"Awww look how cute he is."
The coo only got the sparkling to suck on his servo fingers and his engines to let out a soft hum, Skywarp squealed softly while patting his sleeping sparkling. Thundercracker could only watch with a smile as his mate fussed over their creation, walking over to the pair, he reached out and gentle patted the developing wing nubs. "Yes, I know. But we have to leave now Sky, we're going to be late and you wanted to check out the daycare before we got to work remember?"
"I know but he's so adorable right now! I don't wanna wake him up."
"Just put him in your cockpit, he'll wake up when he realizes that your flying."
Skywarp smiled as he cradled the sleeping sparkling in his servo and gently transferred him into his cockpit, making sure that the straps were tied around the small flyer securely, both seekers made their way to the balcony. Checking the skies for a clear way, Thundercracker activated his thrusters first, taking off, with Skywarp following close behind. Both transformed to their tera-jet forms mid air and soared through the skies, slicing through the clouds and air, causing many ground bots too look up and stare at the two seekers.
In Skywarp's cockpit however, Starscream woke up with a coo when he had felt the activation of Skywarp's thrusters and the weightlessness of flight. His processors quickly worked to bring the sparkling to full conciseness as his instincts drove to tell Starscream that they were in the air, clicking in wonder and mild confusion, Starscream stared in awe at the site of the city from up above.
"Looks whose wake this cycle," Starscream hummed and chirped as he felt loving pulses from both his creators, "ready for your first day of daycare Star?"
"Daicurr," replied the sparkling bouncing up and down as Skywarp did a few barrel rolls and spins, "Bak aftur?".
"Yes Star, you'll go to daycare while we work, when we're done we'll come back for you," Thundercracker quickly ushered his mate to stop seeing some law enforcements stare at them, "we're nearly there anyway. Now Star, we need you to behave, listen to the caretaker, drink all your energon, no swearing cause I know you have picked some up and try to get along with the grounders."
"Yeah but if those ground pounders pick on you, kick their afts!" Skywarp laughed as Thundercracker reprimand him over the bond, "they're just jealous that you'll get to fly one day when you grow up, but if there are nice ones then they can be your friends."
"Kays."
Thundercracker could only sigh as he transformed to land in the side walk, making sure that the other bots on it had made enough clear way, waiting till Skywarp was down as well the three seekers made their way to the daycare building and passed through the doors. Thundercracker ignored all the stares that they were getting while Skywarp glared at the ones that were, what he thought, too close. Making their way to the reception table they were greeted politely by a pink femme.
"Good morning, my name is Ariel," Ariel politely shook their hands, "I'm the secretary here and I assume you must be Thundercracker and Skywarp?"
"Yes that's right, we're here to drop off our sparkling."
"Yes, Starscream will be placed in class 3 with the other sparklings. Erm is he with you now?"
"Right here," Skywarp motioned to his cockpit, which was tinted too dark so the sparkling couldn't be seen, "but I wanna check out this class 3 first, wanna make sure that it will be alright for my Star."
"Oh yes of course," Ariel motioned the seekers to follow her, "right this way, most of the other sparkling are already there now."
Both seekers trailed after the pink femme as she lead them to a door with a painted 3 in colorful paint, opening the door showed a brightly lit room full of toys and sparklings running around. The sparklings stopped and stared at the two seekers when they had came into view, not ever having seen a seeker type before, they quickly ran behind a larger bot who was obviously the caretaker. He was a large bot with blue, yellow and white color scheme, he looked over when all the sparklings hid behind him and nearly tripped when he saw the two fully grown seekers.
Thundercracker stayed put as the caretaker made his way towards them, as Skywarp walked around the room inspecting the area and picking up a few toys here and there. "Um I'm Sentinel and I'm the caretaker here."
"Thundercracker and this is my mate Skywarp," Thundercracker nodded while Skywarp gave a backwards wave checking out some data stories, "Starscream, our sparkling, is in Skywarp's cockpit right now. Am I to guess that Starscream would be the only seeker and flyer in this class?"
"Er yes, we only have ground bots here right now, but we'll be sure to make him comfortable here."
Thundercracker nodded while shaking hands with the caretaker, Skywarp eventually made his way back after giving a glance and smile at the other sparklings, some smiled back and relaxed, giving Sentinel a glance up and down he shook hands with the nervous bot. Seekers were the hardest bots to please when it came to their sparklings. Skywarp then cracked open his cockpit and pulled out a curious Starscream who expertly held onto his sires servo, now out in the open the sparkling looked at the two new adult bots and around the brightly decorated room, it would do he guessed.
"Aww Hewo wittle one, my name is Ariel," greeted the pink femme in a high cooing voice.
She was surprise when the sparkling cringed and leaned back against his sire staring at her weirdly, even Skywarp was looking at her strange moving Starscream closer. Both seekers blinked and stared at the now embarrassed femme who coughed to hide it, "She sik?"
"I dunno Star," Skywarp sent a friendly smile to calm the femme down.
Thundercracker hid a smirk behind his servo watching as the femme bewilder his mate and sparkling, "I'm sorry, they have never been around much sparkling talk before. It would be better if you just introduce yourself to Starscream normally."
"Oh sorry, hello Starscream, my name is Ariel," the femme put out a servo, Starscream hesitated for a click, looking up at his sire and having Skywarp shrug back, the sparkling reached out and patted her servo.
"I's Stawsweem," replied the sparkling to the surprise of the two grounders.
"Oh, I'm sorry. The file said that Starscream was only one and a half, I can move him to a more age appropriate class."
To their surprise both blue and black seekers just laughed, "Nah, that's Starscream's real age yeah. That's what we have to tell you too, Starscream's really smart so he can talk and walk."
Both grounders looked surprised as Skywarp put Starscream on the ground for the sparkling to walk in a circle to show off. Ariel gave a soft clap when the sparkling stopped next to Skywarp's ped and looked up at them, "Hello there, I'm Sentinel and I will be your caretaker."
Sentinel could say that it did feel weird when he shook hands with a sparkling that barely made it past his shin while acting like a mature mech.
"It was nice to meet you both but we have to head to work now," Thundercracker bent down to pat Starscream's helm, "remember what we told you before, Sentinel is not like us so explain things to him alright?"
"Don't worry little Star, we'll be back before you know it. It looks like an alright place, toys, paints and stories, so have fun okay?" Skywarp rubbed Starscream's wing nubs while Thundercracker warned Sentinel of how sensitive those were, "and tell us after if anything goes wrong okay? Then me and TC will have a talk to the bots here."
Sentinel and Ariel hid how nervous they were when Skywarp said this, Starscream only nodded at his creators instructions before walking and standing next to Sentinel. Waving till his two creators and the femme was gone he was now staring up at Sentinel, the larger bot shifted before clearing his intakes, "it's free time right now until 10, so you are allowed to chose to do anything you like. Why don't you go meet the other sparklings? They have never seen a seeker before."
Starscream only looked up at the bot with one optic raised before walking off to pick up the data pads he had seen through his sires cockpit, ignoring the stare he got from the other bots in the room, he sat down and turned one on slowly deciphering what it held.
Sentinel could only shrug and let the seeker sparkling do what he wanted.
While Starscream was reading his data pad he had noticed loud chirping and laughing, not bothering about it until it got really loud and annoying, he looked over to see two yellow and red bots laughing at a smaller grey one who was tightly grasping onto a black and white stuffed toy. From what Starscream could tell, the red and yellow ones were making fun of the grey one for something, whatever he didn't need to get involved with that. He only looked over once again to see that the red one had stolen the grey ones toy and was playing keep away with it, the grey bot never got up on his peds though, he was on the verge of tears clicking for the red one to give it back. Starscream looked to see Sentinel dealing with some other bots, Starscream was going to ignore it all till the yellow bot stepped to the side and-
What were those?
Starscream stared in wonder at the two small nubs that sprouted out from the back of the grey mech, the seeker sparkling quickly left the data pad behind as he walked over to the trio, he had nubs like that, was he a flyer too? Walking over he quickly shoved the red sparkling away, causing him to fall on his aft, stepped closer to the grey bot who was frozen in fear staring wide optic at the seeker and gently nudged the back nubs.
Starscream was about to say something when he was quickly shoved back by the yellow sparkling who was glaring at him, stumbling but not falling over, the seeker glared back at the two yellow and red before letting out a growl. The yellow one not backing down was going to shove Starscream again until the seeker lashed out and slashed his servos with his miniature claws, yelping at the scratched paint, the yellow one and the red were about ready to teach the seeker a lesson.
Starscream however surprised them when he grabbed the toy and yanked it from the red ones grasp, "swag off yuu gwound punder wejects, twy dat again and I'll teer both yur servo's off."
The two were so surprised at the talking sparkling that they couldn't defend themselves when Starscream grabbed a nearby blanket and tossed it over them, struggling to get it off only got harder when the red one was kicked in the aft by the seeker causing him to fall onto his brother. Seeing them both distracted, Starscream quickly grabbed the grey bot and dragged him to where he left his data pad.
When he got there he let go of the quiet and shaking bot, giving back the toy, Starscream watched at the grey bot curled around the toy sucking on his servo fingers. Tilting his head, the seeker stepped closer to the bot to see the two nubs, they looked like his but not exactly. But there were two nubs on his back so he must be a flyer, he had only seen flyers with those.
"I's Sarsweem, you a fwer yes?"
The small grey bot only stared at the seeker wide optic and hugged his toy tighter, he didn't know why this strange bot had helped him, or why he was calling him a flyer. He wasn't one right? His creators couldn't fly, so he couldn't either right? He then noticed when Starscream huffed two objects bits lifted into the air. Oh he had nubs too, like he had! But he wasn't a flyer and Starscream was so…
Uh oh the sparkling was starting to look angry.
Bluestreak, chirped out the grey bot, I don't think I'm a flyer.
Starscream tilted his head, though he could talk he could still understand clicks and chips but preferred talking, how could this sparkling not know? Hmmm sparklings around here were only around one vorn, and his creators did say that he was smarter than most. He would have to wait to ask his creators then!
"You sway wit me den, when cweators cum dey will kno," with that Starscream nodded and grabbed onto Bluestreak's servo, "stik wit me fur hole day, I keep you saff."
Bluestreak could only stare at the new sparkling, he didn't know what Starscream wanted him to do but in his processors Starscream declared to be his protector, so that meant they would spent time together like a friend! The seeker wants to be his friend! Bluestreak let out soft chirps of agreement, he had always wanted a friend here.
Before Starscream could question the sparkling more, Sentinel rounded up everyone to the front and asked them to sit on the floor, Starscream dragged Bluestreak who crawled with him and sat at the back making sure the grey one was far away from the two twins from earlier. "Alright everyone it's math's time."
All the sparklings let out a groan but Sentinel quickly shushed them handing them small data pads, Starscream just raised an optic in curiosity and Bluestreak explained it was learning time and they had to write the answers on the data pads. "Who can tell me what 2 + 2 is?"
"Fur!"
Sentinel blinked looking at the seeker who was staring at him with a bored expression, "umm right Starscream. For answering it right you get a treat."
Starscream took the treat into his servos staring at it in confusion, how did answering questions get a treat? It usually got him a pat on the head from his creators, "now what's 7 + 3?"
"Ten!"
Sentinel cringed and gave the seeker another treat, which was passed onto Bluestreak who looked shocked to be given it, "Okay…Starscream when you want to answer the question you raise up your servos alright?"
"Why?"
"To give the other sparklings a chance," Sentinel felt weird explaining this to a sparkling, his creators weren't kidding when they said he was a smart one, "now what's 4 + 5?"
"Nin!" Sentinel looked over to see the seeker with a servo up but still shouting out the answers.
Sentinel rubbed his optics and sighed, he really didn't explain it to the sparkling fully so it was not his fault, "Star you have to wait till I call you alright?"
"Kay," replied the seeker wondering how the pit was this suppose to teach him anything.
"Alright now what's 5 + 3?" Sentinel saw how the seekers servo shot straight up in the air while the other sparklings thought about it, he watched as the seeker waved his hand in the air trying to get his attention.
Starscream annoyed that he was being ignored turned to Bluestreak and clicked him the answer, Bluestreak blinked and wrote it down on the data pad, when he was done he lifted it up to show Sentinel.
Sentinel however, just smacked a servo into his face watching it all, this was not working. Alright, remembering Thundercracker's warning and advice he was given before, he walked over to his desk and took out a data pad full of math problems, he really didn't want to separate the seeker from the group but he couldn't teach the other sparklings anything if Starscream just gave them the answers. "Okay Starscream, why don't you do these while the others can to the ones on the board."
This made the seeker look happy, grabbing onto the data pad and picking up the writing tool, he begun to answer them. Sentinel seeing Bluestreak watch Starscream however, gentle nudged the grey one closer to the group hoping that he would learn by himself and not just by copying the seeker. To his shock, Starscream just as quickly pulled Bluestreak back to his side, then continuing his work. Sentinel and Bluestreak stared at each other before the little one gave a shrug and settled down next to the seeker watching him work.
Sentinel sighed and continued to teach the other sparklings who moved further away from the weird sparklings.
Unknown to him, while Starscream was doing his equations he was softly chirping out how to do them to Bluestreak. Bluestreak watching and following was learning how to do math's an easier way.
Sentinel sighed and was glad this day was over, the seeker had asked a lot of questions about nearly everything they did and most of the time didn't follow Sentinel's instructions rather doing the things he found more interesting.
Math's was followed by painting time. Starscream wanted nothing to do with the sticky gooey mess and hid himself in a fort of toys with Bluestreak, he had built it so well that Sentinel only found them when painting time was over and Starscream came out dragging Bluestreak with him. Apparently Starscream was reading Bluestreak a story pad.
Painting time was followed by lunch, everyone was given a cube and a treat. When the two twins however wanted Bluestreak's treat they were taken down by an angry seeker who threw his empty cube at them hitting them both in the head. Sentinel then sent Starscream to the corner after arguing with the seeker about how it was wrong and he couldn't use the self defense plea, the seeker then sulked in the corner but was joined by Bluestreak who wanted to thanks his savior.
Lunch was followed by nap time. A time Starscream saw was completely useless, when the other sparklings started to nap he walked off to find more data pads to read. When Sentinel asked him to sleep however he got into another argument with the seeker, giving up Sentinel had left Starscream alone hoping that the seeker would just fall asleep while reading. That did not happen however as Starscream only stopped reading when nap time was over and he only got up to greet Bluestreak.
Nap time was followed by music time which ended in complete disaster. While other sparklings jumped around and sang, Starscream and Bluestreak hid in a pile of stuffed toys all the way on the other side of the room. When Sentinel finally got them out and closer to the group, Starscream pointed out a small scuffle that had broken out. When Sentinel ended it and looked back, the seeker and Datsun were gone, looking around Sentinel noticed that the door was open and next to it lay a toy block. The seeker knew which button to hit to open the door? Calling Ariel to take over, the next breem was spent tracking down the two missing sparklings who had hid in a box at the front desk. When asked why they did it, Starscream explained that the loud and bad music was hurting the nubs on their back as they read air currents and sound waves. Sentinel could only sigh and bring them back now that music time was over.
Thankfully that was it, it was time for the sparklings to go home, watching Starscream with Bluestreak at his side watching the other parents pick up their own sparklings he was glad this day was over.
Starscream bounced up and down on his heels waiting for his creators, this place was crazy, but he thought it was better than the ones in Vos. In a flash of purple, the stiletto of a seeker formed, scaring the sparks of most parents and sparklings. The form quickly bent down and picked up the chirping seeker and held him gently, "hello little Star, I missed you too."
The full grown bots could only stare in wonder of the entrance the black and purple seeker had made, some whispered to one another while others asked Sentinel about the seekers. Skywarp was then joined by Thundercracker who walked through the door, some bots had to jump away to not be his by his fanning wing span, walking up to his mate he patted Starscream's wing nubs and listened as Starscream talked about his day. Starscream then wiggled to be put down and pointed to his new friend, "he a fwer?"
Skywarp blinked at the small grey one who was frozen to the spot, be bent down and gently reached for the sparkling. Bluestreak cringed and closed his optics scared at the claws that were heading his way, to his surprise he was picked up so gently and his nubs were caressed, his engine let out a startled purr before he relaxed and cooed at the attention. Skywarp stood up again holding the sparkling, while Starscream rested at his neck cables, turned the sparkling around to look at the nubs.
"Huh, I thought they said that there weren't gonna be any flyers here," muttered Skywarp showing his mate who also look confused, "he has the nubs for wings though."
"…Something's not right about them though," Thundercracker traced one causing Bluestreak to let out a louder purr, "they're a little too wide and positioned right in the middle, I don't think wings can fly like that."
"They're for door wings."
Three seekers looked at the new black and white bot in surprise, there stood a law enforcement bot with door wings fanned out in a neutral position but the seekers could read that they were also tense and ready for action. Thundercracker nudged Skywarp to hand over the sparkling, Skywarp giving the sparkling one last caress handed the grey sparkling over to the new bot.
"Ah sorry, we were just curious," Skywarp rubbed the back of his helm with a sheepish smile.
"It's is alright, you were only curious," replied the black and white bot listening as Bluestreak clicked about his day and new friend, "you must be the new seekers."
"I am Thundercracker and this is my mate Skywarp, near his neck cables is our sparkling Starscream," Starscream let out a click in wonderment and pointed at the new bots door wings.
"Fwer?"
"No little one they are door wings, they are not for flying," replied the new bot switching his wings to a more relaxed position knowing that seekers could read wing language, "I am Prowl and this is my sparkling Bluestreak."
"They read air and sound like ours Star but they can't fly," explained Skywarp to the confused Starscream, "I think their Praxusian, another type of ground bot."
"No fwer? gwound punder?"
Skywarp quickly let out a nervous laugh and held a servo finger over Starscream's mouth, "ground bot, Star, we call them ground bots."
"Your sparkling is very intelligent to know how to talk already," noted Prowl as Skywarp tried to explain why using the words 'ground pounder' was bad.
"You're actually the first one to accept that he is only around one vorn," replied Thundercracker shaking his head, "we really don't know how it happened, one day he refused to walk and instead talked."
"Hmm," Prowl listened as Bluestreak chirped more about Starscream, "looks like he really gets along with Bluestreak."
"You sound almost surprised," noted Thundercracker glancing at the grey sparkling.
"Bluestreak likes to, talk, a lot. Most sparklings avoid him because of that, I worry about that, Bluestreak might be holding it back today but later."
"You worry if Starscream will get annoyed at that, he won't, Starscream back in Vos was not widely accepted by the other sparklings because of his ability to talk. He won't admit it to anyone, but he likes company, we were actually hoping he would find one his own age rather than just Skywarp and I."
"I am glad," Prowl gently bounced Bluestreak up and down much to the happiness of the squealing sparkling.
"Hey what's going on here?" Prowl turned to greet a bot with a blue visor, "started the party without me?"
"This is Jazz my mate, the blue seeker is Thundercracker, the black and purple one is Skywarp and their sparkling is Starscream," introduced Prowl as Bluestreak switched servos, "they are new here."
"That's cool, we were told to be expecting seekers today. Hello there little bot, I'm Jazz."
"I's Staweem."
"Aww he knows how to talk, that must have been surprising."
"You don't know the half of it."
As the adult bots generally got to know each other, Starscream and Bluestreak were placed on the ground where they gave each other information about their creators. "Hey Thundercracker, can I ask you something? You know how Starscream has those nubs on his back, did he, well, have a hard time learning how to walk?"
Thundercracker only rose an optic at that, "we actually don't know when he learned how to walk, he out right refused to until we showed him it was the only way to fly, but generally no. All seekers learn to walk with wing nubs around the age of a vorn."
"Oh that's great then, do you think Starscream could do Blue a favor then?" Prowl gave Jazz an exasperated look while he just brushed it off, "Blue is having a hard time balancing when he tries to walk, he gets up fine, but when he tries to take a step his nubs drag him back down. Do you think Starscream could teach him?"
"I don't think he will have an issue with it," Thundercracker gave Bluestreak a glance, "I suspect that it's because he's around so many grounders."
"Huh?"
"Grounders, like yourself, don't have anything that goes on your back so your balance area would be centered around your waist. We flyers and Praxusians, however, have wings and door wings, this shifts our balance center to be around our shoulders. Sparklings pick up on how others hold their centers, I suspect that he's been trying to copy you and the other sparklings when they walk so choosing the wrong area to balance at," explained Thundercracker as Jazz smacked Prowl for not spending enough time with their sparkling, "don't blame him, Bluestreak was probably copying the other sparklings more then you both with him being in daycare all day."
"So Starscream can teach him to shift his balance?" Thundercracker nodded, "great! Bluestreak has been feeling a bit down cause he's the only one that still can't walk."
"We'll ask him about it tonight," Skywarp picked up Starscream while Jazz picked up Bluestreak, "time to go home Star, you can tell us all about your day then have some dinner and go to sleep."
"No sweep!"
"Alright, you can stay up till you feel tired. He says that but he always falls asleep at nine," the last part was whispered to the amused Prowl, "he never naps but right at the click of nine his out."
"Bai bai, Pwol, Jass and Bwustweek," the sparklings waned at one another.
"We'll see you tomorrow?"
"Till then," both families then parted separate ways as Prowl and Jazz drove off and Thundercracker and Skywarp flying off.