A/N HardyGal: Sorry for another late update... BUT HEY! Big thanks to Jules Cardy, Sidekicks-anonymous, NovaShifter15, and Calliope-Beautiful Voiced - my amazing reviewers who never fail to put a smile on my face!
To Sidekicks-anonymous - "Ever notice that fangirls tend to be sadistic? I don't understand us sometimes..." Oh yeah, I have most certainly noticed :P Thanks for pointing the out by the way, it really made me laugh :3
Did something a little different this week; while she and I were discussing our different writing styles, Neon suggested that she write one of my drabbles this week - either to see if she could imitate my writing style, or to see if her writing style was distinct enough from mine for people to be able to spot it, or both. So here's a small challenge for my readers: which drabble of the week do you think was written by Neon?
30.01.17
F-ine
"Prowl!" Smokescreen ran up to his caretaker, who was in deep conversation with some other bots. "Prowl, check this out!"
"Not now, Smokescreen."
"No, no, but look!" The excited sparkling held out a pistol that had its power cell removed. "I beat my record, watch!"
"I said not now, Smokescreen."
"Wait, wait, it'll just take a couple seconds!" Smokescreen began to methodically take the pistol apart.
"Smokescreen, I said no!" Prowl said sharply. "Now go back to your berth!"
Smokescreen's faceplates hardened, and he quickly reassembled the pistol. "Fine." Doorwings stiff, the adolescent bot turned and stormed out of the room.
31.01.17
Playdate's Almost Over
He checked his clock, unable to break the habit developed over the past three hours and thirty minutes. Someone was mocking him again, tapping the knife against his neck, but he was too tired to care.
The rumble of an explosion succeeded in shaking him from his dull state of mind.
Someone pulled the knife away. "What the Pit...?"
Three words, and the sound of commotion just outside the door - it was enough to sweep away all apathy from his processor. Whatever wild feeling came in its place, he was able to express in a sharp, hysterical laugh.
"I told you this was almost over!"
01.02.17
Are We Alone?
Smokescreen winced, his processor continuing to ache as the memories slowly came back. Landing on the moon with the rest of the squad... Splitting off... Finding that lair-like area... The ground collapsing from underneath him...
"Now then..." The femme clasped the side of his face in a clawed servo, instantly tearing him from his thoughts. "Tell me, did you come alone?"
"Why?" Smokescreen muttered. "Want more company or somethin'?"
A sharp pain flared behind Smokescreen audial receptor, and he cried out, instinctively pulling away from the femme's touch.
The femme chuckled. "You have something to hide. I'll take that to mean you are not alone."
02.02.17
Not Entirely Discouraged
Bumblebee and Smokescreen slowly picked themselves up, the explosion still ringing in their audial receptors.
The scout shook his helm with a low buzz. *Primus, I need to work on my reaction time.*
"Hey, we ain't dead," Smokescreen said encouragingly. "I'd say your reaction time's just right."
Bumblebee acknowledged him with an appreciative nod, before looking down the tunnel, through which their Decepticon opponent of the week had just escaped.
"So, what're our chances of actually takin' this guy down?" Smokescreen asked.
*Considering our recent track record, not that great.*
"Yeah. Welp...!" Smokescreen loosened his joints. "Let's go take him down!"
03.02.17
Did Well... Enough
Six gunshots rang out in quick succession. There was a brief moment of respite, then six more. Smokescreen braced his arms against the recoil with a vaguely familiar ease. The shooting range, large and empty, clamored with the echoes before subsiding. The hologram projections faded away, and his score flashed on the board some distance away: Accuracy At 68%.
Smokescreen turned with a grin. "So? How'd I do? Elite Academy teaches well, yeah?"
Prowl, impassive as ever, crossed his arms. "Our other squad mates have presented higher accuracy rates, but I suppose you did well."
Smokescreen wilted, grin fading at the unspoken 'well enough'.
04.02.17
Confusion
The electro-bonds were the only source of light in the otherwise dismally dark cell. He couldn't really see anything, and his entire body felt stiff and tired.
What had he done to end up in this situation? It was a legitimate question. Smokescreen had no idea what he had done to warrant this, which made this whole thing frustrating, upsetting, enraging, confusing, and sometimes a bit frightening.
"Hello?" he called for what felt like the hundredth time. "Is anyone there? Why'm I here?"
Once again, his voice fell without so much as an echo, boxed in by the unrelenting walls of the cell.
05.02.17
Bulwark
The last message he had received made the situation absolutely clear: the defense squads were being wiped out, and he was now the only thing standing between the 'Cons and the Hall of Records - one rookie with zero field experience against an entire Decepticon army.
Primus, he was excited!
It never once crossed his processor that he should probably be feeling more scared than anything. Sure, he was still just one rookie with no field experience, but that was all going to change the second those doors blasted open, and slaggit if Smokescreen wasn't going to give this fight his all.
30.01.17: More sparkling!Smokescreen! :3
31.01.17: A continuation of 'Behind Schedule' from last week.
01.02.17: A continuation of 'Wrapped Up' from last week. Also, Airachnid's acid touch is such an obscure power. As far as I know, it only shows up in one episode (in a flashback) before the writers seem to forget about it. I also completely forgot about it until I rewatched episode Predatory recently.
02.02.17: Set sometime during Beast Hunters.
03.02.17: Set pre-series, sometime during Smokescreen training at the Elite Guard. Also, subtle Portal reference :P
04.02.17: Continuing my tradition of putting characters into situations I have now idea how they got into. This is probably set post-Predacons Rising.
05.02.17: Set during the final attack on Iacon.