You might view it as belonging to my Off The Beaten Path series fics for the 'verse I write in. It's not fully included into the AU, but kinda slowly slides into it.
Anyhow, let's see how you like it ;)
x x x x x x
He had been created the same day as Thundercracker, so maybe that made them brothers, to use a human term, but in Skywarp's mind it made them nothing at all. He was like many other mechs who had come into existence that day. Nothing about it had been special.
His life had never been special. He hadn't been created for a specific purpose, nor did he have abilities that surpassed others. He was a simple mech with a normal life. He chosen an aerial transformation because he enjoyed flying and because it was cool at the time. Not many took to the air in their alternate forms and it was one way to stand out a little.
Not that it got him any more recognition.
He had found an interest in science and that's where he had met Starscream. A brilliant, sometimes slightly erratic scientist who also took great pleasure in showing up the non-scientists, those who called themselves warriors, in aerial fights. Mock fights, of course. Skywarp had been impressed and he had joined Starscream's wing together with Thundercracker.
Scientists and combat fighters. It had been a strange mix and more than a few other Cybertronians had given him a weird look, had talked behind his back.
He hadn't cared.
He tried to be good at what he was, though he couldn't surpass Starscream either in the air or in the confines of a lab. He was fast and his maneuvers were astounding and daredevil and breakneck. He was a brilliant scientist and his research into energon was legendary. Thundercracker was good, too, but he couldn't reach Starscream either.
Starscream soon joined the Allspark research facilty. It was what got the scientist on Megatron's radar.
Maybe the day those two had met, when the Lord Protector of Cybertron had strode into the main lab and demanded to see Starscream – and Starscream had told him to wait because his experiment was about to either work or blow up – had changed it all.
It hadn't been the trigger for Skywarp, though.
The trigger had been the frantic flight from a bunch of hooligan soldiers, not yet either Autobots or Decepticons by designation, and his sudden jump.
To the day he didn't know what had made him access this particular subroutine and start the program. He only knew there had been a tremendous tearing sensation in his spark, then a sudden displacement of reality, and when he had come back on-line, he had been on the other side of Cybertron with no idea how he had gotten there.
He didn't tell anyone.
He tried to figure it out himself.
Of course, it didn't work.
It was Thundercracker who confronted him about his change in behaviour and finally, after endless pushing and prodding, he told the other mech.
Thundercracker had been stunned and speechless, then dragged him off to the extensive library in Iaacon. And not just the normal library section either. They had descended into the archives and Thundercracker had riffled through dusty scrolls and data crystals until he had found what he had been looking for: teleportation.
Skywarp had scoffed at it, but the more he had read, the more his spark had felt cold and constricted.
It had been a technology of the ancients. Back throughout the first days of Cybertron, when there had been powerful Primes and mechs with abilities none of the Cybertronians of today could even dream about, there had been teleportation. Space jumping, space bridging, whatever. It had been possible and there had been those who had easily done it.
Skywarp hadn't easily done anything. It had drained him and it had been painful.
"Maybe the Allspark glitched and gave you this addition," had been Thundercracker's theory.
It had been laughable. Especially since he couldn't recreate the effect.
Thundercracker didn't let it go, though. He found some ancient mech who claimed he had the same abilities. It was Skywarp's moment to scoff, but when the bucket of rusty bolts actually teleported – with them – Skywarp knew he had found a kindred soul.
Sadly, the war broke out and with it, the Pits descended on Cybertron.
Starscream had joined Megatron's forces. The Seekers were founded. Skywarp and Thundercracker now belonged to Starscream's wing, just like they had worked under him at the lab, and they followed him into battle.
It was throughout a vicious altercation between Decepticons and Autobots that it happened again. He warped, as he called it, deriving the ability from his given name. This time he didn't shut down, but he was drained and crawled into an empty space to recover. This time he also noticed how to trigger it.
So he tried it again.
Again he drained himself.
It didn't get better.
So this 'advantage' was actually a disadvantage and should only be used in the most extreme situations.
He tried to find the old mech, but he had either been killed or fled. So now he was alone; alone with an ability he couldn't tell anyone about either. It was scary for him already and aside from Thundercracker, no one would probably understand.
The draining effect didn't get any better either.
It wasn't until Megatron's death at the hands of the human Sam Witwicky that Skywarp dared to hope again. Cybertron was gone, their war had ended in disaster, the Decepticons were fighting to survive, but in a way it gave him more peace than the time before. He spent long periods of time within the Kuiper Belt, warping, trying to judge distances and head for specific points without crashing into them instead of landing. He managed to measure the draining effect and he created a rapid recharge program.
It still wasn't perfect, but the pressure was gone.
Thundercracker still went along sometimes, watching, silent, keeping an optic out for unwanted interference. They kept this from Starscream, like they had kept it from anyone else. No one had ever caught on to Skywarp's abilities. At least the mech didn't think so. No one had ever confronted him about it. Had it gotten back to Megatron, the Decepticon leader would have used it relentlessly in battle.
He got better in time.
Things worked smoother, seamlessly, but still not in a way that warping could be called easy. He needed a lot of energon either before or right after the jump. It remained a way out if everything else had failed.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
He met Iron Man years after his warping abilities had reached their natural limit. He was as proficient in them as he would ever get.
It was an accidental meeting as Skywarp veered off course in a jump and ended up too close to Earth. Actually, he ended up in the middle of nowhere, in a cold and snowy place, and he was looking into the glowing eye slits of the battle mask Iron Man wore.
Neither made a move.
Skywarp knew that the human he was facing was a Prime and his most inner programming reacted with respect. Despite the fact that Optimus Prime, as the Autobot leader, had been the enemy, many had always respected him as a figure of power.
Now there was this small fleshling who held the same title of power – and actually had this power like a mantle around him for all to see if they looked. He didn't just call himself a Prime; he was a Prime.
"Fancy meeting you here," Iron Man said calmly.
Skywarp sat up, snow and ice sliding off his frame. Aside from being drained, he only had a few dents and bruises. Fat flakes of snow drifted around them and the sky seemed to be boiling with dark clouds. It wasn't a weather for anyone to be out and about. How had Iron Man come here then? Why?
"And before you ask, you registered on the radar."
Skywarp stared. He had what? Warping didn't register anywhere!
"I did not," he blurted.
It got him a chuckle. "Listen, buddy. I know you're a Decepticon. I know you jumped here by bridging space. I could feel space tear."
He had felt it?
Skywarp's spark stuttered through the implications of it. While he knew about the human Primes, he didn't know what they could do. Prime wasn't just a title. It held true power. But to feel space tear…? No way!
"Didn't know any of you could do it. The Autobots claim it's an ancient ability. You don't look like one of them."
"I'm not," Skywarp said feebly.
"But you use a power only they claimed."
"I…" He stopped. He didn't know what to say.
"Let's make it two easy choices: you leave, quiet and no fuss. I'll let you go in the good faith that you won't come back to harm anything or anyone. I trust this wasn't a reconnaissance mission, too. Or number two: you surrender and I'll put in a good word for you with Optimus Prime."
Skywarp's processor was reeling. "You'd let me go? Why?"
Iron Man tilted his head a little. "Why did you come here? Truthfully?" he asked without answering the question.
"I… overshot my mark."
"By a long shot, I hope."
Skywarp nodded.
"So there."
He didn't understand. He really didn't. And how had he felt it? He blurted out the question and the small figure laughed briefly.
"You're not alone, Skywarp. It's not a singular ability."
His processor was truly doing overtime now. "You… can warp?"
"Warp? That's what you call it? The ancient Primes called it bridging space. And yes, I can do it, too."
Skywarp released a hiss of air in shock through his vents. "But you're human!"
"Very perceptive. Though some might beg to differ."
"Humans can't warp!" Skywarp was reeling. He ignored the strange comment.
"Comes with the Prime thing."
The wind around them had picked up and it was getting significantly colder. The snow was turning to ice and clinging to the two figures. Skywarp's senses picked up an approaching mech, probably an Autobot, and he tensed.
Iron Man brushed snow off his shoulders. "You better go."
"Why?" Skywarp insisted.
"The war's over. You haven't bothered us. In the future, just stay out of the solar system and you'll be fine."
"Skywarp knew he couldn't promise that. The Kuiper Belt was too close. But he could stay away from this particular planet.
"Thank you, Prime," he said softly, using the title for the first time.
He got up and more snow cascaded off him, then launched himself into the air. He transformed and shot away, heading for space. He warped again to avoid detection and almost hit his target spot on. Just behind the Moon, a safe distance from the Ark. The flight home took longer and it gave him time to think.
Thundercracker shot him a quizzical look when he returned and Skywarp waved the questions off until they were inside private quarters. The base might not be called modern, but it was functional, and the few survivors and refugees had their own areas.
"What happened?" Thundercracker demanded.
Good question. "Overshot," Skywarp simply answered.
"To where?"
"What are you? My wing commander? I overshot, I had to recharge, I made it back. Pits, TC! I can take care of myself."
The other mech's optics narrowed, then he rumbled softly. "Touchy."
"I need energon. Just leave me alone, okay? I'm fine."
It got him another narrow look, then Thundercracker nodded and left. There would be more questions later, but right now Skywarp couldn't care less. He went over the brief encounter with the human Prime again and again. A human who could warp as well – because he was a Prime? Because of the armor he wore that made him Iron Man?
Skywarp felt this burning curiosity and he knew he couldn't keep his promise to stay away in the future. He would have to find Iron Man and talk to him again. Peacefully. No harm intended. No force.
Because if it was true, he was no longer alone in harboring an ancient power.
fin!