Memorycore: Soundwave
Regretfully accessing an unimportant 8,000 BC memory... there's nothing to gain from referring to it by its formal code.
Time moved slowly.
Soundwave sighed to himself. Starscream... what a coward. He punched his servo through the wall next to his desk's monitor. He stood in the command center, feeling rather lonely. Without her, he felt so much more alone.
Steelwing... She was gone again. Starscream had taken her away from him. Didn't the commander know? Steelwing didn't want to be forced off world. Why did he do it? Soundwave knew the answer. He didn't want to admit it, but he still held a grudge against the seeker. That blasted seeker.
"Soundwave, sir," a drone asked the Communications Chief, "Is there something I can do?"
Soundwave turned toward the measly servant.
The drone flinched. Oh, slag. I'm going to die. I've overstepped my bounds.
Soundwave missed Steelwing's thoughts.
Is he going to kill me?
"Drone," Soundwave spat, "Get back to work."
The vehicon raised his servo in a salute, and scurried off and out of Soundwave's sight.
Soundwave sighed and shook his helm. He had lost the war for her spark. He remembered the look on Steelwing's faceplate when she told Soundwave. She had a spark of despair in her optics. But, he was silent. He didn't lie to her and say that he'd try to overturn Starscream's request. He knew his word wouldn't hold. Soundwave had to pick and choose his battles. He couldn't fight this one. He had no power in this fight.
Soundwave clenched his servo back into a fist.
I had no power. He told himself, There was nothing more I could've done.
"Soundwave," Steelwing had begged him, "Please."
She had closed her mind off from him at the time. It wasn't her fault. She was so emotionally undone that she couldn't stop her thoughts from breaking down into rumbles and sparks. There was nothing he could have done. He couldn't have searched through her processor for a defense, something he could tell the seeker to expose some flaw in his logic and cause him to dissent against his own plan, so that he'd create a new plan, in which he wouldn't separate Steelwing from Cybertron. Soundwave didn't know what to do. So he had said nothing to her.
And Steelwing cried.
He didn't comfort her.
Soundwave wished he had.
But, that wouldn't have done anything helpful. Power flowed sideways in the Decepticon army. Everything started to collapse once their leader was stolen away from them.
Shadow had allowed Starscream's request to go through. Megatron's sparkmate was the first Decepticon to tell Soundwave that Steelwing, his closest friend, was being moved off world. Shadow had told Soundwave not to fight it. Shadow had explained the situation to him in full.
Shadow dictated laws and governed society on Cybertron. Starscream had taken initiative, but not really. The commander took his orders from the Fallen, a mech Shadow really wanted to kill, but knew she wouldn't be able to. Starscream gave his troops the Fallen's orders. Starscream kept the army active, fighting the Autobots, doing all he could to keep the army from destroying itself from within. It was no secret that Autobot spies had infiltrated multiple ranks of the Decepticon Army. When Tarn found out that one of his teammates was a spy... well, he was a little bit more than pissed. That spy paid dearly. His spark was warped into something ugly through an experiment that even Unicron would have considered overkill. This was something Tarn kept from Visage. He tricked her, and Shadow was still dealing with the repercussions of his action.
Tarn had called Visage one night, late after her and the rest of the Warriors Elite had returned from a mission in deep space. Tarn had called her, claiming that he was suicidal. Of course she would travel to his side and comfort him. Of course she would be gullible enough to believe him. The two had broken up a long time ago, at the request of Megatron. The warlord had feared the pair. What if they combined forces against him? Visage could manipulate her team the same way that Tarn could influence his. What if the DJD and the Warriors Elite joined their forces against Megatron? The thought terrified him too much to allow the possibility of it happening.
But, Megatron was gone now, and in the past, Visage had received a call. She thought her friend was suffering, she thought that her friend shakily walked the line between life and death. Visage knew that the hooks-for-servos Vos was a spy. The Warriors Elite were the ones who interrogated the Autobot intelligence officer on Kreegorn that let loose the information about a particular spy in the upper ranks of the Decepticon military. The Autobot killed himself before Visage's team could discern who the spy was, but the Autobot gave them enough to make an educated guess. This is what the Warriors Elite had told Megatron, "The spy has either infiltrated your inner circle, our team, or the DJD." Soundwave investigated everyone. They all cleared his criteria. Either all of them were spies, or none of them were. He reported his findings to Megatron. The Warriors Elite weren't entirely loyal. With a simple suggestion and the right words to provoke them, the team could defect, turning Autobot, Neutral, or go straight for Megatron's spark.
Megatron investigated the Warriors Elite further. Soundwave's Lord determined that none of them were spies, but none of them could be considered loyal either. The team was loyal to each other. They were a family. Megatron had to stop that, but this wasn't the time to disband his best weapon. Optimus would not roll over without them. Knight was by his side. She wasn't making this war particularly easy for Megatron. She knew Megatron and Starscream's strategies as if they were her own. But, in a sense, they were. They had all been together for so long... They had fought together in Kaon Academy. They had started a revolution together. They had risen up against the Council and the caste system. They had given Megatron his power. The Lord would never admit it, but he was nothing without his followers.
His Warriors Elite were some of his most powerful soldiers. Megatron had Shadow talk to Visage. Visage told her team that Megatron's inner circle wasn't infiltrated. Megatron told Tarn the same. The DJD and Warriors Elite observed the other. The DJD lost faith in all members of the Warriors Elite, except for Visage. Tarn had threatened his teammates with a punishment worse than torture if any of them said anything bad against her. It was no secret that Tarn was still obsessed with Visage. He was annoyed that Megatron had told them to separate, but Tarn understood the reason why.
The rumor of a dangerous spy spread throughout all the Decepticon troops. Any soldier that dared to question the sanctity of Megatron's inner circle was met with extreme prejudice from the DJD. That left the soldiers to speculate about the Warriors Elite and the DJD. To decide which team they'd agree with, you'd only need to ask one question... Which did the troops fear more: the most powerful Decepticons, or the most dangerous Decepticons? Blackshadow and Sixshot lead a 'positive publicity' campaign for their own team. The Warriors Elite soon rose in the optics of every mech and femme in Megatron's army. The DJD were left, unguarded. Suspicion struck. Infighting almost occurred. Tarn took hold of his men. He told them that he would not allow his teammates to kill one other over a rumor.
It wasn't a vorn later before the Warriors Elite thought they figured it out. They argued about the matter, making it into a game that soon became a popular pass time, and they decided that Vos was probably the spy. Sixshot told Megatron, and Visage told Tarn. But, Tarn didn't believe her. Not until Megatron told him. That's when Tarn flipped his slag.
Vos was subjected to multiple "Domestication" procedures, and his spark was mutilated until he resembled a feral beast more than he did a conscious being. But, this information was classified. The DJD knew. Megatron knew. Shadow knew. Shockwave knew. Soundwave knew. And, of course, Megatron had made the mistake of letting Starscream find out.
Anyway, Tarn called Visage. Tarn claimed that he was depressed, and that he was mentally breaking down from the events that had taken place earlier that morning. He claimed that Vos's name was added to the list. He said that none of his teammates wanted to acknowledge it. Tarn told her that he felt betrayed in too many ways to count. He said that he was forced to kill his teammate by himself. Tarn told her that he was in mental anguish, and Visage believed him. She put herself in his position. She said that she couldn't imagine what mental torture it would be if she had not only learned that her teammate (someone so close to her that he's practically a brother) had betrayed her... Not only that, but she would be ordered to kill her great friend, as well. Visage wouldn't have been able to go through with it. Visage asked Sixshot if he could finish up her paperwork, and then she flew out to the Peaceful Tyranny, so that she could comfort Tarn.
They talked for long enough for Visage to let her guard down. Tarn was skilled in deception when he needed to be. And, in this situation, he had to be. Megatron had told them both to separate. If anything happened between them, it would have to look like a mistake. Tarn knew that. He acted depressed. The two talked long enough for her to believe him. Her outlier ability came in particularly handy. Tarn knew exactly how to manipulate it. Visage could observe, analyze, and copy. She was observing and analyzing him. She wasn't trying to recreate anything that he was saying, even though she did when she explained her mistake to Shadow. Visage was observing and analyzing Tarn, so that she could identify what specific things bothered him, so that she could figure out what words she could use to best aid his 'state of mind'. Visage's ability was powerful. When she observed, her entire being, her processor, her frame, her wings, they all became more sensitive than a seeker's. When the two used to date, Tarn had discovered this, and he used her sensitivity to his advantage when they interfaced.
In Tarn's quarters, in the Peaceful Tyranny, the two drank 'some' (Tarn claimed they drank nothing, while Visage claimed that she couldn't remember just how much they drank) strong high-grade to 'ease' Tarn's ailing conscience. Visage was hit, her sensitivity was stuck on high, her ability to reason had abandoned her, and she was locked in the same room as Tarn, a mech obsessed with very few things: 'justice', paperwork, Megatron, the Lord's philosophy, and her. Needless to say, with her guard down, her reason gone, her memory/the ability to make memories lost to her, her sensitivity on high, her wings -now more sensitive than a seeker's- out, and animalistic urges present, she was his. For the night, she was his.
Within the week, Megatron's inner circle knew. Megatron wanted to yell at Tarn for slipping, but the Lord knew that yelling wouldn't solve the problem. Megatron swept it under the rug in a sense. Unlucky for the Lord, that's where Starscream had found it. Tarn had tricked visage into having a 'pity' interfacing session with him. Tricked. That's the word Megatron used when he spoke to Soundwave.
That all seemed so distant to the Communications Chief. But, it never stopped being relevant. He held onto the information, and was determined never to forget it. Time passed. Megatron ordered DJD members to kill some of the Warriors Elite. Some Warriors Elite became Phase Sixers, far more powerful than anything Starscream would have imagined possible. The Phase Sixers remained close to each other. They still acted like a team. They still considered each other family. Visage was still able to manipulate them into following her. Eventually Megatron and the All Spark were lost to them. That's when the Decepticons' power split apart. Starscream 'controlled' the army. Shadow ruled over Cybertron. Shockwave headed all scientific divisions. Soundwave remained the Chief of Communications.
Starscream went to Shadow. He told her that the Decepticons needed to go expand their reach father into space. He said that the Decepticons needed to rule over more planets, take over more colonies, and destroy any and all Autobot safe havens they would come across in the process. Starscream drew up his immediate plans and gave Shadow his 'needed' list of soldiers. The femme seemed to glare fire into it, burning the entire thing to a crisp. She didn't like it. Starscream had requested that both the DJD and the Phase Sixers be transferred under his command and that they be ordered to obey his jurisdiction, so Starscream could give them his each and every command. Shadow refused. The list of course had many more names on it, but the Phase Sixers and DJD seemed like the most important ones to her. The DJD followed Megatron. They were loyal to Megatron. If there was one group Shadow could count on to keep Starscream in his place while her sparkmate was on hiatus, it was the DJD. Even in Megatron's absence, the group still remained loyal to Megatron, instead of the Commander who stepped in to take Megatron's place. The Phase Sixers were a completely different problem. They were loyal to themselves, but they feigned loyalty to the leader of the Decepticons. The Phase Sixers didn't care who the mech or femme was that lead them. They watched out for themselves, they watched out for each other. Shadow had made sure that Megatron had installed Achilles weaknesses into all of them. They could not be trusted.
The Phase Sixers were currently under the control of Shadow. She did not want to let them go. They secured her power. They were the only safeguard she had that kept the Fallen from 'visiting' Cybertron, or any other Decepticon ruled ship, world, colony, or space station that was governed by her. If Starscream controlled the Phase Sixers, the entire Decepticon cause could fall apart under his leadership.
Shadow wouldn't allow Starscream to have either team, both were off limits. Starscream threatened Shadow with his knowledge. He threatened that he would tell Visage what he knew. Tarn used a lie to trick her. He tricked her. 'Tricked' was taking it lightly. Visage would be pissed. Shadow predicted that if Starscream told her, he would have the Phase Sixers in his grasp. Even if Starscream didn't tell the Phase Sixers what orders to follow, he would undoubtably end the DJD, the last safeguard Shadow had against him. Visage, Sixshot, Black Shadow, and Overlord would kill the Decepticon Justice Division, or both teams would weaken each other past a fixing point.
So, Starscream gave his terms. Shadow agreed. Even though she didn't want to, she still agreed. Shadow agreed to give her friend Steelwing to the slimy seeker. Starscream would be able to threaten her with his information again. Shadow would have to think of a safe guard against this, but back then, she did the best that she could, and she put off the inevitable. Shadow broke the news to Soundwave. Steelwing went to Shadow first. "This has to be a mistake," Steelwing said, "It has to be." Why else would Starscream be moving her off world? Shadow didn't answer her. Steelwing went to Soundwave next. Neither could he.
Silence ruled all. It was the language of misery.
.
.
.
The sun rose over the Canadian Rockies. Space Case stretched his arms up and out as he stood in the fresh golden light. He wiggled his wings, an spread them out, feeling the sun on their metal plating. He yawned.
"Morning Steel," he said to his teammate.
The femme rolled onto her side, away from the flier. She was practically curled into a ball. She wasn't getting up. Space Case knew not to push her.
Space Case stretched out his neck, leaning it left and right. His engine hummed. Space Case looked up to the sky and imagined the breeze on his outer plating. His spark beat faster.
"I'm gonna be gone for a bit," Space Case told her.
Steel yawned and sleepily transformed into her SWAT Humvee. She rolled underneath the shade of trees and drifted back into recharge.
Space Case shook his peds, jumped, transformed, and flew above the grassy plain.
.
.
.
The sky darkened. Where was he? Space Case wasn't normally this late. Steel paced between the tall trees. He's never late. Steel transformed into her Humvee form and patrolled the forest. Where could he be?
Steel drove to the peak of the mountain and looked out at the storm-filled skies.
"Space Case," she called out to him over a COM, "Where are you?"
She received no response. Just like the countless times she tried COM'ing him throughout the day. Steel received no response.
Worry had wormed its way into her spark.
Where could he be?
Steel's processor travelled to the darkest possibilities: MECH, Starscream, the Autobots, Soundwave, humans... Did he fly too close to an energon detector? Was he outmanned by Starscream's trine? Did Soundwave send Decepticons to go out and look for him? Was he ambushed by Fearswoop? Where was he? What could have happened to her friend Space Case?
"Space Case," she called out again.
No response.
"Space Case..." her voice quivered. "Please," she said, "respond."
But, nothing came through from the other side.
If Space Case was conscious, he was sending out nothing... no COM, no life signal, no static, nothing.
Steel stopped trying to reach him through the COM, and she sighed.
Space Case... she thought to herself, Wherever you are, I hope you're alright.
.
Steel camped out on the side of the mountain, between a grassy ledge and a rocky rock-wall. She stayed there for many hours, waiting for the break of day before driving back onto the mountain path and heading back to her and Space Case's base of operations on a plain at the base of the mountain.
On her way back, Steel noticed something odd. There seemed to be a faint energy signal in the area. MECH? No, they wouldn't be dumb enough to leave a signal.
Autobots? No. Why would they attempt to cloak themselves? They wouldn't dare waste the energon.
Decepticon? That seemed to be the last plausible answer. As Steel drove on the path beneath the trees, she tried to recreate the day. Space Case disappeared. She attempted contacting him. He either turned off his COM system, had it turned off for him, or he was ignoring her for a reason. Steel was too focused on the mysterious energy signal to ask why. In her search for him, she drove to one of the mountain range's highest points. She watched the skies. She saw nothing. No planes, no birds, nothing. Fearswoop? The 'Con did have a cloaking ability that could fool almost everyone. Why shouldn't the signal be coming from Fearswoop? She wouldn't have been able to see the mech fly in. But, why would it be Fearswoop? The flier was under Starscream's control. Why would Starscream send Fearswoop after her?
Why was the signal so faint? OK, so the signal wasn't coming from Fearswoop. Steel reasoned that if it was the cloaked flier, he wouldn't have revealed his signal at all.
So then... Steel asked herself, who is that signal coming from? A driver? Who? Sparkplug is way too fearful to try reasoning with me again. So, who would it be? Names, locations, and forms ran through her processor. London, France, Tokyo, Russia, Berlin, Israel, Beijing... two are stationed in Northern America. That's discounting fliers.
She argued back and forth within her processor.
Why couldn't it be a flier?
Why would it be a flier? The skies were clear.
Of fliers?
What do you think I'm talking about? The sky certainly wasn't free of clouds.
Yeah, so fliers could have snuck, flying within them.
They'd have to duck down out of them.
Yeah, and into the tree line.
They'd still have a moment between the clouds and the trees. I was watching the skies. The skies were clear.
Oh, so now you're claiming omnipotence? How do you know a flier didn't sneak through while you weren't paying attention.
I was paying attention!
Paying attention to what? The skies? Your sparkling? How about Space Case's non-responsive COM? Your attention was divided.
Divided enough to miss a Decepticon flier?
You missed Space Case. And now he's gone. Good going Steelwing.
It's Steel!
Good talk. Maybe we can do it the next time your life falls apart.
It isn't falling apart.
You're so bored, you're arguing with yourself.
Being bored isn't a sign that my life's falling apart.
You were bored when you were taken off of Cybertron.
My life wasn't falling apart.
Sure, keep telling yourself that. While you think of a better response, I'm going to try and figure out what the source of the faint life energy signal is.
Maybe it's your life.
Yeah, real mature. Keep distracting yourself. You'll recognize your mistake when you're shot dead next to Space Case's lifeless frame.
He's not dead.
He has to be.
No, he doesn't.
Look who's still wasting time arguing.
"No, I'm not," Steel whispered to herself as she drove down the mountain path. "I'm just running into distractions."
The trees didn't look damaged. Steel half expected the weak energy signal to be coming from an energon trail. For whatever reason, she expected she'd be following a trail of downed trees, a long ditch of dirt, and drops of energon lead her to an injured flying frame. But, Steel was wrong.
Nothing was wrong. Everything seemed fine in the forest. Almost too fine. Space Case was still missing. That very fact should have kept alarms ringing in her processors. But, she heard none. She saw no evidence of foul play. She found no reason to fear. Disregarding the faint energon signal, the area was clear.
.
She stopped a ways off from their recharging place. Steel knew that Space Case wouldn't be there. Instead, she spotted a large, darkened figure rooting around in the trees. She knew that triangle-like frame type anywhere, even in the near pitch black darkness. His fiery red optics pierced the night. Starscream had not found her yet. Well, at least Steel had figured out that the mysterious faint signal came from Starscream's side of the bond.
Steel's engine stalled. She wasn't sure what to do. She could feel Starscream pulling on his side of their link. He felt his grip on her spark. He really seemed to be searching for her.
Her spark beat quickened. Steel quietly transformed. She barely rose above the tree tops, barely. She bent down, ducked, and moved behind the strong trunks of wider trees.
Should I kill him? Steel somehow asked herself. An alarm heightened in her mind. My programming! Whether she recognized it or not, her programming had taken Starscream's actions and stance as a threat. "Stupid," she muttered to herself beneath her breath. Though, she didn't entirely disregard her first thought. She was still rather irked at the seeker. Space Case was still 'missing' after all. If that fragger hurt Space Case in any way...
You'll kill him?
Steel violently shook her helm. "I can't be arguing with myself right now. I need to stay focused."
Just as Starscream was. He noticed a shift in sound around Steel's position. Her spark nearly stopped when his menacing red optics turned in her direction, almost staring at her, head on.
But, he wasn't. He was staring at past heat signatures and shifts in the wind. The entire area was coated with them. It was apparent to the Lord that his Steel and Space Case used to be in the area. They frequented this area a lot. He could tell by the indentations in the grass plain that both 'Cons had laid apart from each other in the field when they went to recharge. The area was scattered with different indications of their presence. His sensitive wings lent themselves to his growing suspicion and confusion. He swore that she was there with him. He could practically smell her presence.
Steel took a silent, calming breath, and assessed her situation. Successful escape was unlikely. Steel had imagined all of the ways Starscream could shoot at her tires, or follow her from above, or run at her if she attempted to escape quietly, or rip into her presence if he got his servos on a trace of it. She imagined him ramming himself into her and pinning her arms, legs, and back strut to the ground.
She couldn't run. If she did nothing, the seeker would eventually find her. But, in all of her planning and situation predicting, a single question kept popping back into her processor.
Where was Space Case?
Steel gritted her denta and glared in the direction of her seeker. Where was Space Case? What did he do to her friend? If she allowed herself to play the part of the victim, she would never find out. Steel had to go on the offensive. She had to take control of her own life. She had to fight back against all the slag she was facing.
Steel quietly shifted one of her servos into a blaster. She transferred her weight to the front of her pedes, and she snuck forward, getting Starscream right between her sights.
She looked at Starscream's face between her crosshairs. No, she thought to herself, that shot's too easy... and besides, it wouldn't serve me well. Steel shifted her weight again. Well, she asked herself, what part of him should I aim for?
Steel contemplated her options. She reasoned that revenge would be nice. Her programming was driving her insane. *Danger* *Threat* *Unsafe for sparkling* A simple shot would scratch her processor's itch. But, she decided against it. There was no practicality in shooting Starscream. Besides, what part of Starscream did she have to fear? Steel could out think him any day of the week. On occasion she could beat him in a fist fight. The one advantage he had over her was his wings. And even those could be considered as one of his greatest weaknesses.
Steel lined Starscream's wings up with her shot. I could easily wing him. She mentally laughed. After a moment, she took another fresh breath and calmed her mind. If I winged him, he'd be grounded. I can still drive. I could out run him. He'd be in too much pain to snatch my scent. He'd be unable to follow my tracks.
Steel focused in on Starscream and re-lined up the shot.
She couldn't pull the trigger.
It wouldn't be practical. She told herself. There'd be no gain in wounding the mech.
What about taking the offensive? Isn't that what I wanted?
Yes. She told herself, and felt her processor testing out the trigger.
Steel looked at Starscream, into his optics. He looked like a lost puppy. Steel's mouth rose into a smirk.
The puppy's looking for his owner.
Steel remained smiling for several moments. She felt joy return to her frame. She felt her closed knot on her end of their link start to loosen.
A lost puppy.
That's all Starscream was to her in that exact moment.
She joked to herself. Megatron's bitch.
Always wanting to be the alpha.
Lord Ruffles.
Ruffles?
Yeah, Ruffles, as in Ruff, like a dog's bark. Get it?
So, a dog's bark equates to a star's screaming?
You got it.
Steel was distracted again. She shifted her blast back into her servo. She wasn't going to shoot Lord Ruffles. Not until she could find a better nickname for him. Screemers, Screamy, Screamer, etc. weren't insulting enough. Not after the childish public temper tantrum he dragged her through in front of her teammates. Some part of her still wanted to get revenge. Some part of her still wanted Starscream to pay. All she had right now was a slightly demeaning insult. But, if she used it correctly, well, to Steel, that one shot fired would be good enough.
Starscream swore his sparkmate was hiding. Was she hiding from him? Why would she be doing that? Did she not feel his attempts to re-open their link? Did she not miss him? How could she stay angry at him? Starscream understood that what he did was wrong, and that he said some things he never should have, but, he apologized. Didn't he? Didn't she recognize that?
Didn't she recognize that he was trying? That he was always trying? Starscream gulped. Did his efforts always go unnoticed?
Steelwing ignored him in high school. She only admitted she noticed him when he had defeated her, pined her on the ground after a practice gladiatorial match. She had fallen for Soundwave against her better judgement. Didn't she see all the things he was doing in an attempt to impress her? Didn't jealousy attract a femme's attention? Had Visage lied to Starscream when she told him that? Perhaps. Perhaps it was his lot in life to be treated as the fool. Soundwave practically laughed in Starscream's face when he dangled Steelwing in front of him, or held her close to his chest. That frag'd Communications Officer. How dare he! Then, in his newest and mind-shatteringly petty attempt to steal power away from Lord Starscream, Soundwave had attempted to end the seeker's life. What nerve!
Starscream had had enough of Soundwave and everything the mech had stood for. How dare he?! How dare Soundwave threaten the strength of Steel and his relationship! Starscream was going to find her, and he was going to make everything right. Starscream wouldn't let Soundwave win. Starscream wouldn't let Soundwave get to him. Starscream wouldn't let Soundwave steal away his Steel.
Where was she? Starscream perked up his wings and sensed around for her presence. It was everywhere. So was her smell. It was intoxicating. Starscream's mind started slipping. His optics darted around in the darkness. Where was Steel?
She stared at his cold, gray frame. Her servos rested on both sides of the tree she hid behind. She avoided his wandering gazes. Steel didn't want to be found. Especially not by the menacing looking seeker.
But, she had to be. She knew it was inevitable. She knew that he would find her, or she would make a move towards finding him. Where was Space Case? If she allowed herself to be found by the seeker and subjected to the mercy of Starscream's agenda, would she even get to find out where Space Case was?
Starscream's wings singled in on the signal of his sparkmate. He opened up a patch in the forest, pushing trees to the ground to make way for his large frame and trailing wings.
Steel both heard and saw the action. Her spark nearly stopped. Her servos instinctually shifted into blasters.
Starscream's optics landed on his sparkmate. He continued to run towards her.
The femme prepared for what she assumed would be his attempt to ram her.
The mech opened his arms wide, preparing to embrace Steel in a long-overdue hug.
The femme ducked underneath his open (obviously meant to harm her) arms, and rose as behind him as he almost passed by her. Before he had the chance to turn around an attempt another attack, Steel thrust her leg out and round-house kicked Starscream between both of his wings, with her ped striking his backstrut.
The mech fell to the ground and rubbed his backstrut in pain. The initial shock of his sparkemate's action left him speechless. How was her action justified? All he wanted to do was give her a hug!
As Starscream groveled, his processor worked in overdrive, trying to figure out why his beloved had just attacked him.
"Alright!" he screamed out to her, "You're still mad at me. I get that. I'm sorry. It's justified. You're right. Just don't kick me again. One kick is enough!"
Steel looked down at the mech with her arms crossed over her chest. She attempted to keep a straight face. But, Steel felt her control slipping as she looked down at the whimpering Lord. Awwwww, she coo'd to herself, he looks like a sad, little, hurt puppy... I really can't stand to force myself to look angry at that adorably powerless face.
Her control slipped further, further loosening the knot she had tied inbetween their link.
Starscream felt her wall slowly weaken. He tugged on her spark from his end of their link, and slowly but surely he dissolved the wall between them.
Starscream's optics burst wide open. What? Steel was carrying! And the sparkling was his... No wonder she was so pissed at him! He was the fragging idiot that accused her of promiscuity.
"Idiot," he yelled at himself through their link. "I am such an imbecile!"
Steel's spark nearly stopped -which happened so often it was practically a medical condition- when she realized that Starscream had reopened their link.
Oh frack, she thought to herself. He knows. This isn't good. Her spark beat faster and energy flooded into her processor. Her thoughts whizzed about her. She was unable to voice coherent sentences. What would he think?
Starscream felt Steel's panic through their bond. He attempted to send her waves of cheer or all around happiness through their link. But, her panic and his high energy mixed and filled them both with general confusion at the the other's base emotion.
Starscream sprung from his position on the ground -and before she could react to him- he wrapped his arms around her sides and back, and he pulled her closer into his chest. Starscream wasn't intending on letting go.
Starscream nuzzled into her neck, and held her as tightly as he could.
"I'm going to be a sire," he said below her audio processor, his words slightly muffled by her protoform's skin on near his mouth. Her skin vibrated from his words. "I'm going to be a sire," he repeated, hugging his arms tighter around her. "I'm going to be a sire!"
Steel's programming alerts lulled as relief flooded into her system. He was happy. Starscream was actually happy with her. Steel had not been expecting Starscream's actions or reactions as the mech nuzzled into her neck. Steel felt secure between his arms and his chest. She felt safe with him... and their sparkling did too. The tiny spark absorbed some of the energy his sire sent him through both of his creators' link.
Starscream held Steel close to him. He lovingly pecked at her neck. He excitedly kissed her cheek. "I'm going to be a sire," he whispered excitedly into her audio processor. "We're going to have a sparkling!"
The shock had faded from Steel's processor.
"We?" She asked him smugly.
"Well," he said, "You're going to be the one carrying it,"
"And?"
"And birthing it."
"And?"
"I get it," Starscream said as he nuzzled back into her warm soft protoform. "You're the one having it, but I'm also going to be helping, by your side, nourishing the spark, I'm never leaving your side again."
Steel relaxed into his hold. Starscream felt warm, and strong, and event hough her frame was running on energized energon, she felt slightly more calm. Slightly. But noticeably enough to have learned from their link that Starscream had nothing to do with Space Case's disappearance. Yet, Steel was still calm. Joyful, even. Everything was back as it should be. Everything was the same as it was before their fight, before she found out she was sparked, but better now than it had ever been.