Tawnyflare's Sake Chapter 20
Lightbeam: Oh hi, Sparkfly! What ya doing?
Sparkfly: Leaf me alone.
Lightbeam: Oh I remember that! Why, am I carving your trunk?
Sparkfly: No, you're uprooting me.
Lightbeam: Ooh, that's a good one; did you hear what the bird said?
Sparkfly: I'll flapping branch you!
Lightbeam: Ha ha ha, never gets old, eh?
Sparkfly: Seriously, get to the story!
Four jets flew over Iacon, the biggest was a grey one, the smallest was silver, and the one in the lead was a creamy-yellow while the one taking up the rear was a dark blue.
They hovered over the Descendants Tower before gracefully landing on a platform in front of a white, pink and gold femme. "Cloudskipper, we have returned."
"Good, did you find anything at the border?"
"No. But we did trace some Decepticon signals back to Kaon, we suspect they've been meeting up in secret with some Autobots."
"Why would you suspect such a thing? Didn't you know that one of the high rankings standing next to you right now is a havie? (Half-ie) No, you didn't did you? Because all Autobots are loyal to the end."
The silver flyer muttered something under his breath but held his tongue wisely as his leader shot him a glare.
Just then, an orange and red femme rushed in and whispered something to Cloudskipper. "Pardon me, I have to deal with some urgent news." And left with the medic.
Once they were gone, the two older flyers started chattering among themselves as the younger jets looked towards the amber-coloured sky. "As dawn approaches, I wish to remain alive." The silver flyer growled and clenched his fists as he looked at the war-torn city that was once their beautiful home.
"Starscream, what are you talking about? Once this war's over, we'll be able to make things right again."
"Starcomet, my friend, you don't realise the chances and opportunity that we have here."
"Exactly, so what do you mean by dawn approaching and remaining alive?"
"The other two they won't understand. But you will, won't you?"
"Of course! Wait, what? What do you mean?"
"I mean, maybe joining with the Decepticons isn't such a bad idea, after all, your sire's there."
"No! You're crazy! Joining with the cons? The same ones that are destroying our very home planet right now? Never!"
By now the two older flyers were listening to their conservation and had drawn their weapons out in case of a fight.
"No, I meant… Ugh! Just forget it! Those two don't even give me a chance and your Carrier is all you want to please in this world. I'm asking you now, will you join me my friend? Or will you stay and suffer extinction?"
"I'm sorry Starscream, but my place is here, defending those who can't fight back."
"I can't fight back you fool!"
Suddenly his cyan optics began to turn red as he screamed in fury and rage. The yellow flyer drew his weapon back fast and tried to reason with the ex-bot. "Screamer, we understand this, go now we'll give you one chance to change- Ugh!"
"Sea star! You monster!"
Starscream shot the yellow jet in the spark-chamber to shut him up. "Fools!" He fired a few more shots before he knew the bot was dead. The dark blue Autobot shot out of the building to warn the others but Starscream had transformed and followed the former second-in-command, he fired two heat seeking missiles at the midnight blue jet before it crash landed onto the Iacon Highway.
"Cloudskipper!"
"Please, Starcomet, I don't won't you get hurt! Come with me."
"Murderer! I'll never trust a con!"
"Then you leave me with no choice. Good-bye my friend."
The silver jet flew off leaving the young grey bot all by himself.
"Sea star, dead. Starsinger, dead. Starscream, traitor!" He walked forward a few paces before hearing a ticking sound. He looked over to see a bomb attached to Starscream's former badge. "Oh scrap."
3… 2… 1…KABOOM!
"What was that?"
Cloudskipper looked back petrified at the sight of a silver jet escaping a huge cloud of dust. "No…"
Moonracer woke with a start, she'd been having that same dream over and over again, the one where she had been forced to kill Wipe-out because the Wreckering femme was already dead according to the dark energon vaccination. "I'm glad it's only a dream." Usually Chromia would be the one to wake her up, not this time. Still, little Crystal needed helping to learn all about this crazy aft stuff.
"Aid, wake up, we got medbay shift."
Hearing a groan, Moonracer guessed he was deep in recharge.
"Again? Moonie, can't I wake up to something good in the morning?"
Ignoring the young medic and looking around the medics' shared quarters, guessing that Ratchet was already up, she grunted as she got out of her berth and slapped First Aid on the helm hard enough to send him into a raging fit. "What was that for!?"
"Come on! We're gonna be late, stupid! Hurry up!"
"There you two are, I thought I'd have to come in there and order Chromia to sing the national anthem for you?" The CMO smirked at both of his apprentices, yes, even he was getting some good sleep without the pink femme hanging around.
"Yeah, well you get that."
"Yup, slag happens."
Ratchet just rolled his optics at the two and kept watching the monitors. Moonracer was hoping Arcee and Sideswipe would at least help time pass or that she could go and check on Chromia. Without them, Inferno and Dino, life was just as boring around the base.
Arcee had told her everything about her and Cliffjumper, Moonracer was half excited and half worried for the blue femme and had recently threatened Cliffjumper if he wasn't careful.
Which had gotten her into the brig for about two hours, while she was there, Sideswipe was there also. Boasting about how he had gotten in here. Moonracer, for once, actually enjoyed the blade-bot's company.
The most grief hung around Tawnyflare, since Prowl's death, nothing but bad luck had come to her. Prowl, Bluestreak, Tailgate, Jazz, Pipes, Blurr, Outback, Swerve, Wipe-out and Lightningstrike was all that she lost since that dark night. Jazz and Tailgate had been stolen and were being slowly re-located to hopefully save them in time. As for the others, they were all dead, Earthquake, Pink eagle and the humans had kept her occupied long enough to keep her mind off them, but the ghosts came back to haunt her from time to time.
She wasn't always just a random talking blue cyber-cat. Before someone used her as an experiment and turned her into this form, Candlepunch did this, but had played his crime long ago that Tawnyflare had almost forgotten about it. Before all that, she was one of the top Elite-Guards, working with Prowl and Sentinel Prime.
"Well well, who let the cat out of the bag this time?"
Moonracer asked as the dark sapphire coloured she-cat came trotting through the medbay and sat down next to the medical engineer. "Funny."
"Smokescreen's creation day, isn't it?"
"Yup, and no has let ME out of the bag, yet."
Moonracer laughed at how the warrior could still have a sense of humour, unlike all the other bots that had changed because of this war. "Well, that's because we couldn't find a bag your size to fit you in."
Tawnyflare smirked at the combat. "How's it going?"
"Good, Earthquake and Paws have shown me new ways to hunt and learning by, well, watching National Geographic Documentaries."
"Well, that's good."
"Moonracer! Could you go and see what's wrong with Chromia please?"
"Yes Ratchet."
"I wonder what the troublemaker is up to now, huh?"
Tawnyflare had volunteered to come and help out with the Carrier. Despite her pranks, Chromia had some of her father's leadership and maybe it was sinking in now that little Crystal was born.
"Alright Pinky, what's wrong this time?"
Moonracer walked in there and was surprised to see that all the sparklings weren't playing around but were under their mothers in a safe way.
"Those stupid Wreckers next door won't shut up!"
"Yeah, they to woud!"
Crystal added in with her Carrier, even the twins couldn't fit underneath Mist cloud so Lancer and Arcee did their best to help. "Where's Sundrown?"
Now Moonracer was getting worried, the noise was still going on but if the sparked femme went over by herself, she might not be coming back.
"Um, uh…"
"Don't worry I'll stay here, you go and find her and sort them out. Alright?"
"Okay."
Damn! She had to go over there again? She had no choice, Sundrown could be in serious danger.
After running into Kup and Grimlock, who were exceptionally mad, she came to the Wreckers and halted in front of the big door. Music was pumping out loud and she could smell high-grade. "Here we go again."
Moonracer pushed opened the door and stood frozen in the doorway. Everywhere and anywhere, there were high-grading shots and balloons. "Hey, Moons, sup?"
Sideswipe wheeled over to her, unlike the others, he had a warm smile and carried two cubes of high-grade. "Want some?" He dangled the left one in her face, although it would be nice to relax for a while, she had a job to do. "No thanks."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"'Because', is not an answer."
Moonracer sighed, she knew that she'd never win arguing against him. Maybe a sip wouldn't hurt and she could save the rest for later. "Why, are you down here if you are 'busy'?" He threw his right arm around her and led her to a few scouts. "Without even saying happy B'day to Smokey?"
"Right, uh, happy creation day Smokescreen."
"Hey Moonie! You're here! Where's Chromia?"
"Have you lost your processor? She's got a sparkling to care for as well as the other femmes who are trying to get some re-charge without you around!"
Bumblebee smirked wickedly at her and pointed to two femmes talking together in the corner.
"Oh you mean those ones? Sundrown and Scarlet, right?"
Moonracer had enough she stomped away, after saying her bless and apology, and went towards the two with Sideswipe trailing slowly behind…
"What the frag you two think you're doing?"
Scarlet whipped her helm to look at who had interrupted her speech while Sundrown's wings started to droop. "Moonie? What's wrong?"
"You know what's wrong!"
"Uh-"
"How could I let this happen? You're both sparked and drinking high-grade! At a party!"
"No, it's low-grade, Huffer and Windcharger decided that they could come if the rest of us were careful."
Sideswipe nodded towards the kitchen light where Brawn was talking to his twin brother and a high-looking Hot rod. "Oh,"
"It's okay Moonie, Scar said that she didn't want to be an only femme at this party, and I volunteered."
Scrap, she should've known that they had a back—up plan. "Moonracer, I know that I'm heavily sparked, but at least I can spend some time with Smokescreen before I… Before I get stuck up in the Nursery." Scarlet smiled, Moonracer knew she was about to say something else.
"Okay, but be careful alright? If anything happens, I'm blaming Smokescreen."
"Of course."
Sideswipe grinned at her, Moonracer smirked up at him.
"I would tell you to keep an optic on them but I know how drunk you are."
"Hey!"
Scarlet and Sundrown both giggled at the sight of the blade-bot's faceplates as the purple femme left the 'party'.
"Thanks, Moonracer, you really are a 'Life Saver'…"
Moonie smiled as she watched the three AerialSparks play. "No problem. Need anything?"
"No, we're good thanks."
As she was just about to head back down toward the Medical area, Moonracer swore she heard something, something desperately pleading for help. "Rusty?"
Nothing. "Huh, I guess I'll check my hearing later…"
_"No, wait! Moonracer, you don't know what's coming…"_
So yes, at the end that was Rusty, in case you don't know who 'Rusty' is… He is Moonracer's younger brother. (Name says everything, he's rusty around the edges…) Anyway, sozy I've been busy and stupid laptop been crashing again… But I'm back now! Hopefully the next Chapter won't be as long, hmm?