ante_luce | Baby Boom Omake 2

Another out-take.

Red Alert rested his forehead against his monitor bank, sighing tiredly. The Autobots had tried catching the two black and white younglings, key word being tried, and not only had they not succeeded, they’d gotten a very thorough education on the havoc Red Alert’s childhood friend and his new partner in crime could wreck.

How they managed to get Blades terrified of kittens was something the security director didn’t want to contemplate. His head hurt enough already, sensor horns starting to spark lightly.

He groaned, and then someone was touching his helm, running fingertips over it in a familiar gesture that only one bot apart from his creators was allowed to perform. Sighing again, he left his optics shuttered and let Prowl hug his flashing helm close, calming his glitch like the chevroned youngling had used to, before they’d grown up and gotten a little more formal in their interactions.

“Are you okay, ‘Lert?”

“As long as you two stay in my sight, I’ll be fine.”

“Alright. Can you explain what’s going on? Who are these mechs?”

Jazz added, still sounding wary. “And is it safe to be around them?”

“Long story. Everyone in this base is safe, you’re not in any trouble, though I expect some of the mechs would dearly love to strangle one or both of you after the humiliation you dealt out to them.”

“Well. They shouldn’t have tried to pursue us. Not the best of reassurances that they mean us no harm.” Prowl stated in a perfectly logical manner, before both younglings shared a furtive snicker and the red mech snorted. Jazz stifled his amusement long enough to continue the questioning.

“So, why are you older? And where are we?”

“We’re on an organic planet called Earth, and this base is called the Ark. It was a ship before it, and we in it, crashed here. You two are older too. There was an incident with some kind of ray beam, and you and a few other mechs were turned into sparklings. We’ve been trying to return you to your proper age ever since.”

“Evidently, that only worked about half way.” The visored youngling grinned, and Red Alert could feel his friend chuckle. He lifted his head and grasped Prowl’s shoulders, looking seriously at the young Datsun.

“Prowl. Do you remember being an adult?”

The doorwinged bot shook his head. “Not at all.”

“Really?” The question made the youngling frown.

“I swear it. All I remember is going into recharge at the end of the cycle, after finishing my homework.”

“Jazz?”

“Same here, only I don’t usually do the assigned work.”

“Frag.”

“Why is this important?”

“You remembered as sparklings. That you don’t now is rather troubling.”

“Oh.”

“Prowl. Jazz. Promise me you’ll behave. I’m the security director of this base, and I need to keep the mechs in it safe. I can’t do that if I’m worrying about you two.”

The young Porsche cycled air resignedly. “Fine. You’re Prowler’s friend, and if he trusts you’re telling the truth, then so will I. But security director? Heavy stuff. Frag, no wonder you got old.”

The Lamborghini laughed out loud at that.

“You’re one to talk. Jazz, you’re the Third in Charge of this place, and Prowl’s the fragging Second. Your ranks and clearances have been temporarily revoked, however, so don’t get any ideas,” he added swiftly, after seeing their stunned expressions morph into identically (and frighteningly) considering ones. Standing quickly, he motioned for the two to precede him out of the security room.

“Come on. We need to go see Perceptor. Maybe he’s figured out what went wrong the first time.”

= = =

“Ready to try again?”

Perceptor had indeed figured out the issue with the first ray, and had been busy making the adjustments needed while the rest of the Ark ran itself ragged trying to pin the two younglings now sitting on the berth in front of him, expressions as innocent (hah) as the new sparked. That the Ark’s security director had managed to bring them in peacefully had prompted Optimus to chuckle something about the mech being good with both sparklings and younglings, garnering an embarrassed look from the mech and snickers from the rest of the Autobots in the room.

Prowl glanced over at Red Alert, looking a little unsure, and the red mech crossed over to take hold of his hand. “It’s okay. This is Perceptor. You trusted him before.”

“The older me might, but I don’t know him, Red.” The doorwinged youngling only gripped his hand a little tighter.

“I can’t stay with you, whatever he’s going to use will hit me as well.”

The other youngling on the berth reached over and patted Prowl’s other arm. “Prowler, it’ll be alright. They need our grown up selves back too much to kill us, and I’ll be right next to you when they zap us.”

Cycling air slowly, the young tactician nodded and released the security director. Wrapping an arm about the chevroned bot, Jazz leant close, shuttering his optics tight as Prowl did the same. There was another bright light, and all assembled looked anxiously on as it faded, revealing two adult sized figures.

“Well. Now I completely believe Red Alert when he said you were a real troublemaker as a youngling.”

Jazz’s voice was the first thing they heard, and Perceptor sighed in relief, their head of Ops sounded like he remembered everything. Though… why did his voice sound slightly different?

Once more the Autobots stalled, staring at the two black and whites as they looked curiously back at the mechs. At the back of the room, Skywarp practically toppled over laughing at Sideswipe's expression. Thundercracker was trying to get Skyfire to move closer so he could see better, and Starscream had the most put out expression on his face, chirping something to Wheeljack about how he wouldn't have messed up yet again, to which the baby engineer only replied with his now stock answer of "Of course, Starscream", coupled with earfins flickering with obvious amusement.

Both Prowl and Jazz rebooted their optics, then glanced down at themselves. Two legs, two arms, and they were still their original colours. Realisation dawned as what they were looking at registered. Turning back to the researcher with his helm buried in his hands, the Ops femme drawled in amusement (the tactician, also in similar circumstances, looking upwards in a silent request for patience).

“Perceptor, you little perve.”

Note: A little TF-RotF stuff ahead.

Also...

And while there's a lot of stuff I liked, one thing stuck with me. It happened so fast I'm not sure if I was just seeing things, but maybe some of you can help confirm.

When they're getting Optimus to Egypt, they bung him under a net tarp thing. Alongside him is a white car. A white car with what looks like a certain previously deceased mech's G1 colours.

Also, while the 'Bots are in China? I kept seeing Prowl everywhere. I know he's not in the movie and his G1 alt is a Japanese police car, but damn if I didn't hope like mad one of them would just stand up during the scene.