To : Yeaaaaaaaah. This took me a while to write… Please forgive me. *hands over apology cake*
To Playdohg: Who knows where Rewind is? Is he there? Is he here? Is he everywhere? The world may never know.
Emily p: *catches flowers* Why thank you, my loyal servant.
So um… Gonna leave this out… *pushes a box full of tissues out* Some of ya'll would either need this after reading this chapter or the next. So… Yeah. Um. Have fun.
Oh even though I've wrote more of this chapter, I wanted to at least get this first part out since I have to get surgery soon and I don't know if I would be capable writing more during my recovery soo… yeah.
"Come out, come out, Laserbeak. Where are ya, lil' bit?" Breakdown peaks under the tables in the med bay, searching thoroughly and gets up when nothing was there. He repeats this procedure under another table.
The CMO of the respected med bay, took a moment's break of cleaning his tools to look up for the fifth time, seeing his partner still searching for the sparkling. "Breakdown, wrap up this 'hide-and-seek' game so I can give Laserbeak his check up." Knock Out impatiently reminds the bruiser.
"Don't say that out loud or he'll won't want to come out of hiding." Breakdown got to his knees, checking behind the counters. "Ah! Found you!" A small giggling squeal came from none other than Laserbeak, turning a typically small space into a great hiding spot. He was dragged out by a bigger hand attached by the finder. "You're getting better at this, Laserbeak."
Laserbeak made nothing more than a small sniffle, facing upwards as his avian-like mask flashed in the mildly dimly lit room. If it wasn't noticeable before, the kid is nearly identical to his 'sire'; wearing a midnight black trenchcoat that hid his body from view. The purpose of the jacket was to provide a better insulation, keeping the sickly sparkling warm.
"Time for the Doc to check you over." Oh, it was almost like magic: as little as eight words could make a child frown so quickly. Breakdown sits the uncooperative child on the examination table. Laserbeak tries to escape off the table top.
"You little…" Knock Out stopped. Any words he wouldn't say if Soundwave was present applies even now, unless the medic wants to be shivering in neck-high snow in the Arctic. "Sweet and darling little bite-sized scraplet… Stay still or this is going to take longer."
Laserbeak shook his head stubbornly, "no," shifting away from the view of the scanner until he was reseated forcefully in the same position. "This is why I can't have sparklings…" Knock Out mumbles, proceeding with the scans on the small techno-organic lifeform.
"So, what's the problem with him?" Breakdown asked as the scans are completed and recorded on the handheld datapad in Knock Out's hand.
"Same as before. His body still hasn't adjusted to the form yet. The imbalance between the techno and organic compound is affecting him more than us, in turn causing him to be frequently sick. What I can do is give him another s-h-o-t," Laserbeak, like most young, share a disliking to needles, "to boost his immune systems to fend off the cold and the symptoms." Fun part is getting Laserbeak to cooperate while getting the shot. The previous time went semi-smoothly as Soundwave was next to the child. Even then, the boy fussed and squirmed and hid inside Soundwave's trench coat as if it were protective armour.
For this plan to work, Laserbeak must not see the needle being prepared or he'll become suspicious. "Okay, Breakdown, what I need you to do is to hold Laserbeak and keep him as still as possible," Knock Out ordered.
"Up you go," Laserbeak is easily supported by one muscular arm underneath as he can balance himself just fine, sitting on Breakdown's arm. "Hey, Laserbeak, look at me," If kid's weren't so easily distracted, by Breakdown's word choice alone would cause him to be alerted.
"Hmm?" Laserbeak brings his helm up a bit to meet golden optics and a smile.
"How are you holding up?"
"Not good… Still feel yucky."
"You'll pull through. If Autobots aren't tough enough to bring you down, a cold doesn't stand a chance, am I right?" A giggle escapes from the former avian's mouth, being nudged on the cheeks.
"Right!" Chirps Laserbeak.
"Now, let me see those guns." Laserbeak rolled up his jacket sleeve, flexes his chubby baby fat muscles the way Breakdown showed him.
Breakdown gave a hearty laugh. "There it is! What's that? I think I hear all the Autobots retreating for the hills." Behind Laserbeak's field of vision, the prepared needle waved in Knock Out's hand. "Right…" Noticing the man's gaze in another direction, Laserbeak made an indication to turn around which was quickly foiled by a shroud of darkness.
Thanks to the bruiser's quick thinking, he pulled the wool over Laserbeak's eyes, or whatever fabric the sparkling's coat is made of. The minicon fell under the assumption of playing peek-a-boo again. "Hey, where did Laserbeak go?" Big, grey optics peeks out from underneath the dark fabric, then covered up again, giggling uncontrollably. Although, to prevent any premature glances, Breakdown's enormous hand covered up any openings, and pretty much the sparkling's entire head while Knock Out administered the shot in his arm.
Thanks to Breakdown keeping the child still, Laserbeak's natural reaction to writhe as something pricked his arm, the procedure took two seconds. When Laserbeak manages to push away the clothing that was blocking his view, his head snaps back, spotting an empty needle in the grinning medic's hand. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?"
Combining the pain in his left arm along with the evidence in Knock Out's position, the kid burst out in tears as a response.
"Hey, hey, Laserbeak, It's over now, no need for the waterworks!"
"Sire! Sire!"
"N-no need to call for Soundwave!" Primus knows what will occur if the TIC has to come into the med bay to see his charge crying bloody murder.
Breakdown thinks fast and picks up a small plushie that was on the floor limped. "Heads up!" The plushie drops into Laserbeak's lap, ceasing the tears. A gray kitten as it were and the former avian picks it up.
Sometimes Laserbeak has to resort to his primary child functions to figure out an object's capability to entertain him through many rigorous tests; shaking it to see if it makes a sound, and chewing on it (that's why Soundwave gets him sturdy, child-proof toys to play with). Although, when it came to the feline plushie, he didn't do any of that, but gave it a loving squeeze in his arms as if it were a source of comfort.
He was later placed on the floor to prevent falling down from the high height of the table. "Crisis averted." Breakdown sighs.
"For now at least." Knock Out said, facing down at Laserbeak, chirping at his furry companion like it was speaking back to him. "Alrighty, he's been fed, had his check up, and played with…" Knock Out grunts and sets the needle down. "I did not sign up to be a caretaker."
"Neither did I, but it is to help out Soundwave relieve some of the stress off his shoulders." Knock Out raised an eyebrow to form a 'and-why-should-I-care' expression. "And he is kind enough to not send us to the Arctic and he is very lenient about letting us go off the ship."
"And then he expects us to bring back something to eat."
"Usually an order passed along by Megatron. Even you, Knock Out, have to agree that human cuisine isn't that bad."
"That doesn't mean I don't watch what I eat. I researched what a large quantity of fat and grease can do when consumed- no way is that going to enter the lovely temple of which is my body."
"Okay, well all the luck to you for trying to make everyone eat a salad."
"Breakdown, report to the bridge at once." Megatron's voice rang out from the intercomms above.
"And that's my cue to leave, see ya, little buddies. Behave and keep an optic out on him." Breakdown heads for the door.
"I'm not irresponsible, Breakdown, I am fully capable-"
Breakdown cuts off the medic mid speech. "I was talking to Laserbeak."
"I will." Laserbeak replied, waving a goodbye at the bruiser before the door shuts.
Knock Out closes his mouth, staring down at Laserbeak. Laserbeak stares up at him with a taunting grin.
The medic said nothing more, turning around, he checks his internal chronometer. "What is taking Starscream so long to get here? I'm certainly not watching Laserbeak by myself," Laserbeak's head snapped up when the medic mumbled, putting away tools in the farther side of the med bay.
Afterwards, the doctor's foot steps on something. "All this junk Soundwave gets for the kid… and I'm the drone to clean it up," Knock Out mumbled, picking up the scattered toys. "Well… At least it keeps the boy entertained and out of my hair. Speaking of distractions, where's Starscream to watch you, Laserbeak?" The area Laserbeak was sitting at became void of life. " Laserbeak?" And the anxiety sets in. "I don't have time for hide-and-seek right now…"
Just outside of the med bay, while the mad doctor scrambles to find the wayward sparkling, Laserbeak pokes his head out of the lower vents. He had devised this route the moment Starscream's name was mentioned, using the vent that was hidden from view behind the counters in said med bay. Normally, a child would have found traveling to a specific location through vents difficult, unless you're Laserbeak who has the schematics of the ventilation systems in mind.
Navigating through the corridors of the Nemesis would be a breeze for the human if he still had wings to travel faster with. Tiny feet on the tiny body wasn't the ideal traveling method and the already lengthy hallways appeared to have gotten longer.
The sparkling huffs, tired from walking a strenuous distance. But, being small and undetectable still has it advantages. Up ahead, an unoccupied group of Vehicons- maybe the same ones Laserbeak played with before, were chatting amongst themselves, not seeing, thus paying no mind to the approaching sparkling.
"... And Dave hasn't been found yet."
"I would be lying if I said I couldn't believe one of our own was left in the human world as one of them."
"No arguments there. Kevin and Caleb told me they were rushed off of sight so quickly by Knock Out, they didn't have time to grab Dave."
"And Megatron ended all attempts to search for him too after no progress…"
"What a shocker..."
A ping interrupted the ordinary conversation, receiving orders of a mission.
"And our commander for the day is Breakdown."
"Not going to complain."
Oblivious to the troops, gripping tightly on the stationary metal attached to a Vehicon's pede did Laserbeak tried to not let go of or it would be a painful drop. Thankfully, no one ever has to look down at their pedes to tie any loose shoes during the entire trip to the groundbridge room where Breakdown waits.
"Alright, things should run smoothly if the Autobots don't bump into us," Breakdown addressed the Vehicons under his command, failing to notice Laserbeak blending within the dark color schemes of the room and pede, "that being said, time to put a move on and wish we wouldn't lose any sparks out there unless it's the Autobots'. And Mack? Mind giving me a boost here?"
The groundbridge fires to life. The Vehicons marches in. For some reason, the pede that carried Laserbeak had stomped a little too hard, shaking off the metal bird mask which rested on his head. None heard the small clatter it made against the metallic floor as the roar of the bridge drowned it out, and letting go of the pede to retrieve it wasn't possible. In the end, Laserbeak is was forced to watch his precious mask until the groundbridge came to a close.
Exiting out of the groundbridge, one pede stepping off before the next couple of sets, the portal vanishes once the last being touches the ground. Laserbeak still held onto the Vehicon's pede as it marches with the group. He knows that one little slip could get him under another large pede.
Unknowing of the stowaway, Breakdown scans the deserted area from the rather warm shoulder of the Vehicon named Mack. "The signal came around this area…" Breakdown steps off the servo that lowered him, taking in his surroundings. Even though this is a low risk, he had to still take precaution of his position on the steep walls of the canyon. The valley below wasn't too deep, but the forestry below would threaten his well being with the obstruction of trees.
Laserbeak slides off of the Vehicon's pede cautiously enough to not attract any optics or eyes. Then again, Breakdown's hammer smashing some rocks drowned any audible noises from someone as small as Laserbeak could make. However, his own optics observed the surroundings. His own curiosity entices the examination of the small plant life decorating the ground.
It's not like never in his life here on Earth has he not seen anything as simple as shrubbery or trees; he was never able to touch one personally with his own fingers. Laserbeak main priorities was to take surveillance and such.
Nothing more, nothing less.
So, when the opportunity comes to be a child, he takes it. He does know everything will be back to normal soon and he will lose this 'sparkling experience' he became fond of (but at the same time, having wings are nice too).
As for most, Laserbeak's inquisitiveness nearly lead him to the edge of the walls, lowering his face to see the bottom.
Well, it's a good thing he isn't afraid of heights.
Backing away to prevent a tragedy, Laserbeak was currently unaware of the tragedy about to take place.
As Laserbeak was too preoccupied with chasing butterflies, - one had landed on his nose- Breakdown had shattered away bits and pieces of uneven rocks, pushing it aside, having confidence to expose any of importance was behind.
He only uncovered that there were hidden cavern behind the piles of rock. Although, the place was as hollow and empty as the inside of Bulkhead's helm.
"You gotta be slagging me…" If this is all a terrible joke Primus had played out for him, Breakdown is not amused. Any action to further investigate came to a halt. Breakdown grunted in confusion upon hearing small, but detectable beeping noise… Where has he heard… oh slag.
It's a bomb.
"What the- fallback!" Breakdown yells, wasting not a single second to follow his own orders.
The massive explosion caused the caven to collapse onto itself and for some rocks to project in every direction. If the explosion was more potent, a landslide would have buried everyone on the ledge. Breakdown was shielded from the blast wind and any debris that shot in his direction by a Vehicon's arm protecting him.
The blast wind sent Laserbeak's small body flying backwards like a ragdoll, uncontrollably tumbling off the edge, incapable of stopping on free will until he was forced to stop in an undesirable way; crashing headfirst into a blunt rock. On the plus side it didn't kill him, however, the impact was a serious blow to the head.
Only faintly he could hear what was that of a groundbridge to pick up its soldiers and only them.
The sparkling's pained chirps were barely audible, his sight becoming hazier as the sharp pain emanating from the back of his head threatens a forced recharge. He tries to fight it back by forcing himself to sit up.
Although, waving between the state of being awake and unconsciousness, Laserbeak could hear nearing engines. It didn't sound like it belong to any of the vehicons or Decepticons. The vehicles screeched to a stop, doors swung open as dark leathered humans stepped out.
"Help… please…" The cheerful warble he was known to have, came out a pained screeches of a wounded bird. "Want Sire…" He pleaded again, the people in front of him out of focus. What Laserbeak didn't know was that his own blood was stared at in judgement.
"Silas, what to do with it?"
Laserbeak's sparked stop. His face became pale. He knows that name.
"Knock it out and transport it back to base." Silas replied.