AU Thundercracker's Backstory

by transformersnewfan

AU Story of Thundercracker thinking back over his traumatic sparklinghood. WARNING: Violence, animal death, tense family situations, etc.

NOTE: Set in Generation 1. This is my own Alternate Universe where Thundercracker and Skywarp are brothers and became a Trine with Starscream when they were at the Academy. Since this is all set prior to their Academy years, Starscream isn't in this story.

WARNING: Violence, animal death, tense family situations, etc.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Transformers at all!

Flashback:

Thundercracker remembered his sparklinghood vividly. More clearly when most Transformers could. He just had that gift, he guessed.

His first memories were of his pets: He had a wild petrorabbit that he kept under his berth and two helio-hamsters he kept in a cage. He was nearly two years old, but he was very responsible and loving.

And flying: He liked to flutter up to the top of the tree in the family's yard, and watch for clouds to pass over. That's when he could test out his powers. He would shoot his Sonic Booms at the clouds, sometimes hitting them, more times missing them, in hopes of making it rain…He loved rain!

His Creators were good to him, but they were often not good to each other. His Father was a strong, muscular deep-sea blue Seeker, and his Mother was a pinkish red and white Seeker.

They fought a lot, usually after he was in his berth and they thought he was asleep. Little Thundercracker would watch and listen from the top of the stairs, sometimes cuddling his little petrorabbit, as he tried to make out what they were saying. It seems that his Mother had a friend, and his Father didn't like that.

Thundercracker knew his Mother had a friend but it never concerned him. He had met his Mother's friend on numerous occasions, always when his Father was at work or out of town on business; his Mother's friend would ring the bell, sometimes his Mother answered and they'd hug and kiss, or sometimes, if his Mother was on the telephone or cleaning or just busy, Thundercracker would open the door, and his Mother's friend would pet him on the helm as he'd enter. No big deal.

But apparently, his Father did not like his Mother's friend. The little Seeker couldn't tell if his Father didn't like his Mother's friend or if his Father didn't like his Mother having a friend at all. Either way, his Creators would argue, often about the friend. And sometimes, the arguments got out of hand: Thundercracker's Father would frequently yell that he was going to leave her and take Thundercracker with him and that she'd never see them again. When the little Seeker would hear those threats, he would run back into his berthroom and lock the door, and then restlessly recharged cuddling his petrorabbit.

His Mother's friend continued to come over to their house though, more often actually. He was a very big Seeker, all metallic black with some blue trim on his wings, with a much more hearty build than Thundercracker's Father, but Thundercracker wasn't afraid of him, he knew the big Seeker to be gentle. One day, when the black mech was reading the daily datapad whilst the little Seeker's Mother fixed their lunches, he'd asked the big guy to pet the petrorabbit and the large mech would do so, asking the animal's name.

"Harvey!" the little flyer responded.

"Hello there, Harvey…" the large Seeker cooed as he petted the petrorabbit.

There was a huge fight that night between the sparkling's Creators: He'd guessed his Father didn't like his Mother's friend reading the daily datapad before he'd gotten home to read it. Or something like that…

The little flyer would shoot the clouds from his berthroom window, hoping the ensuing storms would calm everyone down. He loved the sound of rain, he found it so soothing. The petrorabbit didn't care for it much, so he would curl up in his master's lap and snuggle.

His Father started coming home from work later and later, and most of the time, he acted very funny. Thundercracker realized many years later that his Creator was intoxicated by the High Grade Energon.

And then in more violent arguments: His Father began beating his Mother! The little Seeker didn't like this at all. He wanted to protect his Mother, but he was so tiny, how could he? What could he do?

Still, he tried, one night, during one of these arguments, he flew down the stairs, and pleaded with his Creator to stop. His Father instead became enraged, calling his Mother a name that sounded bad to the sparkling, and accusing her of turning their Creation against him. His Mother shouted at his Father to get out, and he left. Thundercracker slept in his Creators' berthroom with his Mother that night.

His Father returned after work the next day, and neither of the sparkling's Creators spoke of the incident again. And his Mother's friend continued to make his frequent visits.

When Thundercracker was around three and a half, his Mother told the sparkling she was carrying, and that he would have a little brother or sister someday. Thundercracker said okay, and that he would make room under his berth for another cage, which made his Mother laugh, for some reason. Well, of course, thought the sparkling, how else does he keep all his pets?

But the little one remembered his Father not reacting happily to the news at all. His Father was shouting and shouting at his Mother, and Thundercracker heard his Mother rushing up the stairs.

He vividly remembered the red and white femme racing into his berthroom, scooping him up into her arms, and taking him into his Creators' berthroom and locking the door! Thundercracker also remembered his Father holding what looked like an iron bar in his hand.

Thundercracker remembered cowering in his Mother's arms as his Father yelled through the barricaded door and called her all sorts of bad names and made terrible threats, a lot of them directed towards the new sparkling. His Father didn't want his Mother to have another sparkling, the little one realized, so he decided that, when the storkoid brought the sparkling, Thundercracker would tell it to put the sparkling under his berth, with Harvey. That way, his Father wouldn't know it was there. He would have to remember to tell the storkoid this!

Eventually, his Father went back downstairs to recharge, and Thundercracker and his Mother went to berth together. The next morning, he remembered waking up and his Mother telling him she was going to fix his breakfast. Their home was ransacked: furniture broken, dishes shattered, and anything glass was gone. The little sparkling flew over the damage, surveying the scene, and he remembered how his Mother told him not to land on the floor or he would cut his little pedes. His Mother didn't tell him who had done this, she hadn't needed to. His Father had gone on a rampage; all night long yelling that he would make her pay. Pay for what? The little Seeker wondered, pay for fixing the broken items? He wasn't sure…

Then he remembered Harvey, and he flew back upstairs to get the petrorabbit.

Thundercracker's berthroom wasn't immune to the destruction, his little dresser was flung forward, his closet torn apart…the little Seeker sniffled as he saw his ruined toys. Now he just wanted to get Harvey and the two helio-hamsters and get back to his Mother…He lifted the covers to—

The little sparkling made a horrible scream. His helio-hamsters were both dead. One lay in its battered cage and the other lay nearby, it seemed that when the cage was overturned one had fallen out. Both had been beaten…no, bludgeoned, to death by a heavy object. And Thundercracker remembered the iron bar he saw his Father wielding. That had to have been the murder weapon…

His Mother came flying in, catching sight of what her screaming sparkling was looking at. Something no sparkling should have to ever see. She hugged Thundercracker and he clung to her canopy. He remembered how she told him not to look as she lifted him out of the room.

"W-Wha H-Harvey?" he sobbed. She told him that they would look for Harvey, even though both now felt that the petrorabbit likely had met a similar fate as the helio-hamsters.

Thundercracker remembered just crying in his Mother's arms as they sat on the sofa, amid the wrecked furniture, now nothing more than garbage. Then his Mother's friend, the large black Seeker, came over and his Mother told him the whole story! The little Seeker was curled up in her lap, crying, still envisioning the Energon-bloodied little remains of his beloved pets. His Mother asked her friend to look for Harvey, and the large Seeker promised Thundercracker to do his best to find the petrorabbit.

As he sobbed and cried against his Mother's chest, he could hear more than one sparkbeat. The second one noticeably softer than the one he recognized to be his Creator's strong life-force. Thundercracker realized he was feeling his sibling's spark for the first time.

The little Seeker was pulled from his momentary comfort when he heard his Mother's friend coming back down the stairs. He shook his helm sadly at the little one's Creator.

Thundercracker remembered the rest like it was a memory from a movie: His Mother asked her friend where he'd found the dead petrorabbit, and he replied it was in the bathroom. The big flyer tried to soften the details, for the sake of the sparkling, saying things like, the petrorabbit had passed away and went to heaven last night. The sobbing sparkling nodded that he understood, imagining Harvey's corpse was probably in a similar condition as his helio-hamsters. Since Harvey was in the bathroom, the little Seeker figured that Harvey must have put up quite a fight, either hanging on by his fangs (petrorabbits were known for their sharp dental plates) to his Father's leg while the Seeker flailed around wildly, ending up in the bathroom. Or perhaps his Creator was simply breaking all the mirrors in there and Harvey heard the commotion and attacked, dying while defending his family…

Either way, it broke the little Seeker's spark into pieces.

Later, his Mother's friend went back upstairs and came down with a small container. Then Thundercracker, his Mother, and her friend buried the three animals together, in box too small for any of them to fit into in life, but their combined remains barely filled in death, in the family backyard. The big Seeker did the digging and both adults allowed the little one to sit and pray over his friends as long as he wanted. They stayed out there together for a long time…

That same day, two Vosian policemechs came over and took pictures of their messy, dirty home. Thundercracker was embarrassed. His Mother's friend offered to buy him a new petrorabbit and pay for it, but the small Seeker refused, saying he never wanted another pet ever again. Harvey was one of a kind. The mech said he understood, but that the offer would remain open.

There was more to it that when the little Seeker had said: He was supposed to TAKE CARE of Harvey and the two helio-hamsters! The two that he'd never named and now felt terribly guilty about. But more so, he felt guilty that he hadn't protected them from his Father. He knew he was small but they were even smaller, and they were HIS. Why did his Father have to kill them? It wasn't their fault that his Creators were fighting…that was the new sparkling's fault.

Wait. The new sparkling. His Father would probably try to kill the new sparkling! The little one ran to his Mother, sobbing that his Father hated the new baby and he'd kill it! But his Mother didn't seem surprised; she seemed angry. And she knelt down to her son's teary-optics level and told him that she and her friend would NEVER let him do that.

His Mother's friend moved into the house within a day. And Thundercracker couldn't have been happier about this! A big Seeker like him would definitely be able to protect his Mother. The little one knew that he was too small to defend himself or his Mother. He was glad that his Mother's friend was happy about the new sparkling; his Father wasn't happy about it at all!

At night, the large black Seeker would sleep on the sofa, apparently waiting if the little one's Father came home, and Thundercracker would sleep with his Mother in her berthroom. It took a month to repair their home: the adult Seekers did their best to clean up Thundercracker's berthroom, and they bought him a new berth, this one shaped like a jet plane! But still, the little Seeker was lonely, he missed Harvey and the two little guys so much. But he still refused to have any more pets. None of them would ever be able to replace the helio-hamsters or the petrorabbit …

A month later, his Father returned. It was on a weekend, Thundercracker remembered, and oh, how his Father pleaded for a second chance, saying he'd quit drinking High Grade. But his Mother was firm, saying that their relationship was over, and that she was going to marry her friend as soon as their divorce was finalized. Said friend watched carefully from the kitchen table, ready to defend the femme at a moment's notice. Then his Father pleaded to see Thundercracker again, but this time his Mother relented, much to the sparkling's horror.

His Father was brought upstairs, where Thundercracker had ran from the top of the stairs. The little one was glad to see both his Mother and her friend had accompanied his Father and would supervise the entire visit. His Father spoke softly to him, and the little one temporarily eased up a little, and hugged his Father, albeit the visions of his dead animals still danced mockingly through his young processor.

He remembered his Father telling him to remember that he loved him, and that he will always be his real Father, no matter what. Words that made his Mother's friend narrow his normally round, red optics.

His Father left shortly thereafter, but not for long. His Father began coming to visit, at least once, maybe twice a week, to play with his Creation, or watch television with him, or play catch in the backyard. Thundercracker remembered slowly reconnecting with his Father, even if he never forgot the senseless slaughter of his pets. Every once in a while, the ball they were throwing around would land near their humble grave, and the little Seeker could swear he'd hear them telling him to be careful.

The good times, well, okay times, didn't last though: His Father began begging his Mother again for another chance, and she continued to rebuke him. Thundercracker remembered when his Father yelled at his Mother again, and she told him to leave again, and she told her friend about it when he came home from work.

Thundercracker couldn't remember how much time had passed, but his Creators must have divorced, because his Mother and her friend happily told him that they were getting Bonded and they were gonna have a party! He vividly remembered their Bonding Ceremony, in the local Vosian chapel, and he remembered his Mother's friend, now his new Daddy, promising to him that he would love him as if he were his own sparking.

Thundercracker's innocent little processor thought everything was very simple: The mech he knew as his Mother's friend was now his new Daddy. New Daddy now slept upstairs with Mommy; New Daddy and Mommy would raise him and the new sparkling, so the problem of his Old Father hurting or killing the new sparkling was now taken care of. The little Seeker liked the big Seeker he now called Daddy, he would take him and Mommy out flying, something his old Father never did anymore; he would read to his little Seeker bedtime stories, and most of all, Thundercracker could talk to him…

One day in the backyard, the little Seeker explained his frustrations to his new Daddy with the clouds in the sky: He was rarely fast enough firing his Sonic Booms and would usually miss the clouds as they passed over the house! His Daddy knelt down and looked skyward to see them from the little Seeker's perspective, and then gave him some good advice: Try aiming for where the clouds were GOING instead of where they were now, and then he'd have a better chance of hitting them! That, and Thundercracker never had forgotten this: "It's not about speed, it's about anticipating what your opponent will do next." And it worked! Soon the little Seeker was hitting every cloud and making rainstorms all over Vos!

Thundercracker was so excited to tell his old Father that he could make it rain now. The next time his Father visited, he flew up and told him right away, and was totally stunned by the rebuking he got! His Father began lecturing him (he was four years old!) about how HE was his one and only Father, and how his Mother was a bad femme, and a bunch of other names, and how the other mech will never be his Daddy.

The little Seeker didn't like how this made him feel, being told all these bad things, being told he was bad for loving his Mother and new Daddy. Being told not to use his powers. It made him sick inside. Thundercracker didn't like his Father after this.

He told his Mother and Daddy (yes, Daddy!) at the dinner table that his Father had hurt his feelings and that he didn't want to play with him anymore. They agreed, telling the sparkling that if his Father didn't accept the way things were and learn to live with it, then he could not visit with Thundercracker anymore.

The little sparkling was in his berthroom playing with his new toys from his Daddy when said Seeker placed the call to his Father telling him the ground rules. There was a big argument, with his Daddy yelling that he loved Thundercracker and Thundercracker's Mother and that this was HIS house now, and HIS family now!

Everything was good for the next week, but then Thundercracker would hear his Father come to the door and argue with his Creators. His Father sounded funny again, like the way he sounded when he was drinking High Grade, and his Daddy told him to leave! The little sparkling was glad. He didn't want to be yelled at and made to feel bad again by his Father.

Thundercracker remembered his Creators talking to policemechs. And he remembered a night, when, his Daddy was reading him a bedtime story, and then someone started banging on the front door, startling the sparkling.

His Mother told his Daddy to stay with Thundercracker and she would tell his Father to leave, that the policemechs recommended that she be the one to tell her ex-mate that he was no longer welcome in the home.

Well, poor little Thundercracker lay in his berth, covers pulled up to his optics, hearing his Mother hollering in the front doorway to his Father that they weren't Bonded anymore and that she wouldn't permit him to see their sparkling so late at night.

His Daddy sat impatiently in the chair next to his berth, ready to spring into action if needed, and hating to sit idly by while the sparkling's Father insulted his new family.

Thundercracker could hear his Father flip back and forth from begging for his Mother to take him back, that he loved her and their sparkling, and then he would change like the wind, insulting her, and insulting Daddy, and then his Father went back to begging, and then insulting again. And…repeat.

Finally, his Daddy couldn't stand it anymore. He told the sparkling he'd be right back, and the large, black Seeker barreled down the stairs and confronted his Father. Poor, four-year-old Thundercracker heard the all-out brawl, complete with punching and what sounded like chassises wrestling around, his Mother all the while screaming how she was calling the police!

Within minutes, Thundercracker remembered, he could hear the sirens and saw red lights in his window. He ran to the top of the stairs and saw his Daddy holding his drunken Father pinned to the floor. The first policemech took his Father away and locked him in the police hovercraft, the second policemech sat on the sofa and seemed to interview his Creators. His Mother told the first half of the story and his Daddy told the part where he came down. They were pressing charges against his Father because his Mother was carrying and shouldn't have this stress.

He remembered the policemech coming to the staircase and seeing the sparkling there. Thundercracker froze in fear, thinking that he too was going to be arrested. For what? He didn't know…not protecting his pets, maybe?

Then he saw his Daddy telling the policemech to try not to wake the sparkling, then spotting him, and saying something to the affect that the sparkling was up anyway. The policemech waved hello and Thundercracker waved back shyly. This was apparently enough for the policemech, and he shook hands with his Daddy and left. This was apparently a well-being check.

Both Thundercracker's Mother and Daddy tried to reassure him. Saying that he was safe; that his Father wouldn't be bothering them again. But it still took the sparkling the next few hours to fall into recharge.

In all, Thundercracker's Father would be arrested no less than three times: The first was the aforementioned incident. The second, was when his Daddy was at work, and his Father came over unannounced. The sparkling was in the backyard firing his Sonic Booms at the approaching clouds, hitting the small ones but waiting for a nice big one to roll by. Yes, he used his Daddy's advice and was pretty good at it now! Then he heard his Mother yelling and crying. The sparkling raced back inside, calling for her. He flew around the sofa and saw his Mother on her side, laying on the floor, with his Father panting and hollering over her chassis. His Father had struck his Mother, and now she was crying into her hands. The little Seeker knew his Daddy was at work and wouldn't be home for another two hours, so he raced over to defend his Mother and his unborn sibling!

Thundercracker did the only thing he could think to do: He threw himself on top of his Mother's abdomen and screamed at his Father, as loud as he COULD scream, to leave them alone! His Father then turned his drunken ire towards his Creation and began shouting obscenities, saying he was going to teach him a lesson! Thundercracker kept screaming to just leave his Mother alone! At some point during the yelling his Father told Thundercracker that he'd kill his Mother and kill him too! Finally, more policemech showed up and arrested his Father. Neighbors called them, the sparkling guessed.

His Mother called Daddy and Daddy came home quickly after that. His Mother was crying into her hands. His Mother said his Father had struck her, and that Thundercracker had gotten in between them, and there was more fighting. They were pressing charges against his Father for both hitting his Mother and sparkling abuse, for BOTH sparklings!

He heard the policemech telling them that they should go to the hospital to see if the sparkling his Mother was carrying was okay. Thundercracker started crying; he doubted the storkoid would bring the sparkling to their home now, seeing that they weren't safe from his Father. And, for some reason, it made Thundercracker miss Harvey so much more…

His Daddy came upstairs and picked him up, saying they have to go to the hospital with Mommy now. He tried to tell the little one not to worry, that he was back from work now and would protect them. Thundercracker remembered hugging his Daddy around his neck and crying.

Apparently nothing was wrong, Thundercracker guessed, since they all left the hospital the same night, and his Creators weren't crying or anything, and when they got home, his Creators didn't disassemble his old sparkling crib that his Daddy had spent last weekend painting in the garage or anything. Maybe his Creators and those policemechs had a meeting and worked everything out with the storkoid?

A month, maybe two, he couldn't remember, went by, and there were no more incidents with his Father. He stayed away, and Thundercracker was grateful for the peace! Everyone was calmer when his Father wasn't around…no more tears, no more hitting, no more policemechs sitting on the sofa, etc.

Neighbors helped, they would mow their lawns and look around the neighborhood when Daddy was at work, and then when Daddy would come home from work they would go flying together, but not before he was home! Too risky still. His Creators bought new locks for the doors, new locks on their berthroom window and Thundercracker's berthroom window. But it still wasn't enough…

Thundercracker was in the backyard, doing—what else?—firing Sonic Booms at the clouds. Earlier that day, his Mother had laid down with him for a nap together, but the little Seeker was bored and carefully wiggled away from her recharging form and went outside. Now he was facing the barrel of a blaster in his Father's hand.

His Father seized the sparkling in a lucky moment: No neighbors around and, Thundercracker would later guess, observed him and his Mother sleeping from the window. His Father told him they were going on a trip, just the two of them. He also told the sparkling that if he refused, or screamed, he'd deactivate his Mother. Thundercracker nodded that he understood completely.

His Father transformed into his Jet Mode and placed the little Seeker in his cockpit. He flew the terrified sparkling deep into the Vosian Mountains.

Thundercracker tried to stifle his sobs as his Father's vocals boomed on about how much better it was going to be now that they didn't have his Mother to come between them anymore. He called her every bad word the sparkling had ever heard—or not heard—before and said how much he had hated his Daddy. Thundercracker understood now that he would never see them again. He felt sick inside. Why his Father was being so mean, he wondered.

The little Seeker thought about the sibling he'd been so looking forward to, that he now would never meet. Coolant tears flowed from his little optics silently as the cruel words of his Father rambled on. He thought of poor Harvey and the two helio-hamsters that were killed. The latter two dying because they were trapped in a cage he'd put them in to protect them, or so he thought. And the petrorabbit's heroic sacrifice in the family bathroom, his last thoughts were of trying to save his family…

Thundercracker prayed that the storkoid would still bring the new sparkling safely, even though he wouldn't be there to help his Creators take care of it. Besides, with himself gone, they would need the newling more than ever now. They'd be so lonely without him…

It had been a while now, Thundercracker wasn't sure how long but he figured it was long. By now his Mother had awoke and would be looking for him. Then not finding him in his berthroom or in the yield or anywhere else in their house, and start screaming. His Mother would no doubt call Daddy at work, and then the policemechs, who were probably tired of all these calls. They would probably be looking for him…

WAIT, the Seeker realized, THEY WOULD BE LOOKING FOR HIM! Of course! His Mommy and Daddy loved him! They wouldn't just give up! Thundercracker began making notes in his little processor about every landmark, every road beneath them, and every mountain: What color were they? How tall were they? Everything he could remember, he etched into his memory banks, so he could tell them where to look for him. And someday… find his way home. He needed a phone. He knew how to use a telephone thanks to his Daddy. He knew his Daddy's work number. This was because his Daddy wanted him to call for help in case something was wrong with his Mother and the new sparkling.

Thundercracker watched everything quietly now, they'd left the Vosian city limits, and were flying over the cold, icy mountains. The road under them turned all the way to the left, like when the clock reads ten, the sparkling noted. He was too young to estimate voracity or terrain trajectory, so he called them things he could relate too: The road was gray, and the mountains were covered with snow on their caps, and they flew onward for six hours. The little Seeker's internal clock kept track.

Thundercracker was very tired, but he refused to fall into recharge. He was determined to get back home. He knew he'd never make it alone, so he would have to find a phone and call his Creators to come pick him up and for that, he'd have to give them good directions! Since they'd never vacationed here together, the little Seeker couldn't be sure his family would know the area…

After the mountains was a much flatter land, filled with metal trees, most of which had shed for the season, and they past an Energon super market, and some restaurants, then a power plant, then more metal trees. It was a small village, mostly inhabited by Seekers who worked at the power plant, or the restaurants, or the super market. Thundercracker noted that his Father had decreased his speed considerably, and seemed to be looking for his destination. The only notable landmark the sparkling could see was an Energon Fly-Thru Diner, with a Retro-rat mascot on its roof.

Finally, his Father landed in front of a motel. It was all different shades of green. The motel row was two floors, and the doors were very close together. Thundercracker looked around the area: All trees for miles around. Nothing but snow and twisted metal trees. Titanium moosebots roaming freely. Down the road, a few jet lengths at best, was a gambling establishment. The little sparkling was jarred from his thoughts by an order from his Father to hop out. He did so, and his Father transformed back into Robot Mode and grabbed the sparkling's wrist and dragged him along as they walked to the motel's office.

A large neon sign flashed the words "Sleepy-Tyme Motel" in bright red. Any other time, Thundercracker would have pointed out that they had misspelled "Time", but he was too afraid. The office was rather dusty, an old radio played the human Hank Williams in the distance. The manager, a Sharkticon, was green and gold colored. His Father spoke to him and gave some cubes of Energon to pay for a room. The little Seeker remembered the manager's name: Sky-Byte.

Their room wasn't any better: Everything was dusty and dirty, and Thundercracker thought it smelled funny. The television was an older model than what they'd had at home; the berth was very hard and the little sparkling didn't want to put his faceplates near the covers. The heater made loud noises but the room still seemed cold. The sparkling looked around for a telephone, but he couldn't see one. Oh no! After all his efforts to know where he was, he wouldn't be able to call for help! Thundercracker started crying again.

His Father barely said two words to the sparkling as darkness fell. The adult Seeker told him to wait in the room, and he left. Thundercracker had no idea where his Father was going or when he was coming back, so he had to think fast. He flew around the room; no telephone. He opened the door; it was a long way to the manager's office and the little sparkling didn't know if Sky-Byte would let him use the phone or if he would tell his Father and then he'd be punished! He shut the door and curled up on the dirty throw rug. There were some insecticons crawling nearby, but he didn't care. Maybe they could be his new pets…

Thundercracker was in recharge on the rug for maybe a few hours when a loud noise woke him. His Father was in front of the television, watching some old black and white program, and drinking High Grade. He threw an empty cube against a wall, shattering it. The glass falling in an established pile, which was what had apparently awoken the sparkling in the first place.

His Father started rambling drunkenly about Thundercracker's Mother, calling her bad names again. And he hated Thundercracker's Daddy even more so! Calling him all sorts of bad things. Blaming him for the all the trouble. Didn't he realize how much this hurt the sparkling? Thundercracker scooted behind the berth, hiding. His Father didn't seem to be talking to him, so the sparkling figured he wasn't being rude by not listening.

He didn't want to hear bad words about his Creators. He LOVED his Creators! He missed recharging with his Mother and playing with his Daddy in their backyard. He let his little processor relive an especially happy memory file to drown out the obscenities his Father spewed—along with the High Grade—into the air.

He remembered vividly the day he and his Daddy practiced shooting the clouds in the sky. He remembered how he sobbed—when this was the biggest problem the sparkling had in this world or any other world—about not being fast enough at the draw to shoot the faster-moving clouds. And how his Daddy had taught him to aim where the clouds were headed and hit them as they approached and…and…

THAT'S IT!

Thundercracker's little optics shot open round. He would make it rain. Make it rain HARD! He had no doubt in his little processor that his Creators and the policemechs were searching for him, but probably had no idea where he'd been taken to. His Mother and Daddy knew he could make it rain. And when the policemechs would ask them for a description of him, they would undoubtedly mention his Thunder-making powers. And they would be checking for any…Storms that have come out of nowhere! He would make it rain. Make it rain HARD!

When the little sparkling was sure his Father had gone into recharge in the chair (Well, passed out drunk, actually), Thundercracker quietly flew up to the motel's roof. All the lights were out for miles around, even the two moons of Cybertron were crescents tonight. But there were clouds. Beautiful, spark-saving clouds. He flew up in the darkness and fired his Sonic Booms into the air, hitting anything that moved, giving them his all! And the skies lit up with lightning streaks and the rains came down. Rain, hail, lightning. Everything…

When he finished, Thundercracker went back into their humble motel room and prayed, prayed like he'd never prayed this hard before, that his Creators and the policemechs would find him…

…A few hours later, dawn broke over the mountains, and daylight sworn through the sole window. The little Seeker hadn't slept most of the night. Instead he lay on the rock-hard berth, listening to his Father's rantings. He hadn't had any Energon since breakfast yesterday, not that his Father seemed to care. The adult Seeker wasn't going anywhere in this rainstorm…

Suddenly there was knocking at the door, "Open up! Police!" His Father grabbed his blaster and pointed it out the window, screaming back at the officers. Sky-Byte was outside too, yelling at his Father to open the door as well! Little Thundercracker hid between the berth and a little table; his Father never even checking where the sparkling was. A key could be heard opening the lock from the outside, but his Father opened the door suddenly shot one of the policemechs point blank! The sparkling's optics frozen wide open in fear!

Two policemechs rushed to their fallen comrade and five other policemechs rushed into the tiny room. His Father shot a second policemech right in the chestplates! A third policemech grabbed his Father's arm and the blaster shot into the ceiling before a fourth officer took the weapon away. Then all the policemechs that weren't shot dogpiled on top of his Father yelling at him to cease his resistance! Another policemech ran to the second policemech that had been shot, the one that was shot badly, telling him to stay calm.

Sky-Byte stood in the doorway, looking shocked and horrified at the scene in his entrepreneurial establishment.

Thundercracker was still cowering in the corner as the policemechs struggled to subdue his Father, who was now punching and kicking them and flailing like a wild animal! Yet another policemech entered and grabbed the sparkling, scooping him up and carrying him out over his shoulder!

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" His Father shouted as Thundercracker looked back over policemech's shoulder. His little vents gasping in terror; terror that no four-year-old should EVER have to experience. He was whisked to the manager's office, where his Daddy was talking to several policemechs.

"THUNDERCRACKER!"

"DADDY!"

The big Seeker hugged the sparkling tightly to his chest and little Thundercracker sobbed and hugged him around his neck.

The rest was a bit of a blur to Thundercracker: He was taken to the hospital to be checked for injuries and then he was asked a ton of questions by the policemechs, once without his Daddy present and once with his Daddy present, and then the little sparkling was allowed to be reunited with his Mother. She was crying, and telling him how much she loved him; his Daddy joining in on the hug.

Thundercracker never saw his Father again. He didn't want to ask what happened to him because he didn't really want to know. He didn't want to know if his Father was deactivated or online. Also, he was afraid that if he asked about him to his Creators or his doctors or his teachers, someone might think he actually wanted to SEE his Father again. The little Seeker began attending therapy sessions, something the policemechs told his Creators would be helpful. Thundercracker never knew if it helped or not. He still had nightmares. A LOT of nightmares! Almost every night, he had the same nightmares. Another problem: Neighbors also came over and his Daddy explained what happened to each of them; some of them asked for the same stories over again. The little Seeker guessed that they weren't paying attention the first time.

His Daddy tried to make up for the trauma his Father had caused, even though it wasn't the larger Seeker's fault. He'd take the sparkling flying and then they'd go out for Energon-pizza or whatever. Mostly just to spend time together while his Mother was ill. She was sick and had to stay in her berth since Thundercracker had returned. The little sparkling overheard his Daddy telling one of the neighbors that the stress of the kidnapping caused some sort of problems.

His Mother must have been pretty sick. Thundercracker didn't realize how sick until she had to go to the hospital for an operation. His Mother was in the hospital for more than a week, and in that time, the storkoid brought his new sibling to her at the hospital! The little Seeker was angry with the storkoid for dropping it off there and not on their doorstep! His Daddy would have signed for it after all! Why did that stupid bird have to bother his Mother when he was sick?! Well, he was glad his Mother got better and came home soon after, at least.

Thundercracker sat in his berthroom looking out the window. He was so lonely since the murder…no, slaughter of his beloved petrorabbit Harvey and his two helio-hamsters by his Father's bloodied hands. The new sparkling was not a replacement for them; this little monster would never replace his beloved animals. The little Seeker had been oh so looking forward to having a sibling, but now…after what with being the victim of a parental kidnapping, taken to a seedy motel, held against his will, a shoot-out with two cops getting shot, and now dealing with all the policemechs, teachers, doctors, therapists, neighbors, nightmares, and his Mother's hospitalization, Thundercracker didn't want to deal with yet another new element in his four-year-old life!

The new sparkling, whom Thundercracker began thinking of as The Intruder, moved in the day his Mother came home from the hospital. His Daddy introduced them, even though Thundercracker only came towards the thing to be nice. His Daddy said The Intruder was a mechling, so at least the little Seeker didn't have to deal with a sparkling femme, so that was a plus. His Daddy said the sparkling's name is Skywarp. His, um, THEIR Daddy helped Thundercracker by holding both of them on his lap and allowed the little Seeker to meet The Intruder, who was recharging in a blanket.

The neighbors and other Seekers all came over to meet The Intruder, and everybody who came just HAD to ask his Creators to tell the same long story about his kidnapping, etc., and his Creators would oblige them. The little Seeker guessed that, The Intruder wasn't nearly as interesting as his traumatic ordeal. How could it be? All the idiot did was cry and eat. And cry and eat. Thundercracker was sick of all this attention; he went in the backyard and shot at the clouds again, something he hadn't done since coming back home from his 'trip'.

The rain helped make everyone leave, and the little Seeker could finally have some peace and quiet and listen to the soothing thunder and lightning in his berthroom. The Intruder had other ideas…

That night, Thundercracker lay in his berth, looking out the window at the rainstorm he'd cooked up, thinking again back to his kidnapping; how it made him feel so sick inside; how his Father had shot those two policemechs; how his Father, HIS FATHER, had killed Harvey and the two helio-hamsters. The little Seeker had to remind himself that he was safe now, that he'd never see his Father again and that he was safe in his own home with his Mother and Daddy asleep in their berthroom and, this…THING that now occupied his former crib was making cooing sounds again. OF COURSE it was online now in the middle of the night, Thundercracker huffed his tiny vents, it had been recharging all slagging day!

Thundercracker tried to ignore the disgusting sobs and pained wails coming from The Intruder. It wasn't in pain. It didn't know about pain! It didn't know slag about losing its pets or being afraid or thinking it would never see its Creators again! No! It was just complaining!

It had stopped raining, and The Intruder started keening again. His Creators came in and helped the monster get back into its recharge mode. Thundercracker already hated the thing. He overheard his Mother saying she was worried about this, and his Daddy reassuring her that the two sparklings just needed to get to know each other. Thundercracker sighed, for his beloved Creators, vowed to himself to try…

An hour later, everyone was asleep again, but The Intruder was stirring AGAIN! Thundercracker had been dreaming again about his recent brush with deactivation, when his Father was shooting at those policemechs. He would never be sure if they survived or not. His Father was already a killer though. He killed Harvey and his two helio-hamsters, so the sparkling supposed two policemechs meant nothing to his Father either.

Now The Intruder started crying again. Thundercracker didn't like the sound it made when it cried. The little sparkling didn't want The Intruder to wake their Creators again: His…Their Mother had been so tired; first she had to stay in her berth, then she had an operation, and now that she was home from the hospital, their Mother should be permitted to sleep! And poor Daddy, he had to take care of everyone and everything the whole time their Mother was ill, and having all the neighbors over today…Oh, the little sparkling knew he had to do something! Maybe he could reason with The Intruder…

Thundercracker turned towards the crib, "You have to be quiet now…" he whispered.

To the sparkling's surprise, The Intruder actually responded, quieting his wails and just sobbed a little. Huh? No one ever listened to him before! He could see The Intruder squirming around under some blankets, but couldn't make anything out. Thundercracker turned back over and tried to go back into recharge mode, but the keening started again. He couldn't stand the pained wails. He wondered if The Intruder liked the sound of rain as much as he did.

"If you're quiet, I'll do some magic…" he cooed.

The Intruder calmed down again.

Hmmmm, Thundercracker thought, it seemed to respond positively to him. He had thought it would be frightened by the sounds of thunder and rain, so he hadn't turned on the rain since it stopped a while ago. But the thing was online anyway, so it was worth a try to calm it down. If the monster started hollering, his Creators would have to take it in their berthroom or downstairs, or in the garage or something, and then Thundercracker could finally get some sleep. And if the thing liked the rain, then it would sleep, and he could sleep too. Either or. The Intruder was STILL no Harvey, but if The Intruder wanted to see him make it rain, he would make it rain. Funny thing was, Harvey hated the rain.

It didn't take much, get a couple of well-aimed shots from their window and the waters once again fell from the skies above, tapping on their metal roof and the metal trees outside. The little sparkling shut the window and turned back to see the reaction: The Intruder wasn't making any noise, just seemed to be watching, listening quietly.

"Okay, goodnight…" Thundercracker let himself smile towards the crib when he got back into his berth. Maybe The Intruder wasn't so bad after all. Still no Harvey though.

The whimpering started again.

What was WRONG with this monster? Didn't it understand they'd had a deal? If Thundercracker showed him how he made it rain, he'd be calm. Or scream and leave. PICK ONE! This…this…sobbing it was doing, was neither, and getting rather…saddening to Thundercracker. Harvey never made sad noises during the night. But then again, when Harvey was scared of the rain, he'd cuddle the petrorabbit in his berth and they'd sleep together. Maybe he should go see what was wrong.

Little Thundercracker sighed and got up. Perhaps he could figure out how to handle this new 'pet' that took up residence in his berthroom if the little Seeker could get a better look at what he was dealing with.

The Intruder quieted his sobs and immediately locked his huge red optics on Thundercracker as soon as he came into view. The little Seeker gave The Intruder a suspicious glare.

Hmmm…this was the first time since he entered their house more than twelve hours ago, that Thundercracker could look him over: The Intruder was an especially chubby newling, and all black metallic metal except for some purple stripes on his limbs and wings. He looked almost exactly like Daddy. He definitely had the larger mech's build. Thundercracker found himself smiling as he looked at the squirming baby through the crib bars.

"Well…you're cute, but you're no Harvey," Thundercracker joked as he reached over to tickle his baby brother. "Now go to sleep…" But as soon as he was out of the baby's view, the newling started keening again.

"Shhhh…" Thundercracker tried to reassure the new baby. "Don't be scared…this is our home." Every time the sparkling tried to go back to his berth, the little one would start whimpering and keening. Finally, Thundercracker sighed, "Do you want to come sleep with me?"

The little one just chewed on his blanket and stared with his huge red optics and kicked his little pedes.

Thundercracker smiled back, "That must be a yes."

The little sparkling flew into his former crib and carefully tried to lift his brother up, "Ooof, you're heavy!" Thundercracker tried several different maneuvers before laying the baby on his shoulder the way he'd seen their Daddy hold him earlier, "Harvey was never heavy." Skywarp just looked at his big brother, not understand who he was talking about. "Hmmm…I'll haveta tell you all about him…" the little sparkling smiled. The newling just made cooing sounds and nested close to his brother's chest.

Thundercracker struggled, but managed to take his baby brother to his berth, "Ugh!" He swore the newling was at least ten pounds; he would find out later that the baby was eight pounds at birth, but he still thought it was more like ten, "Figures, eating all day!"

Thundercracker thought of how his pets used to like to sleep under his berth, but since that proved to be unsafe from his Father's rampage, the little sparkling decided to put his brother on top of the berth. He retrieved the newling's blanket and covered him up, "No more crying, okay Skywarp?" The little baby cooed and seemed much calmer with his older brother laying close by.

"I used to have a petrorabbit…his name was Harvey," Thundercracker began, leaning on his arm, "and I had two helio-hamsters. But they're all in heaven now…" He sighed sadly, "My Father killed them all. Now he's in jail." The newling didn't understand any of this; he just resumed chewing on his blanket and tried grabbing his big brother's faceplates.

"So I'm never gonna let anybody ever kill you…" Thundercracker, age four years old at the time, was as serious as a spark attack despite his youth and having little Skywarp shoving his digits into his older brother's smell receptors, "that's a promise." He smiled at his little brother and repeated, "Skywarp, I'll never let anyone kill you…" and with that, the little sparkling cuddled his baby brother and the two fell asleep together.

And over the next few weeks, Thundercracker usually took his new baby brother to sleep with him. Their Creators didn't seem to object, although the little Seeker did think he heard his Mother complaining about the new baby and his Daddy reassuring her that nothing was wrong and that there are Seekers on his side of the family that had certain powers, whatever that meant.

One night, Thundercracker was so sleepy he went to his berth before the baby was put in his crib…only to wake up and find Skywarp next to him! Did his Creators put him there? Well, he just cuddled the baby and went back into recharge.

Then when Skywarp was around six weeks old, Thundercracker was drawing on a sparkling datapad on his berth, and the newling was watching him from his crib. Skywarp started whimpering.

"Just another minute, Warp…" Thundercracker was busy finishing his drawing, concentrating on his picture, "I'm coming…" The little sparkling was just about to get his new brother when suddenly, a purple flash washed over him and Skywarp was suddenly was right next to him!

"WHAT? HUH!" Thundercracker was immediately shaken and grabbed the baby and held him tightly. He thought there was a ghost in their berthroom and his little optics darted all around, looking for the culprit.

The little Seeker picked up his baby brother—he'd gotten pretty good at lugging him around—and put him back in his crib, making the infant sob and keen. "Wait here…" he told the newling. Then Thundercracker started flying around the room, "Hello? Anyone here?" One name came to mind, "Harvey? Have you come back?" He looked in his closet, under the berth, and under the crib, but he didn't find anything. The door was closed and no one had come in; their Creators were downstairs preparing dinner.

Skywarp's big red optics followed his older sibling around the room before Thundercracker sat back down on his berth. "W-Whoever it was, he's gone..." the sparkling nodded. The baby misunderstood this as a word of permission, and promptly teleported his chubby self back to his older sibling's berth.

Thundercracker gasped! "Y-You're a…Y-You…h-how?" he didn't know the word to describe a newling with a build-in teleportation device. His poor little processor thought long and hard as to why; thinking now that it all made sense how their Mother didn't seem too fond of Skywarp and how the baby seemed to get into his berth by himself that other time. But before he could believe it, he'd have to see it happen again.

The little Seeker picked up his brother and put him back in the crib, making the newling sob again. "Y-Yeah, yeah, I know, you wanna be with me…" he assured. "I-I get it…j-just, show me again, okay?"

Thundercracker took the baby's stuffed toy and went and sat back on his berth. The newling still watching him. "Come on, Warpy…" he held the plushie towards his brother. "Want your doll back?"

The little one smiled and cooed, thinking they were playing a game.

"Then you gotta come and get it…" TC nodded.

Skywarp immediately disappeared in a flash of bright purple light and reappeared next to his beloved sibling almost instantly! Thundercracker just starred this time. Now he'd seen it; now there was no denying it. This was his little brother's primus-given powers and other Transformers were bound to find out sooner or later. "W-We can't tell anybody…" Thundercracker rationalized as his baby brother happy chewed on his stuffed toy's audial, "Don't worry…I'll protect you…don't be afraid."

The newling clearly wasn't concerned. He just cooed and snuggled into Thundercracker's side.

"I lost my pets…" the little sparkling mused as he hugged his baby brother close. "So I'm gonna do my best to always love you and protect you, Skywarp…"

End of Flashback:

Thundercracker sighed as the memory file finished. He looked down at his younger brother, who was recharging peacefully all tucked into his side. That never changed over the years…

TC started thinking of how he'd yelled at him earlier, "Skywarp? Are you online?" he whispered.

The darker Seeker kept his optics shuttered and just groaned in response.

"Skywarp, I love you. I just wanted you to know I love you," Thundercracker whispered as he wrapped his arms around his brother. "I'm sorry I yell at you sometimes. I don't mean it. I love you…"

Skywarp was still half-asleep and not really listening, "Um huh…"

Thundercracker realized this and just cuddled him, "No matter what happens, you'll always be my baby brother…"

The End.