I would really love to add more to this story, but I'm a student and tend to not have much time for fic! Still, I'd love to explore this more, so hopefully I can hammer out at least one more piece relating to this. Thanks for reading!
"No more," Thundercracker said, reaching out to pluck Skywarp's third drink from his hands. Skywarp paused. His most impressive dramatic groan followed shortly, shoulders
"I'm not even buzzed," he said, but he didn't stop Thundercracker from handing it off to the next passersby. There was no arguing when he'd decided enough was enough. "You're no fun, you know that? Zero fun. My fun levels are plummeting."
He smiled at Skywarp, humourless. "Absolutely," he said. He was leaning against a wall, wings pressed flat against it. "I'm the worst."
Skywarp snorted. "Oh, I know." He reached out, intent on tipping up Thundercracker's chin with one claw. He was interrupted as a sleek, familiar hand clapped down onto his shoulder.
Slag it.
He tried to look more sober than he was. "Great party, boss," he said, straightening up. He flashed his most beautiful grin, and he knew Starscream was very drunk when he got a smile back.
"Neither of you," he purred, "look like you're having enough fun." Starscream smiled languidly at the two of them. "Especially you, Thundercracker."
"Yes, sir," he said, in the most patently uninterested voice Skywarp had ever heard. Starscream laughed. He took a dainty sip from the glass in his hand.
"Starscream!" someone called from across the apartment. Their host pointed towards the bar, before patting Thundercracker's shoulder in an almost affectionate way. Skywarp wondered if he'd remember that in the morning.
"Drink," Starscream ordered Thundercracker. "Skywarp, make sure he does it." The words were slurred.
Skywarp grinned, mostly at the look on Thundercracker's face. "You've got it, sir."
To his credit, Thundercracker managed not to groan until Starscream had pushed through the crowd again, to whoever had been calling him.
Skywarp's grin became lazy, turned on Thundercracker. "Ain't no party like a Starscream party," he said. He was loud, because someone had turned up the music, again. "Like, remember that Senate thing he made us go to in Iacon? With the stupid little snacks? It was just-"
"As dumb as you?" Thundercracker finished for him. "Yes. I'm gonna go see about sweetsticks. You've had enough to drink," he said, touching the back of Skywarp's neck, the spot that always made him twitch. "I mean it."
"Ugh," Skywarp groaned. "Fine. Eat all his candy, he deserves it." Thundercracker was already gone, towards Starscream's storage. Skywarp sighed, taking Thundercracker's spot against the wall. Partying at the Air Commander's place was usually a perk. It was about half the reason why he was still a lieutenant to him, actually. But it was better when Skywarp could drink as much as he wanted, for free, and black out his processor. It wasn't as if Starscream had likable friends—it was the only way to enjoy it.
He peered over the wings of several partygoers. Nobody was in the hallway to Starscream's other rooms. It only led to locked berthrooms and a washrack.
Of course, maybe a door had been left unlocked. Skywarp hadn't rifled through Starscream's things in years.
He grinned. That was a skill Skywarp was proud of: making his own fun. Adaptability was key.
Skywarp turned the corner and stopped in front of a door, tapping idly on the keypad. It opened with a swoosh. He drew back in surprise, because the keypad had gone red for denial at his guess.
It took him a moment to see that someone was looking at him. A pair of little optics was staring up, not even waist-height. They were red, and a lovely shape. Maybe it was the engex talking, about they seemed-off colour to him. Red optics were the same across the board. Never dull.
"Is everyone going soon?" they asked. Skywarp was taken aback. That … was not the kind of voice he was used to. Small, and a bit hoarse from underuse. A child's voice.
Skywarp hadn't really met sparklets. They stuck close by their creators at gatherings and in public, and so few people had them anyway. The Allspark did fine populating Cybertron without people mingling energy and making underdeveloped, dependent things. He'd never even seen a first-frame. Some people called them babies. A funny, organic word from organic races who only reproduced.
Skywarp found his voice just as the sparklet was shrinking back. He knelt down, so he could meet her optics. "Nope," he said. "Where are you creators? Sparklets are...you're not supposed to be awake this late, right?"
They shrugged, and pointed over his shoulder. Close up he could see that their optics weren't discoloured. They were dirty, a faint film over them. So was much of the rest of her, except her hands and part of her face. "He's there," they said. "Getting his drink poured."
He thought it might be a femme's voice, but he'd have to make sure. You couldn't tell by sight until their final upgrade. He didn't think about it, because he followed the sparklet's finger to...
"Starscream?" he said, turning back to her. He knew his own optics must be stupidly wide. "Are you pointing at someone else, or is he really..."
Now the sparklet really did shrink back. "Carrier," they said. "I wanted energon but there are people at the cupboards." Skywarp tried not to look too hard at the dirt on her frame. It wasn't filth, but it was something you usually saw on the low castes, ones who used public washracks. Only their hands and their faceplate were clean. The red plating was dull too, scuffed at the edges. It must have been uncomfortable. He frowned.
"Wait right here," he said. Skywarp could have teleported over, but at functions like these everyone would notice. Suddenly he didn't feel the urge to do any party tricks. Normally he loved it—but the poor kid didn't need the attention of drunks.
Skywarp left her (he was almost certain they were a she) in her doorway and pushed through the crowd again. Sparklets only took low-grade, right? Even the low-grade in the Vosian towers was premium, but engex would eat right through their systems. No one noticed him filling up a cube at the dispenser, not even Thundercracker, who was looking out a window and biting off the end of a sweetstick.
"Don't sober up now!" someone screamed as Skywarp passed them, slurring his words. Skywarp gave him his most winning smile before turning the corner, back to the sparklet's door. She hadn't moved, and eyed the cube hungrily.
"Where's your caregiver?" Skywarp asked, a little awkwardly. Only the wealthy generally sparked new life this way, 'bots rich enough to pay a nurse. There was no one else in the room. He couldn't even see a drone.
The sparklet didn't answer him at first, taking the cube into her hands for a long drink. When she was through, she wiped her mouth with a fist. "I don't have one," she said.
Skywarp's optics flickered in surprise. "No?" he said. Surely she must have had one once. He was pretty sure an upgrade happened before this age. "Starscream takes care of you alone?"
Family mech Starscream was not. No wonder the poor kid was so unkempt. The sparklet shook her head at him.
"I take care of me," she said, and Skywarp caught a trace of pride. "My nurse left after my upgrade. 'Cause I can speak well now and reach the energon tap."
Skywarp frowned. It wasn't that he knew much about this stuff—he'd been forged from a hot spot, like Thundercracker and like Starscream himself. He never grew up. He started ...well, up.
But he knew 'bots who had been, and they were always well cared for. Spoiled. Their parents partied and left them at home, but appearances were always kept up.
"Um, Seeker?" she asked. Skywarp came back to himself. "I should shut my door. Starscream says I shouldn't come out during parties."
Skywarp remembered the washracks down the hall, away from the main apartment, and that was the one access code in this place he knew. His plating itched just at the thought of the dirt on the sparklet's. "Skywarp's my name," he said, grinning at her. "And, listen. This party sucks. Do you want me to let you into the washracks?"
Her optics widened. "I might get in trouble," she said. But he could see her excitement at the thought of getting clean. "And I can't reach the taps. I've tried but it's too high up."
"It's cool," Skywarp said. "I work for your creator. If he gets mad about messing with his stuff I'll just mess with his stuff some more." He flashed his optics at her, bright and friendly. "I'll even wait outside if you want. Deal?"
She smiled at him. "You don't have to," she said. "Deal."
On one hand, Thundercracker would disapprove of him meddling. But he'd probably be angrier about a dirty little sparklet locked in Starscream's place.
The sparklet paused, optics narrowing in thought. "He passes out when he gets drunk. If the party's not over yet and it's late, he probably will soon. So you won't get in trouble."
Skywarp was fairly sure sparklets shouldn't know anything about passing out drunk. He stood up, and after a moment's deliberation, held out his hand. She reached up and took it without preamble. He realized, surprised, that she was already getting comfortable with him. Together they headed down the hall, towards the washracks. He punched in the code, and when the door whizzed open, the spacious, clean white room was in sharp contrast to his new charge. Cleaning drones clearly weren't programmed to keep sparklets in order.
Which is why they were supposed to have nurses.
"What should I call you?" Skywarp asked, lifting her up onto a bench. "I think you're a femme from that voice—tell me if I'm wrong—but you must have a name." He could only hope it wasn't "Starscream Jr." or something else he wouldn't put past his boss.
She smiled at him again. "Updraft," she said, and Skywarp relaxed. A good Seeker name. Very pleasant, actually, and wouldn't need to change at upgrade. "I am a femme! And … can you make bubbles?" she asked, suddenly shy. "I remember my nurse would do soap bubbles if he was in a good mood."
Skywarp flashed her his most wide, winning smile. "Kid, bubbles are the only thing worth cleaning with," he said, and hit the button with enthusiasm. With showers running and the sound of him pulling cleaners off the shelves, he had muffled the sounds of the party.
As Skywarp set a shower head in Updraft's direction, he wondering idly just what had drawn him into doing this. Pity, maybe? It was slagging bad luck to be sparked by Starscream, for sure. But the kid was also just...nice to talk to. And he couldn't let such a good future Seeker go to waste all locked up, right? She needed cool influences like him.
Updraft was just likable, which already set her leagues above both her carrier and most of Upper Vos.
She was rubbing uselessly at her plating with one hand. It wasn't doing much to dislodge the dirt. "Your nurse would have used these," Skywarp said to her, handing over a scrubber. Updraft nodded, looking sheepish, but Skywarp just grinned.
"You can do that," he said. "Put it in your room somewhere so you can get to it and wash."
The sparklet wasn't stupid—she could clean, it had just been inaccessible to her. Skywarp let the bubbles pile up almost to his knees, into her lap. Once or twice he reminded her to get a seam in her plating. The only cleaning he did for her was to swipe a soft cloth across her optics, which made her squeal in surprise. The steam and hot water were sobering him up.
It was kind of nice, actually, to see how pleased Updraft got just from washing up. It was more affection than he'd expected from himself. Thundercracker often called him mean-spirited, but Skywarp always preferred the term "mischief-maker."
"My paint's still all scratched up," Updraft said, frowning down at herself. Skywarp shrugged.
"My conjunx and I'll put a word in with Starscream," he said to her. "Make sure someone comes and shows you how to polish and buff." Whether or not Starscream would pay attention remained to be seen, but the words had come out of Skywarp's mouth, promising her. He couldn't back out now.
"What's a conjunx?" Updraft asked. Skywarp picked up more bubbles and stuck them to her helm.
The term had been in Skywarp's very first downloads, so she ought to know it by now. "Conjunx endura. Partner-in-crime for life, significant other. That kind of thing. He'll like you."
"Oh." Updraft scrubbed at her chestplate, frowning in concentration. "What's his name?"
"Thundercracker." Who might be wondering where Skywarp had disappeared to by now, come to think of it. He ought to put some bubbles aside before they melted away and bombard Thundercracker when he found them.
"That's a long name," Updraft said.
"Yeah. Nice and complicated like him."
"Oh," Updraft said. She held her arms out in front of her, giving the plating a hard look. "Does this look clean?"
Skywarp leaned over, farther than he had to, to make her laugh and to get a better look. "I think you're all set there, kid. Squeaky clean."
She smiled at him, and Skywarp returned it. It was kind of nice not having to fake-smile. Maybe that was why people had sparklets? It was companionship without the mess of etiquette high-caste 'bots followed.
That was probably not why Starscream had had one.
He turned off the tap. Updraft looked around at the mess of bubbles, before cocking her head to one side, towards the door. They must have been in here longer than Skywarp had thought, because the noise outside had dulled considerably.
"What do you think?" he asked Updraft. "Will the drone clean up in here once everyone clears out?"
She nodded, but she was looking at the drying vent, not him. "It'll be done before he even wakes up," she said, pointing towards the vents. "I can't reach that switch either."
Skywarp leaned over and shoved Updraft's bench in front of it. Then he flicked it on, so he could pick her up and plunk her in front of it. She squealed, pulling her arms close to her chest.
"Cold!" she exclaimed. Skywarp grinned, and turned the dial to a better setting. She looked a good bit better now, chipped paint or not. Her vents were breathing clean and her red optics were as bright as Skywarp's himself.
"I bet there's a way to get your drones to bolt benches down in here," Skywarp said to her. She'd have to reach the taps herself if she was alone. He turned off the vents as Updraft climbed back to the floor. She stepped carefully—there were still bubble drifts all over the floor. But she shook her head at him. Her face was shy again.
"He won't like that," Updraft said. "He likes things a certain way." In her hands was a soap bottle and scrubber, and she clutched them close. Important tools in a life this small.
Skywarp frowned, and knelt down to get a better look at her. He didn't like the way she shrank back, just a fraction. They already liked each other and it wasn't right. He tapped the scrubber, held tightly in Updraft's small hands.
"My conjunx and I'll take care of it," he said. He was surprised to find how much he meant it. "Worst comes to worst, you'll get great stamina pushing that bench around, eh?" With his free hand, he tipped Updraft's chin up. "You're small, but you're smart. I can tell that kind of thing, kid. So don't worry about it right now, okay?"
She stared at him. Her mouth was in a little o and he could tell she was going through everything Starscream might disapprove of. Skywarp did this constantly as part of his unit, and he would know. Finally, Updraft nodded. Skywarp grinned at her, satisified. "Good girl."
She tapped Skywarp's knee on his way up, and he paused. She grinned at him. "You have bubbles on your face."
Well, she wasn't wrong. He rinsed himself off quickly, and watched Updraft rock on her heels. Her patience was waning, something Skywarp understood very well.
When he'd well and truly turned everything off, it was clear the sounds of partying had well and truly stopped. It was too early for that.
"Uh...sparklets need extra recharge, right?" Skywarp found himself saying. "We'd better get you back to your room." He scooped Updraft up, against his hip, so he could step back into the hall.
Where Thundercracker was standing. Glowering at him.
"Where in Primus's name have you been?" he snapped, leaning forward. "Acid Storm got pushed out a window, and..." He was about to give Skywarp a shove. Apparently, he noticed Updraft's presence just in time, because he stepped back like he'd been burned. His optics flashed bright. "...where did you get them?" Thundercracker bent down, his movement much more careful, to get a better look. "Who brought a sparklet?"
"No one," Skywarp said. He looked hard at Updraft's little face, and the ceiling, then the wall. Anywhere but Thundercracker himself. Fending him off when he was being a grump (most of the time) was a challenge in itself. This was hard mode. "She lives here. She's Starscream's."
"What?"
"I'm Updraft," said sparklet said, voice small. Her optics had dim and her brows pulled in, worried. "And you're Thundercracker. Right?"
Skywarp watched Thundercracker as he stopped, to look Updraft up and down. And up again, to her face. His eyebrows were rising so high on his head that Skywarp wondered if he'd finally get to see them fly away. "Starscream wouldn't have a sparklet."
"Well, kid's got her own room," Skywarp said. He felt drained, like he hadn't energized all day. "She knows her way around. Just can't reach very high."
Thundercracker gave her another long, hard look. Updraft met it bravely. Finally Skywarp watched his conjunx sigh, and step back. His hand had covered his optics—he was exhausted, too. "So...why were you in the washrack? Bubble fight? Did you turn everything off, or...or are you going to flood Starscream out?"
Skywarp frowned, but when he looked over at Updraft he saw she was smiling at the thought. He gave Thundercracker what he hoped was a meaningful "we'll talk later" look. "Her nurse got sent away as a 'happy first upgrade' present, I guess. She hadn't cleaned up properly since—when did you get upgraded, kiddo?"
Updraft's brows furrowed again in thought. She pressed a finger to her mouth. "Um...a month ago. Maybe?"
Skywarp stared at her. Maybe sparklets this young didn't have their own chronometres? But she was much younger than he'd guessed, if her upgrade had been so recent.
It must have been a lonely month.
"Skywarp turned the taps on for me," Updraft said quietly. She tapped his arm. "So I could clean up."
"Did he?" Thundercracker said quietly. "Good for Skywarp."
He took Skywarp aback with the gentleness in his voice. The last time he'd heard that was the time he'd woken up in hospital with a smashed wing, the result of an security detail gone bad, and Thundercracker had been waiting for him. It surprised him then, and it shocked him now.
Updraft nodded. Skywarp felt her relax. "He showed me how to clean my optics and stuff. They were all filmy."
Thundercracker looked at him then, optics wide, but this time Skywarp met it with his most patently fake grin ever. Updraft laughed. Thundercracker looked defeated.
"Where's Starscream?"Skywarp asked him. Right away, he felt Updraft stiffen up. Thundercracker pointed over his shoulder, and past his wings Skywarp could see Starscream sprawled on a couch. He was face down in the arm and one of his legs limp over the edge. Skywarp knew Updraft could see it too, and he felt his fuel tanks churn. Not appropriate.
"I took care of the Acid Storm incident," Thundercracker said. "Damage control and all. I sent everyone home but I couldn't find you."
"So the party was a bust," Skywarp said. "But, whatever. Most of them are. I was gonna take this one to bed."
Thundercracker turned back to Updraft. He looked like it had hit him all over again that she was here, and existed. "How's your energy level?" he asked her. "We, uh. We could get you some before you recharge."
Updraft smiled, more shyly than before, and shook her head. "Skywarp got me it before I washed. I get more when I wake up."
"By yourself?" Thundercracker asked, and Updraft nodded.
"I can reach the energon tap," she said. "Not the washrack ones though."
After that, Updraft directed them on how to open her door. Her room was barren compared to the rest of Starscream's lavish home. A small berth and an empty bookshelf were about all Updraft seemed to own, but at least it was only a bit dusty.
Skywarp set Updraft down on her berth and stepped back, watching her get comfortable. Her optics were already dimming. "Do you have any...I dunno, toys?" Skywarp asked. He felt awkward again. "Books to read before you power down?"
Updraft shook her head. "Starscream has books," she told him sleepily. "I don't really understand them."
Starscream did have an impressive collection of literature—mostly trashy romance novels and a handful of Vosian histories. Not exactly kid-appropriate fare. He turned to Thundercracker, whose frown had deepened.
"No books?" he asked. "Nothing at all to do?"
"I read news a little bit," Updraft said. Suddenly her optics brightened, deep red. "I'm gonna recharge now. Will I see you guys again?"
"Uh, yeah!" Skywarp said. "Yes, 'course you will. Right, TC?"
Thundercracker hesitated, of course. His shoulders and wings were stiff, his optics bright from nerves. "We'll be around tomorrow. Got some business with Starscream."
"Okay," she said. Her optics were barely online. "See you."
Skywarp shot her one more big grin before turning to the door. "Nice meeting you, kid."
He only slumped when he and Thundercracker were both safely away from the closed door. There was no way he wasn't sober now. Exhausted. "This is insane."
Thundercracker shut off his optics and covered his eyes with his hands. He sighed, deep and tired. "That must be why Starscream took that leave awhile back...did she tell you who her sire is?"
Skwarp shrugged. "Nah. It doesn't matter." On his way past the cabinets he snatched a painkiller bottle. Starscream would be marginally more tolerable if his hangover meds were right in reach. "I found her with her optics all filmed up and gunk in her vents. Her nurse was dismissed and she can't even reach the slagging washracks."
Thundercracker's eyebrows returned to trying to launch off his face. "Walking around dirty, in our caste," he said to himself. Skywarp could already see the gears turning in his processor. "I'm sure Starscream barely notices her."
"Are you really surprised?" Skywarp asked. He dropped the bottle off next to Starscream's slack jaw. "He notices what people can do for him. And sparklets can't do much till they're grown. When she's upgraded she won't be able to get away from him."
"She'll be no good for anything without an education." Thundercracker had low-grade in his hands, pouring it out to set next to the pills. "We were forged, so of course you've never thought about it. Sparklets need an extra push to begin their learning. And with Starscream's status she ought to have tutors."
Skywarp had crossed the room to peer out the open window, examining the damage Acid Storm falling out had caused. Not as bad as he'd expected—so Starscream would lose it. "Why do you care so much? You only just met her."
"I'm not the one who gave her a bath," Thundercracker said. "Stupid."
"Idiot."
They don't end up going home. Skywarp remembered the sight of Updraft in her doorway too clearly, scuffed and dim and nervous. Sometimes Starscream listens to the two of them (protoform batch loyalty passes over no mech), and Skywarp wanted to take advantage.
In the morning, Starscream would go crazy over his broken balcony and he'll break something else if no one stops him. There's a reason Thundercracker comes to these parties.
Skywarp dozed against Thundercracker's side. Once or twice he wakes up and munches on sweetsticks. Eventually the remaining guests wake up and creep home, because no one else is brave enough to meet Starscream during a hangover. He wondered about Updraft's sire.
And he watched Thundercracker recharge, and wondered what plans he was dreaming up for their new charge.
"It's disgusting."
"He didn't even break your window. The balcony damage is cosmetic, except for your chairs."
"Well, he could have! And my chairs were Praxus-made! He'll be paying for them."
"You let the engex flow," Skywarp heard Thundercracker more clearly now, closer to him. Starscream huffed in the disbelieving way of his.
"Yes, yes," he snapped, "and our caste loses all inhibition at the slightest prompting—as if the manual classes never break out in riots, Thundercracker!" It could not be that late in the morning, the sun was only just streaming through the windows, but Starscream's patience threshold had already been met.
Skywarp sat up, enough that he could see the two of them by the offending balcony. The pill bottle was open, spilled over, and Starscream had already drained his low-grade.
He turned away, to the other side of the apartment...and there was Updraft, peering out at the party's aftermath from the hallway. Skywarp waved. She grinned and waved back, before walking out and stepping over a broken glass in a distressingly practiced way, towards the energon taps.
"Kid, I'll get it for you-" Skywarp said—and regretted it, because Starscream's head whipped around to look at them. His optics zeroed in on Updraft, who stopped dead in the middle of the room.
Skywarp prepared for the worst, but last night's nerves seemed to have worn off. Updraft stood straight, her optics flicking from Skywarp to the window and back to Starscream. But she didn't step back or shrink away. Starscream smoothed his face out into a smile, the same one he used for delegates and the Senate.
"Updraft!" Starscream purred. Skywarp almost recoiled. "Is my subordinate bothering you, darling? Go and get your energon." He pointed to the taps, and Updraft nodded silently. She pulled her own cube from the bottom shelf, and as Skywarp turned back to Starscream he really did recoil at the look he was getting.
Skywarp scowled and Thundercracker stepped into view, arms folded tightly over his chest. There was silence except for the energon tap.
"Shouldn't the sparklet have a caretaker?" Thundercracker said finally. He stared hard at Starscream. "Then she's safely out of the way of curious slaggers like Skywarp. And doesn't need to see...events, like this."
Starscream snorted. "She locks her door," he said, waving his hand. "'Bots are wasteful with those nurses, really. She's plenty able to energize herself." He raised a brow, almost trying to look mischievous. "Or do you think part of my own spark would be so helpless?"
Skywarp got up in silence, and ignored the others' surprise as he walked past them, to the next room where Updraft had disappeared. He gave Thundercracker a last glance and realized what a spectrum of emotions his conjunx had really run through—an explosion was imminent. There was Updraft in the next room, sipping her energon in a low windowsill like the most normal child in the world.
"Thundercracker's funny," she said, just as Skywarp heard voices rise outside. He squeezed in next to her on the sill, wings stuck against the glass and thinking hard about what to say next.
"Yeah," he said finally. "He's a riot alright."
"Newsparks need learning! They can't just download everything the way forged mechs-"
"You have some nerve, Thundercracker! I-"
"I nothing, she needs to be cared for! Skywarp found her dirty and alone, what would that look like to your clients?"
A huff from Starscream (Skywarp knew that one too—the embarrassed huff) and got up to shut the door between them. At least now they'd be muffled. Right at the door he could still hear Starscream protesting how he'd hated having a stranger in his home, touching his newspark.
He had to admit it. Thundercracker all righteous and riled up was something he liked.
Skywarp turned back to Updraft's wide, wide optics.
"Uh...sorry," he said to her. "I think ol' TC's taken a liking to you. Take this as a compliment."
"It's okay," Updraft said. She set her cube aside, swinging her legs over the sill. Outside, the sunrise was glorious and Vos was waking up. "Do you really think I need a nurse again?" Updraft asked. "I mean, now I know how to push stuff and reach the washrack stuff, and I have my own scrubber." She tilted her head to one side as she looked at him. "And I know you need to energize at least twice a day. One cube each time."
Skywarp didn't know what to say. What did he know about sparklets? He decided to just be honest, because so far it had been working. And it was Starscream's opposite.
"'Bots like you, who are sparked," Skywarp said, "they're not born with the same processing power forged and constructed cold bots are. Grown-up 'bots."
"I'm smart!" Updraft said, and Skywarp felt his fuel tanks twist at her face. He was no stranger to mistakes. He held his hands up to her, palms out.
"You're very smart!" he said. "Smarter than me, probably! You've just got growing up to do so you can get even smarter, right?" He waited for her to relax. She nodded. "Even after your upgrade you'll need a little guidance, till you're ready to be on your own."
Updraft looked at him hard. "Did you have that?" she asked. "Guidance and stuff?"
Skywarp grinned. "I did. You're on your own a lot faster but you still have to learn about being a Cybertronian."
He watched her carefully. Now Updraft was thoughtful, frowning hard at her hands held tight in her lap.
"Were you all by yourself?" she asked finally. "Did you have Thundercracker?"
"Yeah," Skywarp said, after a moment. "Actually I did. We're from the same cohort—that means our sparks were ignited at the same time and place." Incidentally, so was Starscream. Even ol' Screamy had been a constant, and had had constants in the form of Skywarp and Thundercracker. They just hadn't had the good sense to get away from him yet.
Updraft had none of that. She'd be all by herself until flight academy, or wherever it was Starscream would make her go.
"I don't like being alone," Updraft said suddenly. Her optics had dimmed to dark, sad red. "I like being with you."
Skywarp reached out. Tapped her helm. "Hey," he said. She looked up at him. "I like being with you, too. Alone's no good."
"Fine!" Starscream roared, as the door slammed open. "Alright, alright, you insufferable-! I ought to fire you for being so insolent."
Skywarp knew he wouldn't. Who else was going to put up with him but his two favourite lieutenants? Starscream knew it too, and that was half his frustration. Thundercracker slipped past Starscream's wings and stopped next to Skywarp. He looked...about as sullen as usual. So things were better.
Starscream paused in front of his daughter, looming over her little frame. She looked up at him, back straight and faceplate calm. "My dear little Updraft," he said, reaching out to take her hand. He looked a bit like he was contemplating how to suck out her life force. "Your new friends have taken quite an interest in your education today."
Updraft only looked confused. Maybe the presence of others was making her brave, but it seemed to Skywarp that she wasn't used to Starscream addressing her at all. She nodded. "Skywarp and Thundercracker are very nice."
Starscream laughed. It rumbled icy cold. "Are they? Well, it's good you think so. Thundercracker, tomorrow you'll start her education."
Skywarp stiffened up, optics wide and trained on Thundercracker. He looked like he'd been punched in the gut. "Excuse me?"
"You're the one who's so concerned for her well-being," Starscream snapped, whirling around. "If you're so certain I'm doing wrong by own spark, then you can tutor her."
"Don't you need your lieutanents at your side?" Skywarp asked. His optics flashed, and he grinned at Starscream's scowl. "I mean, you need us, Air Commander. Does Thundercracker have time to teach her? Cute kid, by the way. Who's her sire?"
"None of your business," Starscream snapped. "Of course he'll be needed, you fool. It will have to be in the evenings. And you're Vosian nobility, the both of you—there's eons of time you spend goofing off you can put aside for darling little Updraft."
"Yeah, well," Skywarp said, shrugging. "I'll bet you know all about goofing off, Screamy."
Starscream's optics pulsed bright. Skywarp immediately regretted what had popped out of his vocalizer.
"I don't much appreciate your meddling, if you're wondering," Starscream said. He glanced at his daughter. "But I suppose now she knows it's unbecoming to be dirty. Don't you, Updraft?"
Her shoulders slumped. Skywarp was almost surprised by the flash of anger he felt. "Hey—it's not her fault she couldn't reach. Not like your sharp observations ever noticed her finish since first upgrade."
Updraft's optics had gone very round, and Skywarp put his grin on just for her. But Starscream was closer, and he smiled too, swooping down to Updraft's level and making a show of his arm around her thin shoulders. "Study hard," he told her. "When I was at the Academy I excelled in the sciences, history...everything, really. I expect nothing but the best from my own little spark. Now aren't we glad we've sorted this out?"
Starscream drummed his claws on her shoulder, and Updraft leaned away from the touch. Skywarp turned to Thundercracker, whose optics were narrow in thought.
"She ought to have other teachers," he said. "It's not as if you can't afford it. She ought to learn her etiquette, and isolation's bad for the processor."
"Yes, yes," Starscream said, waving his hand. He stood up, and as he turned away Skywarp could pinpoint the exact moment he forgot he had a sparklet at all. "I'll think about it."
Thundercracker smiled. It was a cold, thin blade of a smile, but it existed and was genuine. "I'll be sure to remind you, sir."
"Well!" Starscream said, clapping his hands together. "I have somewhere to be." He walked past Updraft and didn't spare her so much as a glance. "I'm sure you two ingrates have work to do, so get out. Party's over."
Skywarp and Thundercracker waited for for the front door to click closed, to be sure Starscream had left. Skywarp felt a tug at his hand and looked down to see Updraft. Her optics were wide.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked him. "Or just Thundercracker?"
Thundercracker sighed. "I'll bring him along," he said. "Primus knows he can't be unsupervised or he'll rearrange all my things again."
"Are you a good teacher?" Updraft asked, turning to him. Skywarp almost laughed out loud at Thundercracker's face, because he didn't know what to say.
"We'll find out tomorrow," he said. "C'mon, Skywarp."
Updraft's grip on his hand tightened. Skywarp frowned—he didn't want to pry her off and upset her. She was nervous now, shoulders turned inward.
"We forgot to ask Starscream about my polish," she said. "I don't want—I don't like being all scuffed up."
Skywarp had completely forgotten. Actually, he'd been satisfied she was clean and energized, because he himself often forgot to fix his finish on the corners. He and Updraft both stared at Thundercracker, who sighed.
"Someone will have to show you how," he said after a moment. It was clear Starscream wouldn't be getting the kid another caregiver. He wouldn't be getting her much of anything unless someone fought for her.
Those someones had accidentally become the two of them, because Skywarp had wanted to invade Starscream's privacy and look at his stuff. Funny how life worked out.
Stupid good deeds. Stupid, sweet little sparklet.
"Thundercracker is your teacher now!" Skywarp said, optics dancing. "I'm sure he can help you out!"
"Yeah, yeah," Thundercracker said, giving Skywarp's shoulder a shake. "We'd better go, stupid. Apparently I have work to do."
Updraft's face fell. She let go of Skywarp and pulled herself back up into her windowsill.
"See you," she said. Then she smiled. "Thanks for turning on the taps. I'll push a stool in so I can always reach."
Skywarp grinned. "Good girl. Nice to meet you."
Thundercracker said nothing, and they turned to go. They stepped carefully over the broken glass and energon spills. Skywarp kicked a bit of the refuse onto Starscream's couch, just for fun. When they were out of the apartment and partway down the hall, Skywarp heard the click of Updraft locking up.
They didn't say anything until well after they'd left the building, transformed, and flown a ways. Finally Thundercracker groaned on their comm, long and frustrated.
"A teacher?" he said. "Me? I don't know anything about sparklets, or tutoring, but if Air Commander Starscream wants it-"
"You've taught flying at the Academy," Skywarp said.
"To cadets!" Thundercracker snapped. "And only when I've had the time to take a semester. I don't have the time! It's completely different for sparklets, Skywarp, and it's not flying I'm teaching, I'll need lesson plans and materials and-"
"You slagger," Skywarp said fondly. "You're smart, you'll figure it out. And you've got me to help you!"
"I'm so relieved."
"What's a good conjunx for?"
"Dunno, do you know any?"
Skywarp swooped much too close and Thundercracker yelled as Skywarp laughed and laughed. They soared home.
