Author's Notes: I'll admit, despite my extensive notes on this story, this chapter was mostly improv'ed. As it turns out I think this is actually important for how the rest of the story will play out. Hopefully this chapter turned out okay. I wanted it to be longer, but I don't want to type too much or for too long. I dislocated my shoulder last Saturday and even though it's healing pretty quickly I still probably shouldn't push it too hard. Also, an interesting side note, as of this update this fic is the second most viewed story I have ever had on this site! The most viewed is actually its predecessor "You Will Care For Me". Thank you guys so much for supporting this story and its wider universe! Please review, favorite, and follow to see what happens next on "Custody Battle"! :)

Chapter 21

Bonding

Soundwave had some time off work, so he decided to sit in his favorite chair in his room and watch the sparklings play. Solarflare and Freezeframe had been disheartened by Video Error's lack of recognition of them and different personalities. He wasn't the big brother they remembered, but they were trying to forge a new relationship with him despite the difficulties. Even his paint was different. It was a stripped grey and black instead of his usual blue and green. When asked about it though Video Error insisted he wanted to keep his new look, but it just cemented to the other sparklings that he wasn't the same person anymore.

At the moment Video Error was in Crazy mode listening to zydeco music and dancing like a monkey with his brother and sister. Freezeframe wasn't a very good dancer since he didn't like to make a fool of himself, but not looking foolish simply wasn't an option when Crazy Error was around.

"Hey guys, I think another song is coming on!" Crazy Error exclaimed as he hopped up and down and bobbed his helm.

"How can you tell?" Solarflare asked, "I'm beginning to think the zydeco genre is just one big song on an endless loop! Change it to something else!"

Freezeframe was only too happy to comply, so he changed it to a Russian pop station. It was a song talking about how great their leader was, but for all Crazy Error cared they could've been talking about jellybean sandwiches. He just wanted to dance.

"You know guys, this kind of thing could be helpful to the Decepticons," Solarflare pointed out after the song ended.

"What thing?" Freezeframe asked.

"A song that glorifies Megatron and the Decepticon cause," Solarflare explained, "It might convince some neutrals to join our side!"

"I remember trying to make a commercial with you a few weeks ago," Freezeframe replied flatly, "It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience."

Video Error's visor then shifted to yellow, and Solarflare actually facepalmed when she saw Coward Error making another appearance. It seemed like that personality was one of his dominant ones.

"Commercials are unpleasant?" Coward Error squeaked nervously, "Why? Do they logic-wipe you? Is the TV watching us? Who is trying to kill us!?"

Freezeframe sighed, and Solarflare growled. They didn't want to play with Coward Error. All he did was run, scream, and hide. Soundwave saw his son was frightened and tried to send a wave of comfort through the bond, only to realize something horrible. There was no bond. Apparently when Starscream separated Video Error's personalities it ripped apart the bond Soundwave shared with his sparkling! Well, they would just have to reinstate their severed bond immediately.

"Video Error," Soundwave called to his sparkling.

Video Error's visor shifted to red, and Soundwave was grateful he would be able to talk to his son's rational side. Video Error walked up to Soundwave and stood at perfect attention in front of his father. Soundwave found this behavior curious, but not unwelcome. It reminded him of Ravage and Laserbeak.

"Video Error, the guardian bond must be reinstated," Soundwave ordered his son.

"Guardian bond?" Video Error asked, "I don't know what that is."

"The guardian bond is a link between host and sparkling that creates a virtual emotional presence within the spark," Soundwave explained, "Now, reach out to me with your spark."

Video Error looked at him quizzically and cocked his helm to one side. Soundwave didn't know what was confusing Video Error about this process. A sparkling reaching out to their parent for support was as natural to a Cybertronian as refueling or recharging. It was a necessary part of sparklinghood.

"I don't think I will do that, sir," Video Error replied stoically, "You said that I am being trained to be a soldier, and that you were my superior officer. If it is all the same to you sir, I would like to keep this relationship professional."

"Are you some kind of slagging moron!?" Solarflare shouted furiously, "That's our sire, you dunce! Unless you want to spend the rest of your life alone and unable to feel love you need to bond with him!"

"Actually, I'm not afraid of being alone," Video Error replied calmly, "I don't feel like I need a father. What I need is training, and Soundwave is the perfect mech for that job. I respect him, but I don't love him," Video Error then turned to Soundwave and said "Awaiting your orders, sir."

Solarflare had bug-optics and a slack jaw as she stared at her brother. Freezeframe was used to not showing his emotions, but even he would never say he didn't need his father's love. Every sparkling felt the need for a bond! He had heard of orphans bonding with mechs that actively abused them just to keep from feeling cold and alone. What had Starscream done to Video Error to make him this way?

Since training was the only activity Video Error seemed interested in participating in with Soundwave, then Soundwave decided that a Scavenger Hunt would make for good reconnaissance training. Of course, when Soundwave said it was a Scavenger Hunt, he meant it in the most literal way possible.

Solarflare, Freezeframe, and Video Error split up in search of Scavenger, the Constructicon backhoe, in the hopes of learning crucial information that would lead to his "capture".

Video Error was in Playful mode, so he was really getting into the spirit of the game. Whichever sparkling won would get to go on a super secret mission with Soundwave. Video Error wanted to win, not for the prize itself, but just so he could run it in the faces of those who were apparently his siblings. He didn't disbelieve their story about them being his family, but he also didn't feel like he needed a family. He only needed to be the best Decepticon he could be so his survival would be guaranteed. Besides that, he really wanted to impress Megatron. It was clear Megatron was in charge, and Video Error knew being on his good side meant getting away with more mischief.

Video Error slunk around corridors and used his tentacles as extra sensors. He was ready for anything. Well, he was until he heard a loud crashing sound coming from one of the private quarters.

Video's Error's visor shifted to red, and he decided he wanted to investigate the noise in case it was trouble. Someone sounded like they were in pain, and Video Error wanted to save whoever it was. Why he wanted to save them, he didn't know, but a piece of him said it was the right thing to do.

He got down on his hands and knees to look through the tiny crack in the closed door. He could only see two pairs of feet, but he recognized the owners of those feet immediately. The silver and red pedes belonged to his master, Megatron, and the blue thrusters belonged to Starscream, the scary second in command.

"The seekers are your responsibility!" Megatron shouted before throwing Starscream against the wall, "You couldn't keep your optic on them for one breem!"

Video Error was shocked when he saw the way Megatron savagely beat his highest ranking follower. The sparkling didn't have a lot of memories to draw from, and he wasn't used to the idea of Starscream being the fall guy for Megatron's foul moods. The sparkling's visor shifted to yellow, and he huddled into a far corner of the hallway and covered his audio sensors in an attempt to make the sounds of Starscream's torment go away.

After several minutes the door opened, and Starscream limped out; battered and broken. Megatron remained inside, and the logical side of Video Error whispered to Coward Error that this must be Megatron's room. Coward Error wasn't listening to himself, however. He just wanted to make the world stop.

Starscream was going to go in the opposite direction from the dead end hallway, but then he saw Video Error hugging his knees and whimpering like a puppy that had just been kicked out of the house. He considered ignoring the sparkling, but since this little monster was going to be his experiment he decided that he might as well try to earn its trust.

When Starscream approached the sparkling, Video Error tried to scoot away, but there was nowhere to go. He shook and waited for whatever bad things the big scary mech had planned for him, wishing with all his might he could be brave enough to make him go away.

"Calm down, Video Error. I'm not going to hurt you," Starscream said in a tone he hoped was reassuring, "I'm guessing you can't help but be scared. Well, if I had my way you would never feel fear again. Fear isn't useful."

"Thank you," Video Error replied; thinking the seeker was trying to be kind, "Starscream, why did Lord Megatron hurt you?"

"You saw that, huh?" Starscream shrugged, "One of the troops I command lost something that Megatron considered very important. A prisoner we were hoping to convert to our side. He punished me because I couldn't...because I didn't...because he felt like it, I guess."

"Are you scared he'll come back to get you?" Video Error asked in a hushed tone as he looked with a wide visor at the seeker.

"He always comes back for me," Starscream replied bitterly, "No one is safe from Megatron, and he especially likes beating the slag out of me. I admit, sometimes I provoke him. I don't know why. I guess I just can't keep my vocalizer shut sometimes. I just want the rightful credit I deserve for my contributions, but all I get is abuse. Do yourself a favor, kid. Never slag off Megatron."

"I don't want to be alone, and I forgot why I was here in the first place," Video Error told Starscream, "Can I stay with you until Soundwave remembers I'm gone? Please? I think you can use the company too."

"I should just comm Soundwave-" Starscream began, but then Video Error screamed loudly and Starscream put his hand over the sparkling's mouth to keep Megatron from hearing him. "Shh!"

"Don't call him!" Video Error begged, "He'll be mad at me!"

"Why?" Starscream asked; mildly curious.

"I don't know! He just will!" Video Error replied; his yellow visor shining brightly.

Starscream sighed sharply and said "Fine! I'll let you stay in my quarters for a few breems, but eventually Soundwave will have to take you back."

Video Error grabbed onto Starscream's leg with his arms and tentacles. Starscream tried to pull him off, but he was stuck like a barnacle on the hull of the original Nemesis. Having no other choice, Starscream limped back to his quarters with his body injured and a sparkling clinging to him like a wad of gum on the bottom of a shoe.

A few minutes later found Video Error in Normal mode sitting on Starscream's berth and looking at the seeker as he sat at the end of the berth tending his wounds. The sparkling watched with detached curiosity as Starscream used a soldering iron to weld open wounds shut and used a stylus to guide loose wires back into place. He was fascinated with the tools, and also by Starscream's sudden tolerance of him. It wasn't typical behavior for the selfish older mech.

"Have you refueled yet, Video Error?" Starscream asked after applying the last bit of solvent to his scratched paint.

"You do not have sparkling grade energon, do you?" Video Error stated rather than asked.

"I don't," Starscream admitted, "I'm just trying to figure out how to keep you occupied and out of my way until Soundwave gets here."

"Could you tell me a story?" Video Error requested.

"A story?" Starscream asked in disgust, "This isn't a daycare center, boy! You're one of the Decepticon elite in training! You are not to be coddled!"

"Forgive me, sir," Video Error replied; disappointment clear in his tone, "Soundwave doesn't like to tell stories either. I don't know where I got the idea I would want to hear one. I just do."

Starscream rolled his optics and sighed in frustration. He didn't want to cave into the demands of a needy brat, but there was something about Video Error's soft spoken acceptance that made the seeker feel guilty. Finally, he relented and agreed to tell Video Error a story on the condition that the sparkling go into recharge afterward. The little carrier agreed, and Starscream sat next to him on the berth and began his tale.

"There once was a space pirate that could transform his hands into drills. He was the most fearsome thief in all the universe," Starscream said in a theatrical whisper, "He had everything he could ever want. He had riches, he had fame, and he had respect. Despite this however, he still wasn't happy."

"Why not?" Video Error asked with piqued interest.

"Because he was very ugly, and no femme wanted him for a bondmate," Starscream explained patiently, "Well, the space pirate knew there had to be a femme for him out there somewhere-"

"Excuse me?" Video Error interrupted, "What was his name?"

"Who?" Starscream asked obliviously.

"The pirate. What was his name?" Video Error repeated the question.

"Oh, um, Twister," Starscream made up the name on the fly and hoped Video Error didn't notice, "Twister the pirate decided that if he couldn't have true love, that he would buy a femme instead. He put out an ad saying that if a femme agreed to bond with him that he would leave her his vast fortune when he died. Well, as it turned out, only one femme answered his ad. She was one of the most gorgeous femmes on Cybertron-"

"Did she have blue optics?" Video Error interrupted again.

"Why does that matter?" Starscream asked; losing his patience bit by bit with each interruption.

"Because I'm trying to picture the most beautiful femme on Cybertron," Video Error replied, "I picture blue optics, and shiny black armor. Maybe grey and black like me, only shinier. Oh, and a blank face plate! Yeah, if there's only optics then it makes the light from the optics shine even brighter! Oh, and she would have to be a grounder! Fliers are too flimsy. Grounders have good figures without being featherweights. Maybe she could have shiny rims on her tires!"

Starscream stroked his chin in thought as he listened to the sparkling's prattle about his ideal femme. Two things struck Starscream as odd about this reaction. One was that Normal Error was actually excited about something. That wasn't typical of the split-personality mechling. The other thing that was odd was the description itself. Video Error had just described the Autobot sparkling. Apparently despite his lack of memory of the femmeling Video Error still held a subconscious fondness for Phobia. Starscream wondered how he could use this to his advantage...

"So, did the pirate live happily ever after with his purchased femme?" Video Error asked after Starscream was silent for too long.

"No," Starscream replied bluntly, "As it turned out, the femme wasn't willing to wait for Twister to offline, so she terminated him herself to collect his fortune. And she lived happily ever after. The end."

"That's not a very good story," Video Error complained.

"Sure it is," Starscream replied dismissively, "It shows that the spoils belong to the most cunning in society. Now, recharge before I tell Megatron you've been a bad sparkling."

"Megatron doesn't like you," Video Error observed, "Why would he take your word over mine?"

"Okay then, how about this? Recharge or I'll use you for target practice!" Starscream threatened the sparkling.

"Fair enough," Video Error replied before powering down for recharge.

It was half a joor later before Soundwave got off duty and was able to reclaim Video Error. Freezeframe had won the Scavenger Hunt, but it didn't seem worth it to wake up Video Error to tell him the results. Soundwave would have to figure out another way to keep Video Error's interest, and hopefully find a way to reconnect with the little guy so they could reinstate the guardian bond.