Starscream winced and rubbed his helm. "Soundwave kind of kidnapped me earlier... But that's not important." He motioned to the sparkling. "He needs some help..."
"Not important?! I'll-oh. Oh. Since when did you have a sparkling?" Knockout looked up at Starscream and then Megatronus bewilderedly. "... Did something happen while-never mind. Nurse!" He waved to the femmes nearby and they quickly took the child into care. "I'll have Ratchet examine him, wait here and for Primus sake don't go any where."
Starscream crossed his arms and leaned against Megatronus. "...He's awfully panicky... Guess I can't blame him considering a half-dead rape victim wandered off after a week long coma and comes strutting back with a sparkling."
Megatronus ushered Starscream to a seat and had him sit down as they waited. "My apologies to Knockout, Soundwave will do almost anything to brighten our days when we are down."
"He's a dear. But why does he talk the way he does? Does he do it to irritate Shockwave?" Starscream asked, placing a servo to the patch on his side.
Megatronus chuckled, "I wish it were, but sadly no. It is his way of communicating in a condensed manner, I suppose. Speaking in detail would require patience from whoever is listening, Soundwave tends to trail on and Primus know when it will end." the warrior winced for a moment, recalling past events with Soundwave.
"Oh... That makes sense. I tend to ramble myself, maybe I should take up his mannerisms." Starscream smiled at Megatronus.
"No, no, don't do that." Megatron chuckled again, patting Starscream's hand. "It would not suit you, and I very much like how you speak." he smiled.
Starscream sighed happily and leaned against the gladiator. "...Are you disappointed that the usher interrupted us?"
"No, I think I was more alarmed than disappointed, heh." Megatron kissed Starscream's head, and rested one arm around the petite Seeker. "I almost wouldn't blame him, it seemed like we were rushing into things."
"I guess so..." He murmured softly, looking up at the sky. He saw the unused Space Bridge in the distance and longed for it to function again. The Golden Age of Cybertron had subsided long ago and it was disappointing.
"I hear it is unlike anything you've ever seen when you are up there." Megatronus said as he too looked up at the Space Bridge in the sky. "The ancients said that that is where all Cybertronians belong, and they said that it is paradise to be among the stars and look down at Cybertron and see the beauty of our planet as a whole."
"...One day, I'll be able to do just that... When I become a full-fledged Seeker, I'll be able to go anywhere I want, I can see everything..."
"You'll do far more wondrous things than that." Megatronus whispered encouragingly near the Seeker's ears with a smile, "You'll-" "Learn how to sit properly, that's for sure." Shockwave announced, having quietly sat himself down beside Starscream. The scientist checked over his servos as Soundwave peeked from behind Megatronus and waved happily at Starscream. Megatronus jumped slightly and nearly pulled Starscream into an embrace at the sign of his friends sitting on both ends of the bench.
Starscream gave Shockwave a scowl and straightened himself. "Hmph." He smiled at Soundwave and returned the friendly wave before glaring at Shockwave again.
"What's the matter," Shockwave purred, wrapping servos around Starscream's waist and pulling him away from Megatronus. "Do I intimidate you? Wipe that ugly glare off your pretty face." Megatronus' lips curled back into a frown and he sat back with an unamused expression as Soundwave shook with anger and slapped the scientist with a lone feeler.
Starscream growled and his servo joined Soundwave's feeler in slapping the scientist. The Seeker stood with a huff and turned back to them. "It was nice spending time with you today, Megatronus. See you." He nodded a goodbye to the gladiator and Soundwave, blowing off Shockwave.
Shockwave fell off the bench and cussed before being slapped again with another tentacle, "I was joking, Primus! You both know that I do not like Seekers and I never will!" Another slap and Soundwave stalked after Starscream. Megatronus was kind enough to help his friend back up, "Now I am amused." "Oh shut up. But I have to admit, that Seeker does have a nice aft-argh! Not me too!"
The Seeker heard someone behind him and he stopped turning slightly to see Soundwave. "Yes, Soundwave?"
He stopped and played an audio recording, clearly having mastered his skill already. "Wait here and for Primus sake don't go any where." It said in Knockout's voice. "Found clip in surveillance." Soundwave tilted his head, "Saw: sparkling. Megatronus and Starscream: went to orphanage?"
Starscream nodded. "Yes... The poor thing was mistreated horribly. So Megatronus and I brought him here for repairs. Do you think you could help us find him a family? Maybe you and Shockwave could take him in?"
Soundwave jumped back with his servos waving in the air. He became a stuttering mess after. "E-erm-Soundwave: would want to, but s-st-tudying. Shockwave: i-i-nventing. Soundwave and Shockwave: b-busy! E-eer... Soundwave: would want but will be having one soon-E-EER-RR I mean. Soundwave: means..." He sighed and just gave up, having unintentionally told his secret and looked up at Starscream. "E-errr... uhh..." Slag.
Starscream had a stunned look on his face. Followed by a very effeminate squeal as he took Soundwave's servos and shook them excitedly, his wings twitching. "Congratulations! Is it a mech or a femme? Do you have a name yet? So you and Shockwave have Bonded already~?! Ahh! I'm jealous!" He grinned.
Although Soundwave had been very much excited when he found out himself, it was a very serious matter and he pulled Starscream aside at the out burst of celebration. "Starscream: quiet!" He whispered worriedly, "Shockwave: doesn't know. No one: knows. Only Starscream." He trembled, "Soundwave: student. Sparkling: forbidden for education. Sparkling: terminated if found out. Rules: of university."
Starscream nodded. "S-sorry... Don't worry, I won't tell. Seeker's honor." He smiled reassuringly at the other mech. "It'll be okay."
"Sparkling: femme." Soundwave shrugged with a quiet giggle and gave Starscream's servos another squeeze. The excitement was flowing through his body again.
"Be careful, yeah? When do you plan on telling Shockwave about it?" Starscream asked, tilting his helm to the side.
"When: ready." He turned his helm away, "Megatronus: needs Shockwave more than Soundwave. Soundwave: very independent! Prefers it that way." Soundwave looked back at Starscream and nodded surely.
"Well, I'm here if you need me okay?" He smiled and lightly patted Soundwave's shoulder. "I should be getting to Knockout so I can be examined again."
He clicked happily and nodded to Starscream. "Soundwave: come with?" he felt like exploring a little more.
The Seeker nodded. "Sure! But first, I need to go by one of my classes to see what I missed. Professor Sentinel won't be pleased if I don't check in now that I'm well."
Soundwave stepped back at the mention of Sentinel Prime and he said nothing. As the silence drew on he frantically waved his servos, "Soundwave: will wait outside. Apologize: was thinking."
"You sure? He doesn't bite, I promise." Starscream tilted his head and regarded Soundwave curiously.
Soundwave had no plans on changing his mind and nodded, "Yes."
"Okay..." Starscream waved and turned, heading off. He wandered through the corridors and stopped outside Sentinel's classroom and knocked lightly before entering. "Professor?"
There was a rustle in the room and a cough, followed by some grumbling, "Come in, what do you want?!"
"Professor, it's me. I came to see if I missed any work this past week I've been out..." Starscream rubbed his arm. Something nagged at him to leave the room.
The older mech paid little attention to what Starscream was saying and kept skimming through essays and marking them. "... What? What work?"
Starscream approached Sentinel's desk and paused. "I've been gone for almost a week. Surely I missed an assignment or two?"
"Ah yes, yes..." Sentinel scanned around his desk and found the assignment template. He adjusted his specs and looked at the paper before passing it to Starscream. "You'll have to find a partner to go with you for this one unless you're willing to venture into Kaon all on your own." Sentinel went back to marking previous assignments. "You'll have to find a gladiator and interview him or her I suppose." Little did the professor know that his student won't have to worry at all.
Starscream grinned. "Don't worry professor. I think I can handle it on my own." He turned on his heel and walked out, wondering how his teacher had gotten those scratches on his face.
Soundwave stood up as Starscream stepped out of the room, walking over to him and staring at the closed door of the professor and turning back with a tilt of a head. "Starscream: done?"
"Yes, I got my assignment, so I should be getting back to the hospital room for my exam. And to get this work done..." Starscream looked down at the paper before grinning. "It can wait. Soundwave, can you set me up to spend some time with Megatronus tomorrow? I need his help for this report, and I want to spend more time with him."
Soundwave chirped cheerfully and he added to the list of assignments he had to do, Starscream's being his favorite.
"Thank you, my friend. Now I must be going, as should you. I will see you tomorrow with Megatronus, yes?" He placed a servo to Soundwave's shoulder and smiled.
Soundwave nodded and commlinked Megatronus and Shockwave to meet him at the fountain. He chirped at the Seeker and hugged him lightly. As they parted he waved and walked off to meet the others.
Starscream waved again and turned, walking towards the room he had been stolen out of that morning. "..." He commlinked Knockout, inquiring about the sparkling.
"As far as we know the little one will make it." Knockout replied from the sick bay, tending to the sparkling's tiny berth while Ratchet examined the youngling not too far away. "Ratchet's looking into giving him new wings and a foot he can stand on; he's just looking for the schematics right now. Where did you find this sparkling again?"
"An orphanage in Slaughter City... Megatronus took me there to show me where he grew up, but things have spiraled way down hill since he was there..." Starscream sighed softly as he entered his designated recovery room and settled on the berth.
"Ah yes, I've heard of such a place in Slaughter City, why it would be there I don't know but there hasn't been a lot of funding from the High Council there." He stepped back and let the berth heat up. "Good nurses need their payment too. Poor kids, they'll grow up and learn nothing from their superiors."
"It is wrong regardless to treat a child so cruelly. Has the sparkling woken up at all?" He asked, laying back on the berth as he read over his assignment.
"No, we put him on stasis. Ratchet found that the sparkling you picked up is malnourished." Knockout scratched the side of his faceplate, "It makes me wonder if the nurses are feeding any of the children at all."
"Somehow, I doubt they are." The Seeker grimaced in disgust. He would never treat a sparkling so coldly, regardless of if he got paid for it or not. Caretakers are meant to do just that, take care of their charges. Those who fail should rust away or find new jobs.
The medic in training excused himself from the room and made his way to Starscream's quarters, "Well we're pumping energon into him now, and you better be in your room when I get there."
"I am, I am..." He replied with a roll of his optics. He continued reading over the assignment, finding the questions to be boring, but he would ask them nonetheless to get his grade. Starscream hoped that Megatronus wouldn't mind answering them.
When Knockout entered the room he scooted right up beside Starscream on the berth, shaking the Seeker's good arm. "Tell me everything! Did something happen between you and Megatronus?" Scanning can wait.
"...Umm..." Starscream's face darkened. "S-something like that..." He recalled the moment they had in the theater and his blush darkened further. Blast that usher. Couldn't he have made his rounds at least an hour later...?
Knockout immediately noticed the blush that appeared on his friend's features and he urged the Seeker on, "What do you mean 'something like that'? For a smart one you need to learn to be more specific."
"Look, KO, all we did was kiss! Some stupid usher interrupted us..." Starscream offered his cute pout, sighing in disappointment.
Knockout gasped and giggled, covering his lips before bursting out laughing. He knew it would happen, and the fact that Primus (who was no doubt the schemer) made it happen amused him. "Oh Primus," he wiped at a single tear at the corner of his optic.
"...It's not funny! Do you have any idea how well known I am in Crystal City?! It was embarrassing to be caught! But... I'm not embarrassed that I was with him..." He blushed.
"And do you know how well known Megatronus is in Kaon? You two are a perfect match, I say!" Knockout pulled out his datapad, checking something off on it.
"...What did you just check off?" He asked suspiciously. Perfect match... That made Starscream happy to think about.
"Oh nothing~" the cherry red con sang, but he decided to tell Starscream anyway. "But if you must know, Breakdown and I had a bet and I just won."
"...I hate you." He growled and turned away from the red medic. his wings sagged in annoyance and he crossed his arms.
"Now don't jam your wings, love." Knockout sat closer, continuing to update things on his datapad. "I saw how you were looking at him, and I knew you'd end up fragging him-oops. That's right, the usher 'interrupted' you." he snickered.
Starscream sat up and smacked Knockout's arm. "Shut up!" He whined, not wanting to be reminded.
"Oh, so you did want to frag him? Mmm~" Knockout licked his lips, "I didn't know you had it in you."
Starscream growled and snatched his datapad, smacking the medic in training with it. "So what if I did?!"
"Argh-hey! That's a new datapad!" Knockout frowned, slapping Starscream's shoulder with his hand. "And I was only teasing! Give that back!"
Starscream stood up on the berth, dangling it above Knockout. "Make me."
Knockout panicked as the berth rolled a bit, "YOU DOLT! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL US!" He stood up shakily and tried to retrieve his datapad back, but was too little in height. "Starscream I swear if I fall off I will drill your patch clean off!"
Starscream grinned and tackled Knockout off the berth, disregarding his healing body. He smirked triumphantly.
"What are you-argh!" Knockout hit the ground hard with Starscream and he didn't feel anything break, thank Primus, but he heard a scratch and he screamed. His paint job was ruined.
The Seeker laughed and stood up. He was proud of his damage to poor Knockout. He grinned.
"What have you done?!" Knockout cried, sitting up and twisting his body, trying to looking at the damage. He was on the verge of tears by the time he stood up and he took his datapad back, slapping Starscream across the faceplate with it. "If we weren't friends you'd be paying for this paint job!"
Starscream rubbed his cheek and pouted. "Slag, Knockout, just get Breakdown to buff it out for you... It's not the end of the world."
"Well he wouldn't have to buff it if you hadn't tackled me in the first place. Hmph!" Knockout frowned, turning away from Starscream and saving his file on the pad before he lost any of it. "So, are you hitting on his friends too? I saw that the blue one kept embracing you. The purple one seemed you like you too." And they were back.
"...Soundwave and I are just friends and what do you mean the purple one likes me?! That mech hates my guts!"
"Right, well when they decide to do a little party invite me. I want to witness things for myself." Knockout teased again, trying to resist laughing but he does anyway, his shoulder plates shaking.
Starscream frowned and rolled his optics. "Hurry up and examine me so I can rest."
Knockout frowned himself and shoved Starscream onto the berth, "Fine." He let the berth warm up and he started the scan, "At the look of things you're in perfect condition. If you actually fragged Megatronus I would have to replace your patch."
"...Gee, thanks." He scoffed but smiled at his friend. "I had fun today... The most fun I've had in a long time..."
Setting his datapad aside he propped his elbows on the berth, "You deserved to have a day off for working hard, wouldn't you agree? And, you also deserve a good night's rest."
Starscream laid on his side and nuzzled Knockout's arm. "...Do you think I actually have a chance with him?"
Knockout smiled softly and pat the Seeker's arm. "He'd be a fool to not chose you. If he's smart out of that arena then he would know that what you two have only comes once in centuries and perhaps a millennia. But don't worry yourself too much. I don't want you to get your hopes up and break down if anything else were to happen."
Starscream nodded. "R-right..." He smiled slightly before settling down to sleep.