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ante_luceTitle: Baby Boom (or, Why you should always read the manual first) Chapter 6
'Verse: G1 Transformers
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: TF cussing
Someone sighed, and Starscream onlined his optics, sitting up to see his co-imprinter idly poking one of the hastily constructed ‘sparkling toys’ in their ‘playpen’ (the indignity of it all, and he couldn’t even fly out of it, Grapple and Hoist had made sure the walls were high enough. It was ridiculous looking, but effective), faceplates completely bored.
“What?” Close, constant proximity had taken the edge off his antagonistic manner (and Wheeljack had been nothing but pleasant to him, which for some reason annoyed him more than he could comprehend). There was also the thought that he didn’t want to alienate one of the few sources of intelligent conversation he still had (his trinemates didn’t count).
“I’m bored.”
“Well. Man the bunkers.”
Headfins flashed in amusement. “You’re funny when you want to be.”
“I was perfectly serious. You have a reputation.”
“Even with the ‘Cons?”
“Even with the ‘Cons. Frag, half of us aren’t sure how it is that the Autobots aren’t wiped out by now, with all your explosions.”
“Oh dear.”
“Yeah. We think they’ve developed the ability to sense explosions before they happen, which is why they’re so fragging hard to hit in battle. Same thing with Ratchet and his throwing arm. Mech is scary, and before you tell anyone I said that, I know where you sleep.”
“That… would explain a lot, actually.”
“… Figures. So it really is a sort of training program?”
“… You’d have to ask Prowl that. I did wonder why High Command never made me stop tinkering for very long.” Wheeljack sighed again. “I miss my lab.”
“I’m glad you’re not in your lab. We’d be dead by now.”
“Ha. Ha. I’ll have you know that I don’t blow up everything I touch.”
“No, some things you melt, disintegrate or otherwise obliterate without the use of explosives.”
“Like you’ve never had an accident in the lab.”
“Feh. I’m a lot more careful than you, fumble servos.”
“I notice you didn’t disagree.”
At the glare directed at him, the little engineer clicked in sparkling laughter. “Skyfire might have mentioned an explosion or two.”
“It was only a little one! That fragger is never going to let me live it down!”
Starscream crossed his arms and turned away in indignation, prompting more laughter from Wheeljack, before the baby Lancia continued, thoughtfully. “He talks about you, you know. Never mentioned your name, but always, my partner this and this partner of mine that… The two of you were making such incredible discoveries and everything… Do you miss it?”
The seekerling was quiet, and Wheeljack thought he might not answer, when Starscream muttered lowly. “A little.”
And then, more assertively. “Because if I were able to do research, we’d be back to normal already! As it is, I’m going out of my CPU with boredom with just Red Alert, you and the other sparklings for conversation, and half of it barely intelligent at that!”
The engineer sparkling hid his snickers. “Of course, Starscream.”
= = =
Ratchet glanced over at where his sparklings (no, they were not his sparklings, it was just easier to refer to them that way) were tucked away, out of the controlled chaos that was his med bay when filled with idiots who really ought to know better.
The past weeks had been an optic opener, to say the least. He’d never thought Wheeljack, of all mechs, would be such a fussy sparkling (Ironhide had said that maybe it was because the tiny Lancia recognised Ratchet as the mech who made his ‘booboos’ go away, and received a wrench to the helm for his trouble).
Still, Wheeljack’s seeming separation anxiety had pretty much forced him to relinquish some control over his med bay to his apprentices, and tossing them into the not so deep end seemed to have helped their confidence levels. First Aid and Swoop were learning by leaps and bounds now, and the rest of the Ark crew were getting used to being worked on by someone other than Ratchet.
And as for himself… Well, he couldn’t say that the extra time off wasn’t appreciated (for one thing, his aim improved when he wasn’t boss eyed from running three shifts in a row without recharging). And, he realised, leaving ‘Aid and Swoop to their own devices had triggered the realisation that maybe they could handle the Ark and its myriad of processor boggling inanities without him there to keep the crew in line.
First Aid was developing an impressive vocabulary, all the more effective when one realised ’Aid was the one swearing at you. And both were working on the ‘Obey. Me. Now.’ glare that he found so handy (he and Prowl had agreed to let the crew argue over who had taught who the look, though Prowl’s new version was admittedly a lot more effective, if impractical for a grown mech).
He was still the only one who was allowed to throw things though. The rest of the mechs had said that they couldn’t take having three Ratchets around, and with the now adequate rest he was getting, the CMO was feeling more charitable.
The quiet clicks and chirrs of the pair were almost calming. He refused to consider why he could keep track of the faint sounds when all about him was the noise of repairs and welding and complaining and bitching back at.
“‘Aid, you are too young to be using that word! Try again in another hundred vorns. Swoop, keep an optic on Air Raid, the idiot’s about to make a break for it.”
Twin choruses of “Yes Ratchet!” and one “Slag!” replied him, and he grinned, hiding the expression by turning so that the sparklings were the only ones to see him.
Well, it wasn’t perfect, his trainees, no matter how well they were doing at the moment, still had a long way to go, and getting the sparklings back to normal was a very pressing concern, but life right now was still pretty good.
'Verse: G1 Transformers
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: TF cussing
Someone sighed, and Starscream onlined his optics, sitting up to see his co-imprinter idly poking one of the hastily constructed ‘sparkling toys’ in their ‘playpen’ (the indignity of it all, and he couldn’t even fly out of it, Grapple and Hoist had made sure the walls were high enough. It was ridiculous looking, but effective), faceplates completely bored.
“What?” Close, constant proximity had taken the edge off his antagonistic manner (and Wheeljack had been nothing but pleasant to him, which for some reason annoyed him more than he could comprehend). There was also the thought that he didn’t want to alienate one of the few sources of intelligent conversation he still had (his trinemates didn’t count).
“I’m bored.”
“Well. Man the bunkers.”
Headfins flashed in amusement. “You’re funny when you want to be.”
“I was perfectly serious. You have a reputation.”
“Even with the ‘Cons?”
“Even with the ‘Cons. Frag, half of us aren’t sure how it is that the Autobots aren’t wiped out by now, with all your explosions.”
“Oh dear.”
“Yeah. We think they’ve developed the ability to sense explosions before they happen, which is why they’re so fragging hard to hit in battle. Same thing with Ratchet and his throwing arm. Mech is scary, and before you tell anyone I said that, I know where you sleep.”
“That… would explain a lot, actually.”
“… Figures. So it really is a sort of training program?”
“… You’d have to ask Prowl that. I did wonder why High Command never made me stop tinkering for very long.” Wheeljack sighed again. “I miss my lab.”
“I’m glad you’re not in your lab. We’d be dead by now.”
“Ha. Ha. I’ll have you know that I don’t blow up everything I touch.”
“No, some things you melt, disintegrate or otherwise obliterate without the use of explosives.”
“Like you’ve never had an accident in the lab.”
“Feh. I’m a lot more careful than you, fumble servos.”
“I notice you didn’t disagree.”
At the glare directed at him, the little engineer clicked in sparkling laughter. “Skyfire might have mentioned an explosion or two.”
“It was only a little one! That fragger is never going to let me live it down!”
Starscream crossed his arms and turned away in indignation, prompting more laughter from Wheeljack, before the baby Lancia continued, thoughtfully. “He talks about you, you know. Never mentioned your name, but always, my partner this and this partner of mine that… The two of you were making such incredible discoveries and everything… Do you miss it?”
The seekerling was quiet, and Wheeljack thought he might not answer, when Starscream muttered lowly. “A little.”
And then, more assertively. “Because if I were able to do research, we’d be back to normal already! As it is, I’m going out of my CPU with boredom with just Red Alert, you and the other sparklings for conversation, and half of it barely intelligent at that!”
The engineer sparkling hid his snickers. “Of course, Starscream.”
= = =
Ratchet glanced over at where his sparklings (no, they were not his sparklings, it was just easier to refer to them that way) were tucked away, out of the controlled chaos that was his med bay when filled with idiots who really ought to know better.
The past weeks had been an optic opener, to say the least. He’d never thought Wheeljack, of all mechs, would be such a fussy sparkling (Ironhide had said that maybe it was because the tiny Lancia recognised Ratchet as the mech who made his ‘booboos’ go away, and received a wrench to the helm for his trouble).
Still, Wheeljack’s seeming separation anxiety had pretty much forced him to relinquish some control over his med bay to his apprentices, and tossing them into the not so deep end seemed to have helped their confidence levels. First Aid and Swoop were learning by leaps and bounds now, and the rest of the Ark crew were getting used to being worked on by someone other than Ratchet.
And as for himself… Well, he couldn’t say that the extra time off wasn’t appreciated (for one thing, his aim improved when he wasn’t boss eyed from running three shifts in a row without recharging). And, he realised, leaving ‘Aid and Swoop to their own devices had triggered the realisation that maybe they could handle the Ark and its myriad of processor boggling inanities without him there to keep the crew in line.
First Aid was developing an impressive vocabulary, all the more effective when one realised ’Aid was the one swearing at you. And both were working on the ‘Obey. Me. Now.’ glare that he found so handy (he and Prowl had agreed to let the crew argue over who had taught who the look, though Prowl’s new version was admittedly a lot more effective, if impractical for a grown mech).
He was still the only one who was allowed to throw things though. The rest of the mechs had said that they couldn’t take having three Ratchets around, and with the now adequate rest he was getting, the CMO was feeling more charitable.
The quiet clicks and chirrs of the pair were almost calming. He refused to consider why he could keep track of the faint sounds when all about him was the noise of repairs and welding and complaining and bitching back at.
“‘Aid, you are too young to be using that word! Try again in another hundred vorns. Swoop, keep an optic on Air Raid, the idiot’s about to make a break for it.”
Twin choruses of “Yes Ratchet!” and one “Slag!” replied him, and he grinned, hiding the expression by turning so that the sparklings were the only ones to see him.
Well, it wasn’t perfect, his trainees, no matter how well they were doing at the moment, still had a long way to go, and getting the sparklings back to normal was a very pressing concern, but life right now was still pretty good.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 11:46 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 04:28 pm (UTC)Rest of Ark crew: *a-splodey senses tingling* *mass evac*
Wheeljack: Oops.
Ark: *A-splode*
Rest of Ark crew: Whew.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-15 09:55 pm (UTC)this followed by Ravage informing Soundwave a few days later (after many much needed repairs) that "No I'm slagging NOT going back there. Send Lazerbeak! Let HIM get blown up."
and now I need a Wheeljack "Boom!" Icon...
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 01:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 04:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 02:07 pm (UTC)I like the fact that there are adult minds in sparkling bodies. Makes for a lot of fun situations.
Can't wait to see if the secret gets out.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 04:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 02:32 pm (UTC)I can't wait for the Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Skywarp chapter. And the Skyfire, Thundercracker chapter.
*sits on edge of seat waiting*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 04:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 04:39 pm (UTC)Now who would be the (un)lucky (victim)Autobot?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 05:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 05:43 pm (UTC)I can't wait!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 10:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 06:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 02:36 pm (UTC)for when the movie happens and Ratch kicks the bucket ohnoes!.(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 04:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 03:42 pm (UTC)I do hope Starscream and Wheeljack keep up the 'brotherly' scientific banter even as adults. ^^
Lovely chapter. Its good to see things from the sparklings pov. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 04:44 pm (UTC)Starscream: *Pulls out project*
'Jack: *Pulls out another project*
SS: *glare*
WJ: *smirk*
SS&WJ: *my project is shinier fight*
... *shudder*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 05:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 06:55 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 06:57 pm (UTC)Can't wait for the next chapter. I'll be looking forward to that!
::glomps ante-luce:: YOU ROCK.
TAKE CARE!!
MISAO-CG.
PS: o.o What happened to Optimus and his "Elita notices mini-Prowl in his lap" situation? o.o
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 06:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 07:12 pm (UTC)And yay Ratchet!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 06:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 08:38 pm (UTC)You write so well. Thank you!
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 06:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-23 10:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 07:00 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 03:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 06:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 12:17 am (UTC)Snarky, back-biting lab-buddes, granted, but there's gonna be interesting (and likely hair-raising) things coming out of the Ark's labs. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 07:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 03:25 am (UTC)And Wheeljack explosions WOULD be good training to stay alert and on your toes - I never looked at it that way before *is enlightened*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 07:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 05:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-01-24 07:03 am (UTC)