Ratbat
oOo
Skywarp chuckled as he stared at the small protoform in his arms. The sparkling was a cassette in the form of a purple and black bat, a flyer. The Constructicons left Skywarp in Soundwave's quarter's to allow Soundwave in, the large mech smiling down at his mate. The tapedeck let his chest open, the other cassettes climbing out to surround Skywarp.
Rumble and Frenzy looked down at the baby bat, whose red optics were looking curiously at them.
"Aww, look at 'im!" Frenzy squealed, leaning closer. "What's his name?"
"I was thinking Ratbat." Skywarp sighed, smiling at his mate with a raised optic ridge. Soundwave smiled behind the mask, nodding.
"Ratbat it is." Skywarp giggled and sighed, laying back even further in the berth.
"Oooh, Soundwave… I don't know how you did this five times." The purple flyer chuckled as he looked at his mate with dimmed optics. Soundwave smirked and leaned forward to retract his mask, letting his lips capture Skywarp's.
"Eeewwww!" Rumble and Frenzy chorused and Ravage swatted at them with his paw.
::Leavenow:: The panther stated to his siblings, stalking out of the room with the two sets of twins following. Soundwave opened his chest in order to let Ratbat in, Skywarp reluctantly placing the cassette inside. The bat squeaked and clicked, beeping happily as he settled down inside the large chest cavity.
"He's so tiny, Soundwave." Skywarp sighed as his mate settled down next to him, the larger male pulling him into a gentle embrace. "So fragile."
"He'll grow." Soundwave reassured his mate before stroking the black helm, Skywarp slowly falling into recharge at the reassurances.
oOo
Megatron watched Skywarp as the seeker proudly displayed his sparkling. Mixmaster, not known for his discreet nature, had told the entire ship that Skywarp had given birth to a sparkling. Of course, the entire crew had wanted to see the little one and even break out a few cubes of high grade to celebrate. Soundwave sat beside his mate, protective of both the cooing sparkling and the slim seeker. Starscream was currently holding Ratbat, wiggling blue fingers invitingly. Ratbat squealed in delight, trying to capture the digits with his stubby claws. When Megatron saw Ravage stalking around the red and gray seeker, the gunformer smiled, deciding that it was his turn to offer congratulations.
Ravage stiffened visibly when Megatron approached, the panther like cassette leaping onto Soundwave's lap and watching Megatron with narrowed optics.
"Well, it seems that Ratbat is the bell of the ball." Megatron chuckled, smirking at Skywarp. "May I?" Skywarp looked warily at Megatron, then at his mate with a questioning gaze. The two held optics for a few moments before Soundwave nodded, deciding that Megatron posed no threat.
Starscream reluctantly handed over the sparkling, Ratbat beeping and looking around in confusion at the transfer. The silver gunformer smirked down at the cassette, who blinked up at him with huge red optics.
"He looks just like his creator." Megatron stated, Skywarp nodding slightly.
"Thank you." Megatron could tell that the entire family was wary, prepared to defend the sparkling should Megatron do something foolish. Rumble and Frenzy were behind him, but Megatron could hear the soft click of Rumble's piledrivers coming out. The two flyers were perched above Megatron, like twin bringers of doom.
"I expect that he will make an excellent addition to our spies." Megatron handed the sparkling over to Skywarp, who allowed the silent sparkling to cuddle against his cockpit, whimpering in fear. "Soundwave, I would like to see you in my office."
Soundwave stood and Skywarp nodded, gesturing for the other cassettes to come with him into the tapedeck's quarters. Soundwave followed Megatron into the other mech's office. Megatron sat down at his desk, looking up at Soundwave.
"I think of myself as a reasonable mech, Soundwave."
"Affirmative." Liar, Soundwave said inwardly. Megatron was anything but reasonable. When Skywarp had first discovered that he was pregnant he had panicked, even going so far as to consider aborting the cassette, Soundwave had talked him out of it, saying that he would not allow any such thing. It was a surprise that Megatron hadn't destroyed Ratbat the moment he had seen it.
"Know this, Soundwave, I will let you keep the cassette only because he has as much potential towards infiltration as his brothers."
"Affirmative."
"The moment he outlives his usefulness I will not hesitate to terminate him." Soundwave nodded jerkily.
You'll die before you terminate my sparkling. Soundwave thought, turning to leave.
"Oh, and Soundwave?" The tapedeck stiffened and turned his head halfway to see Megatron smirking wistfully. "Tell Ravage that I have a… special… mission for him."
