Chapter 4
Disclamer:" I do not own Transformers! Characters and places have been modified to fi the story.
"Omh!" Sideswipe landed hard on the sandy ground. A large shadow fell over him and screeched in victory. "Yeah, yeah." Sideswipe got up and glared a the shadow. "You won this round!"
Red optics shined brightly as Starscream head butted the younger one. "You still need to learn how to duck."
Sideswipe growled and butted Starscream back hard, "I did duck!"
"So the score is Starscream, 7, Sideswipe, 0." Hotshot laughed from his spot under an overhang.
"He is getting better." Blurr pointed out. "He just needs a better space to conceal himself." Blurr looked around the area spotting several spots.
"Well my turn!" Hotshot trotted over to the two mechs. "Hey screamer, I want a go!"
Starscream glared at him before nodding. Hotshot pushed Sideswipe in the direction of Blurr. After the two got into their stances and waited for Blurr to give the go ahead.
Blurr waited a couple of seconds and roared at the two to start.
Hotshot charged right for Starscream who jumped over him. Swiping his tail out behind him Hotshot tried to knock Starscream down.
Seeing the tail, Starscream turned his body to dodge the tail swipe landing heavily on his front paws. His claw dug into the ground as his whole weight landed on them. He could hear the grinding of gears from his forearms. The landing had caused his back strut to bend awkwardly.
Hotshot turned and ran fast headbutting Starscream in the side just as Starscream's back legs hit the ground.
"Gotcha!" Hotshot jumped onto Starscream and went to pin him. Just as he went for the neck he felt something on his mid-section. Starscream had managed to maneuver himself to get his back legs under Hotshot. Starscream smirked up at Hotshot.
Digging his back claws into the stomach plating and using all the strength in his tibulen and cadule, he pushed Hotshot off of himself. Hotshot was sent flying and landed on his back. Before he could recover Starscream was there with his long sharp claws at the others throat.
"I give." Hotshot smiled sheepishly up at the winner.
"Score, me 4, you 2." Starscream smirked before back up and helping Hotshot to his paws.
"Don't rub it in!" Hotshot nudged Starscream with his shoulder. "You've been here two months and now you're getting cocky." Hotshot laughed.
Sideswipe ran up to them, "How did you do that!" Sideswipe kept running around Starscream.
Having enough Starscream jumped into the air and flew a couple a yards from him. Hotshot laughed and followed him back to base. Sideswipe followed talking Blurr's audios off. Blurr tried to ignore the younger one as they arrived at the door.
Walking into the ship Starscream was ambushed by the children. They were all talking a mile a minute and asking questions. Starscream growled and hissed at them, wings going rigid.
"Wow!" Hotshot jumped in between them and Starscream. "One at a time." He said shackingly. He could feel Starscream on edge about the yelling and the fact the kids ran to him.
Calming down Starscream lowered his wings and set them back into place. Alexis noticed when he got upset and was one of the only ones to shut up at his reaction.
"So, we saw the fight." Alexis broke the ice.
Raising his optic ridge Starscream looked right at her, "How?"
Alexis pulled out a small orange and silver dragon that looked similar to a bat with large optics. It's large optics showed it was used as a spy bot. "His name is Ratbat!"
Getting a closer look Starscream tried to place where he had seen this bot. Opening his old factory sensors he took a long scent from the small mechling. The scent of the mechling had changed but he could still smell its creator.
"Soundwave's sparkling." Starscream looked it over some more. Alexis let the mech fly and land in front of Starscream. It chirped and flapped at him. "He has been wandering where you have been."
"Who is Soundwave?" Carlos waved to get Starscream attention.
"Ah, not that guy." Hotshot groaned laying down dramatically.
Snorting and stepping over the other Starscream bent down and offered the kids a ride over to the computer rooms. They all clambered on with their minicons. Once there he let them off onto a table.
"You want to know how I sent Hotshot flying first or do you want to know who Soundwave is first?" He walked over to the computer and powered it up. Swindle jumped onto the monitor and hissed up at his master. Starscream growled and nudge the minicon onto his favorite perch.
The kids looked at each other and then to Rad. He sighed and turned to Starscream, "The first one first." Starscream nodded.
Pulling up a diagram of a seeker and another of a grounder he had them placed side by side. The diagrams started to move around but not leaving their spots on scene. The seeker kept snarling, head and neck bent, and swinging its head side to side. The grounder kept roaring and stomping its paws on the animated ground making dust rise. It's tail swished and flicked with each animation.
"That's so cool!" Billy and Fred looked up at the screen.
"The seeker is on the left and the grounder the right." He pointed at the moving diagrams, "The seeker is slimmer, with sharp claws and teeth. The grounder has a more bulky build with blunt claws and teeth." Again he pointed to each, "The differences are that the seeker is built for quickly striking their enemy and flying quickly away. Grounders can grab and crush their enemy in their jaws."
On screen both diagrams showed the examples of tearing of crushing their victims. The seeker's animated flight took a dive and slashed at its opponent. The grounder ran over whelming its target with its bulk and crushing it in its jaws.
"How does this explain how you threw Hotshot off of you?" Billy asked as everyone was taking in what Starscream was saying.
"The differences of our two species must be learned to understand how the other works." Starscream pushed a button and brought up the legs of the two examples. "The legs may look the same but it's on the inside" The screen changed and the inside mechanics of the grounder and seeker showed up in the legs. " A seeker has stronger gears and stabilizers. We land on our back legs when descending from the sky. Grounders are built for taking the shock of running on the hard ground. Their power is distributed evenly into all four legs."
"So a seeker lands on their back legs with their entire weight and can push off with the same force?" Alexis started to understand the way they worked.
"Yes, we need to get back into the sky quickly so our back legs are one of the strongest places of our bodies." He smiled at Alexis.
"Yeah I got kicked by one many vorns ago." Jetfire walking into the room.
"I swear you are either spying on me or following me." Starscream looked over at him.
"Maybe both." He heard the kids whisper to each other. Starscream just snorted and glared at him which Swindle copied.
"Yeah well I can say this, You do not want to be on the receiving end of a kick from a seeker." Jetfire shuddered. "My processer spun for solar cycles, not to mention my helm had a large dent in it."
"You probably deserved it." Starscream rolled his optics.
"One got you in the helm?" Sideswipe looked at Hotshot and they both started to laugh.
Glaring Jetfire swatted the two with his tail. "Shut up."
"Ow! Jetfire watch were you hit!" Hotshot and Sideswipe both started to complain to their leader.
Watching the three older dragons, the kids decided to change the subject. "So, uh, who was Soundwave?" Carlos decide to speak.
"Soundwave is the third in command of the decepticon forces. He is also the communication officer and Megatrons most trusted officer." Starscream logged the diagrams out and plugged into the computer. A large picture of Soundwave came up.
Standing on the monitor was Soundwave. A large skinny dragon mech with purple armor and large wings stood still. He had silver on his chest, arms and legs. Starscream pointed at the silver chest plate, "That is Laserbeak, Ratbat's older sibling." Ratbat flapped up to the picture and chirped at it.
"Soundwave is one if not, the most dangerous of Megatrons forces."Jetfire glared at the screen.
"Why is he dangerous?" Rad asked them looking at the said dragon again.
"Soundwave is a telepath. He can break any metal barrier around your mind and enter it. My mind was closed all the time and I was constantly changing my barriers." Starscream glared at the mech on screen.
"Hey!" Fred pointed at the screen, "Where are his eyes?"
Starscream looked at the screen laughing. "He does not have optics like us, but a visor. It helps him get others to understand what he is saying and to record or play recordings."
"Can he talk?" Carlos looked at the dragon on screen again.
"Yes. Though when he talks, he states what he is about to say or who he is addressing and then says it." Starscream watched the children waiting for the next question.
"How?" Rad asked for all of them.
Venting and shaking his head Starscream picked one of Soundwaves favorite sayings, "Query: Lord Megatron need something?" Starscream played over his speakers.
"Is that what he sounds like?" At Starscream nod everyone laughed a little, "He sounds creepy and monotoned."
"Ok enough." Jetfire decided to finally speak after watching the kids laugh. "Starscream I need you to go on a mission." He waited till Starscream nodded for him to continue, " You and Sideswipe will go to some caves near Mammoth cave in Kentucky. Thrust has been spotted there by satellites and we need to know why."
"Mammoth cave!" Rad and Alexis both shouted, "That is a large tourist place. If Thrust is there then those people will be in danger!" Alexis finished looking to Starscream silently pleading with him.
Looking down at his ward Starscream nodded. "When do you need us to go?" Sideswipe wagged his tail in happiness, this will be his first mission alone with Starscream.
Jetfire nodded for Starscream and Sideswipe to follow him, "You will leave within the hour and stake out the entrance of the cave he keeps going in."
"Hmm sounds a little too easy." Starscream walked in front of Jetfire, stopping him.
Jetfire studied the seeker in front of him. The mission is easy so Sideswipe can adjust to sneaking around. Starscream seemed the best to teach the other the ropes even with Hotshot trying for the past month. Nodding his head to the youngling, Starscream's optics brightened in understanding.
A lesson a seeker learns at a young age is to be patient and wait when hunting or stalking.
"Sideswipe, we are leaving!" Starscream called in his shreeky raspy voice as he walked down the hall. Sideswipe jumped and chased after the other in excitement.
