Author's note: More at the end. Thanks for reading. Transformers belongs to Hasbro and Takara, not me.
A Blessing and A Curse
By: Quetzal1
Chapter 54
Snowball
XxX
Shockwave entered the latest data on his two charges. The most recent infusion of energon had been absorbed but the size increase hadn't happened yet. His study indicated that each new infusion took longer to work than the one before, though not by much. But when it did it was impressive. By the end of the week these two should be more than half as large as normal Decepticons. If their processors also increased in size the way they had previously, they would be big enough to accommodate their introductory basic programming. Shockwave had taken care to educate them on certain matters such as their being a part of the Decepticons and who the higher ranking officers were and how they should behave if they encountered any of them, particularly the respect they should give Megatron. Both of the young 'bots were instructed on the finer points of who Megatron was to the point that they were already afraid of him, and that was without knowing any of the violent acts he had committed over the course of his life. The pair got along remarkably well. Their education at the War Academy would put a stop to that, but then simple exposure to their peers would likely have the same effect. It was nothing to him either way. Once they had achieved full growth and received their basic programming they wouldn't be his problem anymore.
"That will be all for today," said Shockwave. "You are free to entertain yourselves now. Your energon will be delivered later, close to your recharge period."
"Shockwave?" Asked the seeker, looking up at him with wide red optics. Time to turn on the charm. When Shockwave wasn't telling them a bunch of things they were mostly not interested in, they had to participate in medical tests and answer a lot of dumb questions. The older they became the more boring it all was. And they were especially tired of being cooped up. They were either in the medical area or a small, blank room where they received lessons or else they were here in the largest room where they sat around or played games of their own invention.
"Yes, Blueshift?"
"Could we go somewhere besides here? What about outside?"
"No. We have discussed this already." What pests they were! He would not miss this when they had the means to create protoforms the normal way again.
"Why not?" Questioned the little but heavily armored 'bot sitting nearby. He was not going to try charisma, he wasn't good at it.
"Hammerhead, I am not going to explain it again. You must stay here for your own safety and that is non-negotiable.
"Fine."
Shockwave paused as if he were going to lecture them. Blueshift slouched in rejection and also resignation at hearing the stupid reasons again. He was also disappointed in Hammerhead. Normally he put up a protracted argument and seemed to come closer to wearing the larger 'bot down with each one. Not today.
"Very well," Shockwave said, and entered the code that opened the door. He stepped through and waited for it to close lest the other two try to escape.
"Slag. Stuck here again," said Blueshift. "And what's your problem? 'Fine.' What kind of argument is that?"
"Arguing is for guys who don't know what I know," Hammerhead said smugly, leaning back against the wall.
"What? What do you know? Tell me."
"I can get us out of here whenever I want."
"No you can't."
"Wanna bet?"
"How?"
"I know the code for the door, that's how." Hammerhead was destined for greatness through the use of a style of mortar that he would master and thereby shell enemies with pinpoint accuracy. One of the skills required for this was outstanding long-range vision. His had developed within the last couple of cycles. Each of the new 'Cons were gradually gaining abilities they didn't entirely understand. It happened after Shockwave connected them to the machines that added protoform material, whatever that was. Hammerhead's weapon systems were not fully developed so he didn't make the connection between that and his vision. All he knew was that he could suddenly see things from far away. That included the keypad on the door. If he were at the opposite end of the room, probably Shockwave didn't think he was able to see it from there and this unawareness allowed the secret to get out.
"No you don't." Blueshift said. He was in no mood. Being locked up in windowless rooms all day every day was beginning to bother him with increasing intensity. It made him frustrated and anxious for reasons that were inexplicable to him. He was flight capable and had been for a while, but there wasn't enough room in here. He could zip from one end of the room to the other but there wasn't sufficient space to execute a turn without crashing into a wall, ceiling or floor. They had seen images of Megatron and the others, and the wide-open sky visible behind them in a few of the shots had fascinated the seeker. That was outside these rooms? He had to see it.
"Yes I do and I can prove it. C'mon." He got up and casually walked to the door.
"You can't even reach it," said Blueshift with a grin.
"That's where you come in." Hammerhead crouched down and then tapped one of his shoulders. "Get on. You know, like when we try to see out of the door in the classroom."
"Okay." Blueshift gently positioned himself until he was standing on Hammerhead's shoulders. His balance wasn't thrown off at all when the heavier mech stood up.
"Can you reach the buttons?" Hammerhead asked.
"Yes. Now what."
"Enter this combination." He rattled off a string of numbers and waited. The door slid open, startling Blueshift, who didn't think it would work. The lighter mech jumped back down to the floor, landing gently. Both of them had antigravity capability but Shockwave had seen fit to disable it for now. No sense in making them any harder to keep track of. They didn't let that little shortcoming get in their way.
"Let's go!" Said Blueshift. He started to run from the room but was grabbed by the arm and hauled back.
"Not until you say it," said Hammerhead.
"Alright, alright. I was wrong."
This satisfied the mech but his friend couldn't resist going over the top with it.
"How, oh HOW, could I have ever doubted you?" The seeker cried dramatically, dropping to his knees and raising his arms toward the ceiling.
"That's enough. Let's get out of here before the door closes again."
They peeked around the sides of the door and then walked out into a short hallway. There was a door at the end with another keypad.
"I guess you know the code for that one too," said Blueshift.
"Frag!" said Hammerhead, bunching his hands into fists and glaring at a nearby wall as if he might punch a hole in it. He noticed the seeker frowning in concentration and that stopped him. What was he thinking?
"I've got it."
"What?"
"How we'll get out. Follow me."
The pair quickly moved to a door near the end of the hall that had no obvious security measures. Blueshift gently pushed it open and grinned. It was a storage room and its appearance suggested no one had used it recently. "We'll hide in here and wait until someone opens the door and then sneak out before they see us."
"Sounds too easy."
"Trust me."
They waited longer than they wanted to, but eventually a tall, gangly 'bot neither of them recognized came in from the hallway. Whoever it was didn't wait around for the door to close. They were out of sight quickly.
"Let's get out of here," said Hammerhead.
"Quit shoving, I'm going."
They slipped out into the corridor a second before the door slid closed. Both of them were silent for a moment, taking in the enormity of their surroundings that were unbelievably vast after their constant confinement.
"What should we do first?" Asked Blueshift.
"How about a game. We've never had this much room before," Hammerhead replied, looking all around.
"Search and Destroy?"
"Okay, but I get to be the hunter first."
"Fine with me, but you're going to be searching for cycles."
"Why is that?"
"This is why." Blueshift jumped up and transformed into an almost half-sized tetrajet and blasted away down a long hall and around a corner.
"Go on flyboy, I've got tracking radar. You can't hide forever," Hammerhead muttered and then transformed to his alt mode. It was a lot easier and faster hauling all that armor around on six wheels. He paused for a reading and then began rolling down the hall at a high rate of speed.
XxXxXxXxXxXxX
It was great to be home, Stormvolt thought as she walked to her office. Although she'd visited here on a weekly basis the entire length of her stay on Chaar, it felt like she had been away for ages. It was peculiar, as usual, the way Megatron decided to move her back here a month after she and Cyclonus had bonded. She was certain that he knew about the two of them. On her first trip to see him after it happened he watched her with that odd expression of amusement and speculation that creeped her out. He didn't talk to her inside her head anymore, but didn't he once say that even after the processor was transplanted to Galvatron that they would remain connected? No way. He had to be wrong about something eventually. But yeah, it seemed like he had at the least an idea of anything she did, or in some cases, thought. Hey, he'd lived in her mind for years and before then he was around her on nearly a daily basis. After all that, he was surely good at guessing what was on her mind. That or she was easy to read. As opposed to Cyclonus….
She knew when he was near enough to see her without using radar or any other sensors simply because of the force of his feelings. He didn't show them much outwardly, (definitely not when anyone else was about) but inwardly and especially when they were alone it was like trying to stand in a hurricane. There was no warm fuzziness about any of it, but it wasn't cold and possessive either. Ferocious was a good word for it. Maybe because it was all new to him. Given years to get used to it, perhaps he would calm down. What did he pick up from her? He likely wouldn't be able to explain it if asked to. It was weird, but it was all good.
It was also great to be on her own without Microntis's hovering presence too. The little guy meant well, but it was like being mothered. He would be transferred here shortly, according to Megatron, but was currently assisting a mech named Sawtooth with getting used to the way things worked on Chaar. Stormvolt didn't know Sawtooth well, (Megatron had selected him without her input) but he behaved acceptably during the interval she was around to transfer management to him. She was sure that if he took to mistreating the Minicons, word of it would reach her immediately. She was still in charge of operations there despite being relocated back to Cybertron. If Sawtooth botched the job and production fell, she would answer to Megatron. Now there would be weekly visits to Chaar to check on things. All in all, a preferable arrangement. She had just returned from visiting the southernmost point of their territory to see how the construction of a stronghold there was going. There was a brief report to write regarding that and then….
Her stream of thought was interrupted by engine noise, specifically a jet, but it sounded funny. She continued past her office and rounded a corner to see what all the commotion was. As she stepped out into the open, an undersized tetrajet swept around another corner and avoided crashing into her by the barest centimeters. The sudden maneuver caused it to go out of control and she watched as it transformed into a 'bot and landed on its feet sliding sideways along the metal floor in a spray of yellow sparks.
"Are you okay?" Stormvolt asked, when he came to a stop.
"Yes, I - ," he began. When he glanced up at her, his annoyance changed to surprise. "You're Deputy Air Commander Stormvolt aren't you?"
"Yes. And you are?"
"Forgive me ma'am. My designation is Blueshift. And may I say it is a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise." What was the deal here? There was Rumble and Frenzy, and there were Minicons. She hadn't heard of any pint sized seekers. And wasn't he formal? His greeting felt rehearsed to her. "Where were you before coming to Darkmount?"
His pleasure changed to puzzlement at the question. "What do you mean?"
"What was your previous duty assignment?"
"I don't have one, I guess. What is it?"
This kept getting stranger. It was like talking to a kid, except there wasn't any such thing. Was there?
"A duty assignment is where you live and what mission you have while you're there."
"Oh. I live with Hammerhead. Shockwave keeps both of us in a lab area. Our mission is to answer questions and let Shockwave maintain us and then we play games and consume energon."
Taken out of context, that sounded really creepy, Stormvolt thought. Did whatever Shockwave was doing explain his size?
"Who's Hammerhead?"
"He's my friend. He's not a seeker though."
More engine noise echoed in the corridor, eliminating the chance for further questions. Suddenly, a half-sized heavy assault vehicle came around the corner so fast that it tipped up on two wheels. The engine noise died abruptly as the vehicle changed into a heavily built, but petite mech who leapt into the air and tackled Blueshift. The collision was worse than the engine noise. They rolled together into the wall.
"Ha! You're destroyed, now you have to find me."
"Get off. Can't you see I'm talking?" Blueshift said, shoving at the heavier 'bot.
"I know. That's how I got you. Not paying attention."
"No, don't you see who it is?"
Stormvolt watched as the new arrival got to his feet and stared at her curiously before recognition dawned on him. "Please excuse the interruption, ma'am," he said.
"It's alright. You must be Hammerhead."
The discussion went no further. A door on the opposite side of the hall opened and Cyclonus emerged, glowering. How was he supposed to get any work done with the din of a small battle out here?
"Who is responsible for this disturbance?" He asked, immediately directing the force of his stare at two undersized mechs he had never seen before.
Stormvolt watched as the pair spun to face him and immediately awed expressions were on their faceplates, especially Blueshift, who finally spoke.
"Greetings, Air Commander Cyclonus."
"Who are you?" He was too annoyed to be polite. They shrunk back from him slightly.
"This is Blueshift and Hammerhead," said Stormvolt. "They live here in one of Shockwave's laboratories, evidently."
"Is that so? And what are they doing here?" He calmed measurably in the femme's presence. It was one of the benefits of their bond. If she was serene and he was not, all he had to do was allow the connection to influence him. Once he was able to control the bond's effects on him, he found it a rather pleasant condition. And he particularly liked to indulge in experiencing her feelings toward him when they were alone. They were strong and steady and felt unbreakable. Unfortunately right now he could do no more than borrow a measure of her calmness.
"Good question. What are you doing running around in the halls?"
"Shockwave never lets us do anything, so we decided to escape and see what was out there," said Hammerhead without a trace of remorse.
"He is unaware that you are free?" Cyclonus asked, with a hint of amusement.
"He might know by now. We meant to sneak back in before he found out."
"That won't be necessary," rasped another voice.
The small 'Cons were respectful to Stormvolt, impressed with Cyclonus, and, upon turning to discover Megatron, astonished and scared.
"All hail Lord Megatron," they said in unison, suddenly dropping to one knee and bowing, appearing terrified.
"Hail Megatron," Cyclonus and Stormvolt replied.
"Enough!" Said Megatron. He came down to this area to get out of his own office for a bit and find out the latest developments with the new stronghold and on Chaar. He did not expect to discover the end results of his experiments loitering about. "What are the two of you doing out of the laboratory?"
"Y- You see sir, we, uh, we wanted to see the rest of Darkmount and Shockwave doesn't let us go anywhere so we decided to do it on our own," said Blueshift
"I see. And did it occur to you that perhaps Shockwave had very good reasons for keeping you confined for now, not the least of which was because I told him to?" Megatron demanded, standing over the two mechs who had scooted closer together as if that would ward off any oncoming attacks.
"No sir. We didn't know that," said Hammerhead, in an oddly tiny voice.
Megatron continued to glare at them without speaking, making them squirm in anticipation of a horrible punishment. At last he broke the tension.
"The two of you will immediately return to the laboratory, and you would be wise to forego any unsanctioned trips in the future."
Stormvolt honestly worried that he was going to punt one or both of them down the hall when they scurried past. He used that low, withering tone she was familiar with that always made her feel about an inch tall. She could only imagine what it did to those two.
Megatron preferred that they had remained a secret for now, but this was not the worst possible outcome. "Undoubtedly you have questions as to what is going on. Come with me and I will show you," he said. It was early, but he could take this as an opportunity to begin preparations for the next step in the education of his new soldiers.
Cyclonus noticed that at first Megatron appeared annoyed at their accidental discovery, but then pleased at the prospect of showing off one of his ideas. Whatever it was, it was sure to be interesting.
XxXxXxXxXxX
"It is not ideal, but I must say that it is clever," said Cyclonus as he walked back toward his office with Stormvolt. Megatron's explanation was quite involved. Never would he have guessed that this was going on beneath Darkmount. It made him wonder what else was hidden away that their leader didn't see fit to tell them about.
"Yes, Shockwave's going to have a regular daycare center down there soon," said Stormvolt.
"What is that?"
"It's a place where humans send their offspring to be looked after and to learn basic things usually during the day part of a cycle when the creators are at their places of employment."
"I see. What do they learn?"
"Oh, the proper manners to use when interacting with others. Colors, counting, the alphabet, maybe some spelling. Like I said, basics."
"Why not information that is beneficial such as the chain of command and combat techniques?"
"They learn about that when they get older in a place called 'middle school'. Figuratively speaking, that is."
Cyclonus nodded and they walked on in silence for a couple of minutes. He was tasked with finding places for the new 'bots until there were enough of them to compose a full size class, and then develop a training program that would be used as part of the new War Academy. It was not a minor undertaking.
"Does that ever happen?" Stormvolt asked.
"What?"
"Do Decepticons ever participate in the upbringing of the sparks they create once they have a body?"
"No, of course not. You forget that in normal circumstances, this abnormality does not exist. A spark is implanted into a protoform and is full size immediately. Soon after, the primary characteristics begin to evolve. Once they do, basic programming is installed and then they receive the remainder of their training and education at the War Academy once they have finished the change from the protoform stage to their final configuration."
"They don't have any involvement at all?"
"No. Why do you ask?" She never asked a lot of questions without having something going in her processors.
"No reason."
That was a lie. He felt it. There was nothing malevolent in it, but his character demanded an answer. Even without their bond he would have suspected she had a plan in the works.
"It is not for 'no reason'. What are you considering?" He asked.
"I was thinking…at some point you and I will generate a spark, right?"
"Presumably."
"And the way Megatron talked suggested this thing they're doing now is the way it's going to be for a long time, until we get better established."
"Go on."
"What if you and I had an active involvement in its evolution?"
"Neither of us has the available time required for such an endeavor."
"I don't mean every minute of the day. But what if we visited them and took them out and around occasionally?" She had never considered herself maternal. Not as a human and not now, but the idea of creating a new Decepticon and then handing them over to be solely under the influence of Shockwave was highly objectionable.
"And what would we do with them during those intervals?"
"I don't know. Teach them to think for themselves?"
"That will happen on its own," said Cyclonus, entering the pass code on the lock outside his office. The door immediately slid upward.
"Yes, but wouldn't sooner be better than later?" Stormvolt asked as she followed him inside.
"Perhaps. What else?"
"We could teach them stuff like combat and basic medical knowledge. You did a pretty good job with me. Think of the possibilities with someone who had that much of a head start. And we will have them under our command eventually. I would want them to be prepared, wouldn't you?"
As usual she was making a good argument. And any mech or femme that he had a hand in creating should be among the finest of their kind. With their input how would this hypothetical 'bot be anything other than the pride of the Decepticon Army?
"It is worth further consideration. But you are forgetting one important fact."
"What's that?"
"We have yet to create the required spark," said Cyclonus, with a wily smirk as he moved close to the femme.
"You're right. We should get to work on that."
XxXxX
Megatron pressed a softly glowing button on the console beside him and ended the transmission of the conversation between his subordinates. If they were successful, he would know as soon as they did, but not to the same extent. For that he was thankful. Feeling what he did as much as he did was bad enough. Bad, but extremely useful. Thanks to the link he still maintained with the femme, he knew the gist of her emotions and could often translate that into possible trains of thought. And now that she was bonded to Cyclonus, he also had vague impressions of what went on in those processors. It was nothing exact of course, but it was enough to allow him to detect treachery. It was all so delightfully complicated.
He knew they would produce sparks, or at least attempt to, but the discovery of his experiments seemed to have expedited the process. Megatron was curious to see if it was possible. For a former human and one of Unicron's abominations to be able to successfully bond was surprising, but he had his doubts about their abilities to create a spark. He hoped they were able to do it. Not for their happiness or for the good of his people but for reasons of his own. If all went well, it would make things even more knotty for him but certainly not impossible.
XxXxXxXxX
Author's note continued: Just in case you're worried that this is going somewhere that's super dull, I promise the action will pick up again, but of course I don't want to give anything away. Trust me.
