red optics while the tiny huddled blobs had blue optics."This painting isn't my best work, but it is one of my oldest," Sunstreaker explained, "I was only a couple vorns older than you when I painted this. It's supposed to represent the Decepticons that killed my sire.""I like the cube one better," Terrabyte replied bluntly; causing Sunstreaker to grin."All I'm saying is, art is one of the most honest forms of expression you can find. You could paint, draw, sing, write, sculpt, take photos, or any other form of art you can think of," Sunstreaker told her, "Pit, I've even seen some artists make things out of trash. I hope you don't pick that one though; Sideswipe's mess is a big enough problem."Terrabyte leaned in closer to Suntreaker so she could feel his warmth. His spark and hers slowed down contentedly as they held each other. Normally Terrabyte wasn't much of a cuddler, and neither was Sunstreaker, but after what happened to Skyfire Terrabyte needed to reassure herself that he was still there. Maybe later she would ask him to teach her how to paint.Q-Boom was irritated that Honey Venom had asked her to come to her quarters at this late hour. She and the Dinobots were in a nice comfortable pile when she got a comm saying she needed to get her winged aft over there now. She managed to not wake up her Dino-brothers, but she couldn't help but grumble once she was out in the hallway.On any other cycle she would probably tell Honey Venom where to stick it, but she knew the past couple days had been rough on the lioness femme. She felt sorry for Honey Venom, but at the same time she didn't dwell too much on the death. It wasn't that Q-Boom was sparkless or anything. She just wasn't the type to dwell on things for very long.When she made it to Honey Venom's room she saw that the collection of spark chambers and laser cores were scattered all over the floor and several of them glowed in the pitch black room. Honey Venom's expression was visible due to her optics, and it was an odd mixture of loving and deranged. Q-Boom didn't know how anyone could make a face that looked like that."This better be important, you overgrown Thundercat," Q-Boom groused."It is," Honey Venom assured her, "I need you to get me some bronze from Wheeljack's lab, as well as some medical grade energon from the medbay.""You seriously woke me up so I could run your stupid errands?" Q-Boom crossed her arms over her cockpit and scowled down at Honey Venom; who was sitting in the middle of the floor with her spark chambers, "What's in it for me?""I still have several empties," Honey Venom gestured to the spark chambers that didn't glow, "You can have a part in this new project, but I need your cooperation. Also, I need a handheld code-breaker. This project means some serious modifications will be necessary. Make sure you are not spotted. The Autobots mustn't know what we are doing.""Yes, Lady Shockwave," Q-Boom said in a mockingly sweet tone before she turned on her heel strut and left."I thought Phobia was Lady Shockwave to you," Honey Venom teased right back.Q-Boom turned around and said "Yeah, well now I've decided it fits you better. Of course, I still call Phobia the Cadaver-Mobile, or sometimes Corpse Ride."The seeker then left to get Honey Venom's assorted scrap. Q-Boom knew this experiment was important to Honey Venom, and on some level it was important to all of the Sigma Sisters, but she still hated running errands through the Autobot base at night. Oh well, if Honey Venom was busy with her dubious collection of horrors then maybe she wouldn't try to kill the Decepticons just yet.The last of Skyfire's things had been cleared for the new medbay, and Honey Venom seemed to return to a sense of normalcy. She volunteered to help Ratchet in the medbay and went on patrol without complaint. After a while the other Autobots stopped noticing her altogether, but Terrabyte was not so easily fooled.She noticed that over the past few weeks Honey Venom had been avoiding her, and that more than everything else made her suspicions grow. She also noticed how Honey Venom had started taking her energon rations to her room, and how Q-Boom met with Honey Venom more often. It hurt that she was left out, but she understood that if something was going to happen that Honey Venom would want the adult-former by her side instead of a sparkling.She also hadn't seen much of Phobia. It didn't take a genius to figure that one out though. Phobia was a sensitive sparkling and death still hit her hard. Skyfire was a nice mech that tried to make everyone feel welcome even when that welcome was not returned. Terrabyte silently wondered how a kind shuttle like Skyfire could've ever considered a horrible mech like Starscream his best friend. The irony of that thought was completely lost on the carrier sparkling.Terrabyte, with no friends to turn to, had taken to spending more time with her Filterbots and her guardians. She refueled with the twins now, but all the while she would watch and hope Honey Venom showed back up. Her loyalty bond ached for her friend, and she didn't know how to make Honey Venom or the others pay attention to her again.One night Terrabyte couldn't get to recharge because of thinking about her loneliness without the other Sigma Sisters. That was helpful to Sunstreaker, since now he woke up every night with nightmares similar to Terrabyte's. With her awake he could recharge in peace. Terrabyte was sick of being without her friends, so she decided to go to Honey Venom's room and confront her outright about it. She was tired of being ignored!She walked carefully in the dark hallways until she made it to Honey Venom's personal quarters. She could faintly hear Honey Venom talking to Q-Boom, and decided to risk going in to see what they were doing. She wasn't noticed because of how engrossed the two adults were in their project, and Terrabyte's optics went wide in terror when she saw what they were making.It was a bomb!
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Chapter 33My Spark Stab At TheeTerrabyte couldn't believe what she was seeing, and yet there it was. A bomb about the size of Terrabyte herself, coated a smooth orange due to the shell being constructed with pieces from Honey Venom's own walls. Q-Boom lowered the actual explosive devices inside, and Terrabyte instantly recognized them from Honey Venom's war strategy books as colliders.Colliders were used in the beginning of the Cybertronian war by Megatron's troops to decimate the city of Nuon, but were eventually replaced by more efficient and less 'dirty' devices. A collider the size of a chihuahua could blow up an entire Cybertronian city-state and magnetize the metal for generations to come. The bunch Honey Venom and Q-Boom had were obviously overkill for whatever they planned to do with them."I don't even wanna know how you knew how to make these things!" Q-Boom said to Honey Venom as she lowered the last collider into the shell, "I just hope you know what you're doin'.""I am aware of the risks and benefits," Honey Venom lilted, "I will need transportation to the Nemesis. Since you are the only one capable of surviving such ferocity should something go wrong, I would ask you.""You mean you would make me," Q-Boom smiled as she crossed her arms, "Sure. I could go for some wanton destruction. You want me to wake up the others?""No!" Honey Venom snapped a little too quickly, "I don't want Terrabyte or Phobia anywhere near that ship. I wouldn't even ask you if I didn't need your help.""Got it," Q-Boom replied coolly, "I'll load some weapons into my subspace and grab a cube for the road. You might wanna put those spark chambers some place safe.""Indeed," Honey Venom nodded as she opened a panel in the wall she had clawed out a few weeks prior, "I'm leaving most of them in here and the rest in the display case. Remember this location.""Yeah, yeah. You and your little freaks of nature," Q-Boom needled as she shook her head in amusement, "Just don't take too long, Honey Venom."Terrabyte noticed that Q-Boom was about to walk out the door, so she quietly ducked under the berth, and then ran out the closing door after Q-Boom walked out. So, they were going to the Nemesis to exact revenge on Honey Venom's sworn enemies, huh? Well, Terrabyte made a promise in Altihex that she would always work to support Honey Venom's agendas. Honey Venom's enemies were Terrabyte's enemies, and she wouldn't allow her best friend to fight them alone.Terrabyte went into her room to see Sunstreaker and Sideswipe still in recharge. She looked at them and felt a pang of regret. She should tell them about her plan. She should ask for their help to stop the Decepticons once and for all. They wouldn't help though. They were Autobot soldiers, and despite their rebellious natures they were still bound to Optimus Prime's orders. They would never allow a sparkling to go into battle, so she had to keep them out of the loop.Terrabyte released her cassettes onto the bed, and they looked up at her questioningly when they saw her sullen expression and felt her heavy spark. Screwball was the first to speak."Where are we going?""Nowhere," Terrabyte replied succinctly."What's wrong?" Shriek asked; concerned."Honey Venom is going to destroy the Nemesis. I am going to help her," Terrabyte replied."Can we come, too?" Screwball asked, "The Nemesis is my favorite place!""You can go to berth," Terrabyte suggested."Recharging? That's wonderful! I love recharging!" Screwball exclaimed as he hopped onto the berth and circled it like a cat before plopping down like a sack of potatoes."Terrabyte," Turret called out to her, "Turret loves Terrabyte."It was a short statement, but one full of meaning. Turret understood that where Terrabyte was going was dangerous, and knew that was why she wasn't taking them with her. Zetabyte had never been so careful with them despite them being her own creations, but Terrabyte was a peaceable sparkling. She never wanted her mother's symbiotes to be soldiers."I love you too. All of you," Terrabyte replied, "Shriek, where is my easel? I need to write a note to Sunstreaker, in case he wakes up before I come back."Shriek nodded and flew over to Sideswipe's side of the room. Apparently Sideswipe had been using the board to keep score in a video game tournament between him and Sunstreaker. Terrabyte erased the scoreboard and began to write her note to Sunstreaker in sharpie. She didn't have a lot of time though. Her Sigma Sisters would leave soon, and she needed to be there before Q-Boom took off.She didn't hug the Filterbots goodbye. She wasn't the touchy-feely type. Still, they could feel the waves of comfort she sent through her spark. That would have to be enough. Shriek felt like a coward for not insisting they go to defend Terrabyte, but she wouldn't allow them to even if they wanted to go.Q-Boom was at the Aerialbots' docking station with her canopy open to await Honey Venom. The bomb was safely tucked away in Q-Boom's cargo compartment. Honey Venom approached, and then transformed into her lioness alt mode so she would be small enough to fit inside Q-Boom's cockpit.As they loaded up Q-Boom didn't even notice the little Roomba that discreetly rolled into her cockpit behind Honey Venom in the copilot's seat."Are we almost there?" Honey Venom asked Q-Boom as they flew over the ocean."Don't know yet," Q-Boom replied, "I've never been to the Decepticon base. This map is kinda old. I hope it ain't out of date."Honey Venom sighed and dug her claws into Q-Boom's leather seats. This waiting was almost painful after all the careful planning she had done. She just wanted to hurry up and wipe Starscream off the face of the universe. Was that so much to ask? She made sure the signal was untraceable before going back to monitoring Q-Boom's progress. Hopefully they would be there soon."You're going the wrong way," Terrabyte said from the back seat.Honey Venom and Q-Boom screamed in unison when Terrabyte suddenly spoke. They had no idea she was even back there!"Terrabyte! What are you doing here?" Honey Venom asked crossly."I came to help," Terrabyte replied simply."Terrific," Honey Venom replied sarcastically, "Terrabyte, do you have any idea what we're doing?""Yes," Terrabyte replied calmly, "You are going to kill yourself.""What!?" Honey Venom exclaimed caustically, "What gave you that idea?""You cannot hide from me. I know you," Terrabyte replied, "You want to kill Starscream and you know how to make a collider bomb. You can only activate a collider bomb at close range. You know you won't escape, but you'll still do it because it is the most efficient way to kill Starscream.""Yeah, well…" Honey Venom couldn't say anything. She knew she had been caught."Don't do it," Terrabyte asked her softly, but her monotone still held pleading words, "I will miss you. The Autobots will miss you. You are important to us.""Aw, come on! She's not gonna die!" Q-Boom dismissed her concerns, "She's got that tough electric armor.""Electrum," Honey Venom corrected her, "And since you asked so nicely, I suppose we could do this in a more roundabout sort of way. It won't be guaranteed to work, however, and will require a great deal of stealth.""Fine, lay it on me," Q-Boom replied, "After Terrabyte tells me where I'm supposed to be goin', that is."Terrabyte directed Q-Boom across the ocean based on her own memory of her capture by the Decepticons and rescue by the Autobots. After that Honey Venom told them of her new plan. Instead of locking herself in the room with Starscream and the collider bombs, she instead was going to rig a timing device on one of the bombs in a room the Decepticons rarely used. The cascading bombs would destroy the entire ship, but it wasn't guaranteed to destroy every Decepticon.It took an hour and a half before they found their way to the ship. Apparently Q-Boom had been flying in the wrong direction for a long time before Terrabyte noticed what was happening. It was hard to scan for things as a Roomba.They couldn't raise the ship to the surface, so Q-Boom dove and transformed as she hit the water below. Terrabyte transformed as well, but Honey Venom swam better as a lioness so she stayed as she was. The water was heavy all around them, but there was a certain peaceful serenity to the environment as the Sigmas looked at the fish and the plant life under the sea./Check it out! That fish just ate that other fish!/ Q-Boom shouted over their comm./Could we have less talking please? I'm trying to think,/ Honey Venom rudely replied./Oh, yeah? Your helm must really hurt then!/ Q-Boom teased Honey Venom./Just leave me alone!/ Honey Venom snapped impatiently; the stress of the operation starting to get to her.They went on in silence for a few more minutes until they came across the drainage vent for the Nemesis. This meshed tube helped keep water out of the ship. Honey Venom clawed at the mesh until it ripped apart, and then the three femmes crawled through the tube and into the ship. Once inside, Q-Boom shook herself dry."I thought I was supposed to be the animal," Honey Venom quipped, "Which way, Terrabyte?"Terrabyte started walking and the other two 'Bots followed her. She wasn't sure where she was going because she had never seen this part of the ship before. It was a long stream of four-way intersections and winding corridors. Before long they were really lost, but fortunately they hadn't seen a soul yet."Here!" Honey Venom suddenly hissed as she pointed to a room, "What room is this?"Terrabyte looked at it for a moment, and then finally said "This is Scavenger's room. I only saw it briefly."Honey Venom looked over the room with an appraising optic. There was junk crammed in every crevice. There were piles of papers and bits of scrap everywhere. The place looked like a Junkion sacrifice."It's perfect," Honey Venom declared, "We'll hide the bombs in here. No one will notice them."Honey Venom and Q-Boom went to work setting up the colliders. Terrabyte couldn't help because she was too small to lift the heavy magnetically charged devices. Once those things went off they would rip the place apart; giving special attention to anything made of living metal.Once the bombs were in place Honey Venom found an old alarm clock in Scavenger's things and wired it to the bomb. She set about making a timer for the device, and set it for one hour. That should give the Sigma Sisters plenty of time to escape."Seriously, how are we still lost?" Q-Boom asked sourly as they passed the control room for the fifth time, "We've only got fifteen minutes left, turkey burger! Hurry up and find the exit!""Of course, because your yelling at me is all the motivation I need," Honey Venom snapped, "By the way, I don't think they heard you on the Ark!""LOL!" Terrabyte couldn't help but laugh despite the seriousness of the situation.They were no longer trying to go back the way they came. At this point they were looking for an exit, any exit. They couldn't even find an outer wall with a port hole, and the Sigmas were starting to feel a little edgy about the idea of being in a ship that was rigged to explode."If we didn't have to worry about sneakin' around I could just fly us outta here," Q-Boom pointed out."You're right," Honey Venom sighed sharply and then said, "Q, transform. Let's get out of-""Not so fast!" A deep raspy voice shouted from behind them."Oh, frag..." Honey Venom cursed as she and the others turned around.Megatron was standing there aiming his fusion cannon at them, while Starscream and Soundwave stood on either side of him like a pair of backup dancers. Honey Venom scowled and realized that if they were going to get out of this alive she would have to tell them about the bomb. Part of her wanted to keep that a secret and let them all die, but she couldn't do that. Not with Terrabyte there. Her friend was too important to her despite everything she'd done to make it this far."Megatron, we need to evacuate the ship," Honey Venom said with a shaky voice, "We set up a system of collider bombs on the Nemesis, and they'll explode in about ten minutes. If you want to survive you need to run.""Don't listen to her! It's obviously a trick!" Starscream shouted accusingly.Megatron stared at Honey Venom for a moment, and then said "I believe her. We were going to abandon this base anyway." Then over his comm /Astrotrain! Load up as many supplies as you can and get out of the Nemesis immediately. You have five minutes! Decepticons! Abandon ship!/Starscream and Soundwave turned and left, but Megatron remained standing there for a few seconds longer. Honey Venom didn't know what he wanted, or why he was wasting so much time."One more thing before I go, femme," Megatron said as a slasher smirk crossed his face plate, "I want to congratulate you for getting this far…"Megatron then aimed his cannon at the ceiling where there were several metal support beams and fired! Half the ceiling came crashing down on Honey Venom, pinning her from the waist down, and Megatron ran away to join his fellow Decepticons."Nooo!" Terrabyte screamed, "Honey Venom!"Terrabyte pulled at Honey Venom's arm to try to free her but it was no use. Q-Boom tried to pry the array of metal bars off Honey Venom's body, but they wouldn't even budge. Honey Venom was trapped, and the place was set to blow. Q-Boom silently cursed herself for not bringing Grimlock on this little revenge mission. He would've been strong enough to save Honey Venom."You girls need to get out of here," Honey Venom said with a surprising amount of calm and strength of tone, "It's too late for me, but you can still survive. Go."Terrabyte looked down at Honey Venom's face, then at her hand, and grabbed her hand and held it tight."No. I won't leave you to die alone," Terrabyte replied resolutely."Very well then," Honey Venom replied with just as much determination, "Q, grab Terrabyte and fly her to safety."Q-Boom nodded and started pulling on Terrabyte, but Terrabyte refused to let go of Honey Venom's servo! Q-Boom knew time was running out, but she also knew Terrabyte was too stubborn to leave Honey Venom behind. Thinking quickly, Q-Boom pulled one of her head blades off and used it to chop off Terrabyte's hand by the wrist! Terrabyte looked down at the nub pouring energon, but didn't have time to react beyond that as Q-Boom scooped her up and transformed into jet mode!Q-Boom flew around the Nemesis desperately searching for an exit. This was the worst! She hated it that she was so lost, and knew that escape was the only way she could be useful. If she tried to shield her friends from the blast it would only make a worse blast because of the spark bomb in her body! She silently cursed her sigma ability that would keep her alive while others died and flew frantically down the halls that were too small for a full sized seeker jet.She suddenly picked up an exit over their heads on her sensor array! It was five stories up, and she would have to be quick about it. She flew up higher, higher, and higher…
Four
Three
Two
One
…
Author's Notes: Cliffhanger! Yes, I wrote the Author's Note on the bottom this time. Just thought I'd try something different. There's only one chapter left to go after this one. I hope you guys have been enjoying reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Anyway, please review if you feel like it and have a great week :)
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Chapter 34Empty SparksSideswipe was relaxing on the crystal beaches of Kalis. He was sipping on high grade and getting wax rubbed on his chassis by a hot young femme with a sporty alt mode. She nuzzled his neck cables and whispered sweet nothings in his audio receptors. It was truly paradise.He put his arm around her and kissed her deeply. She melted in his grip and swooned at having the attentions of so strong and charming a mech as Sideswipe. After he finished his high grade he was sure they could find more pleasurable activities away from prying optics.The femme then leaned into his audio receptor again, and screamed in agony!"What the-?" Sideswipe exclaimed as he bolted upright and realized he had woken up in his berth on the Ark.He only had a second to be miffed however, as he suddenly realized the screaming was coming from below him on Sunstreaker's berth. It was still dark outside, and usually the twins slept through the night unless Terrabyte and Sunstreaker had a bad dream (usually at the same time). Sideswipe sighed when he realized he would have to wake up Sunstreaker again, and probably Terrabyte as well if the multiple screams were anything to go by.When Sideswipe jumped down from his berth he turned on the lights, and that was when he was able to really take in the scene. Sunstreaker was awake, and he was staring up at nothing and screaming as if he were in terrible pain. That didn't make sense. If Sunstreaker was hurting then Sideswipe should be able to feel it through the twin bond. He felt nothing, but Sustreaker was clearly in distress.Sideswipe grabbed Sunstreaker before he had another chance to think about it. If anyone could tell him what was wrong it was Ratchet, so he had to get Sunstreaker to Ratchet right away! As Sideswipe left he didn't even take note of the howling Filterbots.When Sideswipe entered the medbay he looked around for Ratchet, and that was when he saw Ratchet and Swoop tending to Wheeljack, who was also screaming and clutching his spark chamber!"AAAAHHHH! Make it stop, Ratchet! Make it STOOOP!" Wheeljack cried out as he writhed on the medical berth."Him too?" Sideswipe asked as he came over with Sunstreaker in his arms, "What is going on?""Sideswipe!" Ratchet shouted when he saw them, "Quickly, get him on a medical berth right away! I'll run some scans on Sunstreaker! Swoop, keep an optic on Wheeljack!"Something strange happened in that moment though. While Wheeljack continued to scream, Sunstreaker's optics suddenly dimmed and he stopped screaming or even moving. He layed there, practically catatonic, and stared up at the ceiling."Sunny?" Sideswipe called out softly to his brother, "Sunny, it's me. Can you hear me, bro?"Sunstreaker let out a shaky vent and then touched his chassis. He placed his palm flat over where his spark chamber was, and the blank expression remained on his face as he spoke the next tank-wrenching words."Gone…""What was that, Sunny?" Sideswipe asked."It's gone…" Sunstreaker replied weakly; barely able to speak, "There was a horrible burning pain for what felt like an eternity, and then there was nothing. No pain. No relief. Just...emptiness. Sideswipe…" Sunstreaker's optics suddenly began to leak cleaning fluid as he said "...She's gone. Terrabyte is gone. Something happened and now I can't feel her through the bond. I think she died.""That's crazy!" Sideswipe denied, "Why would she die? She's a healthy, normal little sparkling. You'll see. We'll go back to our room and she'll be there in her recharge berth. Everything is fine. Maybe she just closed the bond.""This isn't a closed bond, Sideswipe!" Sunstreaker snapped harshly, "There is no bond! I feel nothing! It's as if the bond was violently ripped out of my spark and now there's nothing there but an empty hole! Honey Venom!""What? Honey Venom?" Sideswipe asked dumbly, but Sunstreaker was already off the berth and on his way out the door.Sunstreaker stomped down the hallways until he found himself in front of Honey Venom's door. The only one who had means and motive to hurt Terrabyte was that awful lioness. Sunstreaker was sure Honey Venom had convinced Terrabyte to do something suicidal.He knocked, and when no one answered he forced the door open with his fingers! He ran inside, but he saw nothing. There was no Honey Venom, and even her stuff was gone! It was just an empty room."NOOOOOOO!" Sunstreaker screamed; waking the Autobots that lived in that section of the Ark.Sunstreaker ran back to his room. It was his only chance to get answers. He went back inside, but there was no one. The Filterbots weren't in there anymore, and neither was Terrabyte. He searched the room like a mech possessed, and then his optic caught sight of Terrabyte's little artist easel. He saw there was a note in Cybertronian, so he read it.
Dear Sunstreaker,
Honey Venom is going to kill Starscream. I'm going with her. I might be home late. If I'm not back by noon tell the Filterbots to go find Blaster. He can keep them charged while I'm gone. I'm sorry I didn't take you with me, but I still get scared when I see you fight. I love you anyway though.
Terrabyte
Sunstreaker sat down heavily on Terrabyte's recharge berth. He couldn't believe it. She went to the Decepticon ship, and they had killed her. Those beasts had actually killed his sparkling! He would never forgive them for this.He turned his helm to the right and noticed something in the corner where Terrabyte often played with her Filterbots. It was a small wooden box. Sunstreaker carefully picked it up with his thumb and forefinger since it was human-sized, and opened it to see what was inside.He felt himself start to cry when he heard the soft tinny music coming from the music box. It played My Spark Go Down, and Sunstreaker shut the box when he couldn't bear to listen to it anymore.Oh yes, the Decepticons had much to pay for. They killed Sunstreaker's father, they killed his friends, and now they had taken away the most precious thing he had; his own daughter. They would most assuredly suffer for this.Phobia had noticed the grown ups acting strange all day. She had heard that Wheeljack wasn't feeling well, but that didn't explain all the strange and sad looks she was getting. Her daddy was busy at a senior staff meeting. She listened in through the air vents and found out Megatron and his goons had boarded Astrotrain and left for Cybertron. That wasn't all she learned, however."Are you certain?" Optimus Prime asked."There is no other explanation," Prowl replied soberly, "There is only one reason for a parent/child spark bond to be severed. Terrabyte is deceased. I suspect something similar has happened to Quantum Boom. There is no other reason for Wheeljack to have this much pain in his spark that he cannot explain.""And Honey Venom?" Optimus asked softly."No one has been able to locate her," Prowl replied, "I believe she knew she wasn't coming back, however. We cannot find most of her things. We located her berth in the supply room, and her broken vanity mirror in Wheeljack's lab. That was all we could find, sir.""I see," Optimus nodded gravely, "We will not be able to explore the downed ship due to the magnetic pulse emanating from the wreckage. We will have to call on our human allies to search for the remains of our fallen comrades. If there's a chance even one of them survived then we need to hurry. Time is a luxury we cannot afford now. Jazz, have you found anyone willing to assist us?""Sho' have," Jazz replied, "Carly is coordinatin' a team of volunteers from all over the west coast. Every precaution has been taken to ensure they won't get stuck in the magnetic current. They should be checkin' in with me within the next couple hours.""Very good Jazz," Optimus commended his officer, "For the moment you are dismissed, but keep your comm lines open for updates."Phobia turned away from them then, and crawled back to her room. She went into her closet berth and wept. She couldn't believe her best friends all died and left her alone. Then she noticed a small bronze glow from under her berth.She picked it up and saw that it was one of Honey Venom's spark chambers. It was warm, and had a red splotch of paint on it to show it was a former Autobot spark chamber. She wasn't surprised to see it, or to see the others under her berth. She went back out into the room and saw the display case just outside her door. The rest of the spark chambers would be in the secret panel in Honey Venom's wall. She would have to go get them. The project was her responsibility now.That night Phobia recharged fitfully. She hugged her Booboo car and tried not to think about being the last Sigma Sister alive, but she couldn't help it. How could she be the only one? Still, she tried to stay asleep so that at least she wouldn't have to face reality for a few moments.Phobia was almost in deep recharge when a bright pink light shone in her optics from her computer screen near the end of her berth against the wall. She onlined her optics and wondered how the computer could turn itself on like that."Hello? Daddy? Are you awake?" Phobia called out softly."Yo, Phobia!" A familiar voice called out."Q-Boom? Is that you?" Phobia asked hopefully, "Where are you?""I'm in the computer!" Q-Boom replied, ""I'll come out, but you have to promise you won't panic.""Panic? Wait, how are you in a computer?" Phobia asked as her optic ridges scrunched up quizzically.There was a spray of sparks in the room, and Phobia shielded her optics from the onslaught of light. When she looked again, she was shocked to find a floating pink spark with no body attached!"Q-Boom! You're a ghost!" Phobia gasped fearfully."No, I ain't!" Q-Boom protested, "I ain't dead! My body just got caught in the magnetic blast and tore itself apart. Now I got no body. I'm so lonely.""This isn't a time for jokes, Q!" Phobia yelled as she stomped her foot, "And by the way, the technical term for a disembodied spark is a ghost. It doesn't mean you're dead. In fact, I'm pretty sure being dead would make this impossible.""Look at you tryin' to sound smart," Q-Boom said in a snarky tone, but then became serious when she said "Listen, Pheebs, about Honey Venom and Terrabyte...I'm sorry about them. I failed. I couldn't save them."For a moment the room was uncomfortably silent, but then..."You haven't called me Pheebs since the foundling home," Phobia pointed out, "You would only call me that when I was depressed and you were trying to cheer me up. Q-Boom, what happened? Are they really dead?""Yeah," Q-Boom sighed, "The short version is that Honey Venom dove into the pits of inferno, and Terrabyte dove down there with her. I should've been able to save Terrabyte though. She was in my cockpit. I was flyin' outta there. I could see the top, but then the explosion happened, and our bodies were ripped apart. It killed Terrabyte in a matter of seconds, but my spark can't die from trauma. You'd have to poison me if you wanted me dead.""So Honey Venom was the only one that could've killed you, and you still talked to her like that?" Phobia asked incredulously, and Q-Boom crackled smugly, "So...What about the Filterbots?""I don't know," Q-Boom replied, "I gotta tell you though, bein' a bare spark is really uncomfortable. Every stray wind hurts like the pit! I gotta get outta here!""Can't you wait for Mr. Wheeljack to make you a new body?" Phobia asked."I'm sure he will someday, but I can't wait that long," Q-Boom replied insistently, "The only place empty enough for me to survive is outer space. Pit, I might even check on other planets for the Autobots. If I feel like it. Listen, I need to go and tell Pop and my Dino-Brothers goodbye, but there is one bit of unfinished business left. Where's the display case?""Out here," Phobia led Q-Boom to the display case full of spark chambers.Q-Boom floated over the display of spark chambers; Red Alert still in recharge in the berth nearby. The pink light illuminated Phobia's face plate, and she stared at her friend's spark with a mixture of awe and trepidation."Honey Venom kept the empties in the display case," Q-Boom explained, "The sparks for the project are hidden in the wall of her room.""I know. There's also some under my berth," Phobia informed her."Yeah, well you need to hide them all now," Q-Boom instructed, "This is Honey Venom's legacy. Our legacy. She donated most of her own spark to those little balls of joy. She only had enough spark energy for the red ones. Now Phobia, you're the only one left that can handle this job. Project Maximal is to be kept in stasis until you're old enough to build their protoforms. These beast-formers are the future of Cybertron. A future without factions. A future untainted by the Golden Age. You're responsible for that.""Yeah, I noticed Honey Venom favored coding mammals," Phobia commented, "I read all about them. They're more capable of love than other organic species on this planet. She had a lot of big cats. I guess that makes sense. So, what do I do with the spark chambers with the purple markers and green markers? There aren't any sparks in them.""Not yet," Q-Boom said mischievously.Then Q-Boom began to spin in place and emit a bright white light! Phobia covered her optics with her hands, but moved her fingers apart enough to see pieces of Q-Boom's own spark fly into the empty chambers! By the time she was finished, Q-Boom was smaller than she had been before, but she was still functional."So, the purple ones are yours?" Phobia asked, and Q-Boom bobbed up and down to simulate nodding, "So, are they still a part of Project Maximal?""I don't know," Q-Boom replied; uninterested, "I'm gonna instruct you on how to program their new codes though. I want lots of Dinobots, and lots of Insecticons! Those designs are cooler, and already tested so I know they'll work properly. I've already thought of a name for one of them. Terrorsaur.""Why Terrorsaur?" Phobia asked skeptically."Because the masculine form of Terrabyte is Terrorbyte," Q-Boom explained, "And I wanted to mix her name with the name of a Dinobot in her memory.""Hm. Okay," Phobia shrugged, "So you're really gonna live in outer space? That's where the Decepticons went.""So?" Q-Boom asked derisively, "What're they gonna do? Shoot at an ethereal spark? They can't hurt me. They can't even touch me! Yo, Pheebs? Am I a bad person?""What?" Phobia asked; caught off guard by the sudden change in conversational direction."Well, when I saw Terrabyte was with us, I should've turned around," Q-Boom said sorrowfully, "It's my fault. I knew what Honey Venom was gonna do, even if she didn't. I don't really think Honey Venom wanted to die, but she knew she could. I knew she probably would. I still went along with it, and I even let Terrabyte stay. I'm no good. I'm happy I survived, but I know I don't deserve to be happy about that.""You're not bad," Phobia told her, "You, Honey Venom, and Terrabyte wanted justice. It didn't work, but you didn't mean to hurt each other. Maybe next time you should just not go for revenge. I don't wanna lose you, even if you are just a spark ghost.""Could you not say ghost? I hate that," Q-Boom groused."Sorry," Phobia apologized.The rest of the night was spent with Q-Boom showing Phobia how to program beast modes into her newsparks. It would be vorns before the project was ready to launch, but when it was Phobia would be ready. When morning came Phobia went into recharge, and Q-Boom went to say goodbye to her family.A day had come and gone without Terrabyte and her Sigma Sisters. Sideswipe had been avoiding Sunstreaker for most of the day so he wouldn't have to confront the specter of his brother's pain and anger. The closer they were in physical proximity, the more they could feel each other's sparks. Sideswipe didn't feel like dealing with that. He waited until it was late at night before deciding he needed to recharge. He hoped Sunstreaker would already be in recharge.Sideswipe came into the room he shared with Sunstreaker to find his twin packing his stuff into subspace. The room looked almost completely stripped of Sunstreaker's possessions, and Sideswipe was starting to become concerned. He could feel the anger, sorrow, and determination coming from Sunstreaker's side of their bond, and he was sure he knew what was going on."Sunny, I know this has been hard on you-" Sideswipe began."No!" Sunstreaker interjected roughly, "Don't, Sideswipe. Just...don't. The Decepticon forces have left earth. They're out there, heading for Cybertron and possibly other innocent worlds. The base has been busy with earth's affairs and the moon bases. We don't have the resources here to handle Megatron. I'm going to hunt the 'Cons down myself. I'm leaving.""You can't leave!" Sideswipe protested, "Optimus Prime would never clear you for a solo mission hunting down an entire army!""I'm not asking Prime, and I'm not asking you," Sunstreaker said crossly, "I'm doing this. If my sparkling can face down Megatron, then why should I hide behind the Autobots like a coward? Don't you get it? The restraints are off. The Decepticons have finally started playing for keeps again. Somebody has to stop them before more innocents are killed.""Okay then," Sideswipe said in a resigned tone of voice, "Then I'm coming with you. You're not going out there without me.""Yeah, I thought you'd say that," Sunstreaker said with a tired smile, "I guess that's what twins are for, right?""Hey, that's my line!" Sideswipe argued playfully as he punched Sunstreaker's arm, "Don't worry, Sunny. We'll find out which 'Con did this, and we'll get them. I still wish you would talk to the other 'Bot's first though.""I did talk to one 'Bot," Sunstreaker confessed, "Omega Supreme. He's gonna drop me, uh, I mean us, off on Cybertron. Pack your stuff. I want to be out of here before it's time for our shift.""Sure thing, bro," Sideswipe nodded, "By the way, when we're on Omega Supreme, I wanna sit in the front seat.""You are such a sparkling," Sunstreaker scoffed, but then hung his helm when he realized what he said.This grief was not an easy thing to handle. Sunstreaker didn't even really care about revenge as much as he claimed. He just needed a task to keep from falling apart.Revenge...He always thought it was weird that Terrabyte never tried to get revenge on him for what he did to her all those vorns ago. He supposed in a way she did get revenge on him whether she meant to or not. She had made him love her, made him care for her, and then left a hole in his spark when she was taken away from him. When he looked at it like that, this seemed almost fair.They walked out into the dark starless night and made the trek up the hill to Omega Supreme. The twins shared one final look back at the Ark; knowing that they weren't coming back. They then looked at each other. At least that was one thing they had left...each other.
The End