When We Were Young
Chapter 20 - Off to the Championship
Excitement was in the air, so thick you could almost taste it. The War Ball team was taking off for Metalluna, a small city in the last bastion of neutral territory on Cybertron, whose sole purpose it was to provide a safe place to host the Heavy Metal War Ball Championship Tournament.
During tournament week there were no classes or homework at the Decepticon War Academy. There were parties, painted banners, and music in the streets. It was quite a festival and it had only just begun.
However, the War Ball team itself had some definate problems worth being at least concerned about. Thundercracker had still not been released from the Medbay and nobody was sure how Soundwave would be able to handle a real game as goalkeeper. On top of that, Skywarp's focus on the game was shaky at best, and Starscream, though he was excellent during practice, had zero game experience as well. However, Megatron seemed confident and his confidence seemed to radiate to the others and provide a subtle, silent morale booster.
***********************
The team waited impatiently in the Headmaster's office, for the Headmaster to come back and inform them that their transport had arrived. They couldn't wait outside for they would soon be swamped by their fellow students, the femme students in particular.
"Man, this is boring. When's the Headmaster gonna get back?" Ramjet whined, slumping in his chair.
"How should we know?" Thrust snapped back.
"Don't worry boys," Megatron calmly entered in his voice, when he saw Ramjet look as if he would run over and wring Thrust's neck. "We have to get there by the time the opening ceremonies start. So we'll have to leave within the hour, or there abouts."
That seemed to satisfy Ramjet, as he slumped gruffly back down in his chair. Megatron looked over at Starscream who seemed unusually quiet considering what a big event the day was.
"You ok?" Megatron's calm question startled Starscream out of his trance of gazing out the window.
"Uh? oh, yeah. It just sucks crude that the one person I've look up to for so long, doesn't approve of the goal I've had my spark set on ever since I came here." Starscream crossed his arms on the window ledge and lay his head on them.
"Skyfire?"
"Yes." Starscream gaze fell on the Combaticons throwing paint at each other, rather than puting it on the banner they were supposed to be making, in the street below. Starscream almost let out a chuckle, when in an attempt to get his team to stop, Onsluaght got covered with a namesake amount of paint from the other four.
"What really matters is what you want, Starscream." Megatron spoke again, this time the seeker looked at him.
"Yeah, but sometimes it's hard to know what I want." Starscream sighed.
The conversation abruptly stopped as Blitzwing walked over to the window, looked out, and laughed.
"Ha,ha. Brawl's pink! Blast! Where's Reflector when we need him?" Blitzwing was almost on the floor laughing.
All of the other team members, with the exception of Soundwave, rushed over to the window. Seeing Brawl with a pink paint job was something they could not bear to miss.
Blitzwing opened the window and yelled. "Lookin' pretty Brawl!"
"Fvker! I'll kill him!" Brawl attempted to fly up to strangle Blitzwing, but a now colorfully painted Onslaught held him back.
"Fool! We can't cause any trouble than we already have, and attacking a War Ball team member on the day they leave for the championship, particularly after the Thundercracker incident, counts as big trouble! Now knock it off or we'll get kicked out!" Onslaught hissed.
Brawl growled as he gave up his plan of attack on Blitzwing, which was soon forgotten when he was hit in the head by a blob of yellow paint thrown by Vortex.
The War Ball team watched with great amusement as four of the members of the Bruticus gestalt proceeded to get into an all out paint throwing street fight, while poor Onslaught looked as if he was about to have a nervous breakdown.
Unfortunately for the Combaticons, the War Ball team and the the growing crowd of student spectators, the infamous freelance peackeeping agent caretaker of the Aerial House, or known by his common name Death's Head, pushed his way through the crowd and threatened to shoot, maime and/or paralyze any Combaticon who dared even flick a drop of paint in his direction, or any other for that matter.
The War Ball team's enjoyment was futher interrupted when the office door opened and the Headmaster stepped inside.
"Well I'm glad to find you so merry my boys," The Headmaster smirked as the team quickly dashed from the window back to where they sitting before the paintball fight.
"Your transportation is ready. However due tothe recent events, I can not join you as tradition speaks, but you still need a chaperone, so one of the other professors has volunteered take you and look after you. Follow me."
The War Ball team filed out of the office quite excited to say the least. It was finally time.
"Uh Headmaster?" Blitzwing spoke up. "It's not Airstrike that's taken us, is it?"
"No Blitzwing it is not Airstrike." Headmaster almost chuckled at the relief that came over Blitzwing's face, but kept his face straight.
"Then who? Dreadmoon?" Skywarp offered up.
"Couldn't be, he said it was a professor." Starscream pointed out, then he stopped dead his tracks. The others turned around to look at him.
"It's Skyfire." Starscream said in almost a whisper.
"Starscream has won the guessing game, now come along." The Headmaster motioned, and the team followed.
"But why?" Starscream half whispered to himself and to Megatron who was walking next to him. "I thought he didn't like War Ball."
"Maybe it's not for War Ball." Megatron pointed out.
Starscream looked at him quizzically then looked back down at the floor as realization what Megatron was implying sunk in.
When the War Ball team walked out of the administratvie building, they were nearly drowned when their fellow classmates swarmed them with cheers and signs, and requests for autographs.
Fortunately, Skyfire was transformed and ready and waiting for them, so they managed to get out of the crowd in one piece.
************************************************
(Avoids sharp objects being tossed by audience members)
Sorry for the long wait I wanted to finish "Aviator" before I continued and college has been evil to me. I'm completely shell shocked from how much work there is, it's draining all of my brain's energy, but I promise I'll do my best to get these chapters written up quicker.
Thank you for your patience.
Till Next Time. -Vega Sailor
Chapter 20 - Off to the Championship
Excitement was in the air, so thick you could almost taste it. The War Ball team was taking off for Metalluna, a small city in the last bastion of neutral territory on Cybertron, whose sole purpose it was to provide a safe place to host the Heavy Metal War Ball Championship Tournament.
During tournament week there were no classes or homework at the Decepticon War Academy. There were parties, painted banners, and music in the streets. It was quite a festival and it had only just begun.
However, the War Ball team itself had some definate problems worth being at least concerned about. Thundercracker had still not been released from the Medbay and nobody was sure how Soundwave would be able to handle a real game as goalkeeper. On top of that, Skywarp's focus on the game was shaky at best, and Starscream, though he was excellent during practice, had zero game experience as well. However, Megatron seemed confident and his confidence seemed to radiate to the others and provide a subtle, silent morale booster.
***********************
The team waited impatiently in the Headmaster's office, for the Headmaster to come back and inform them that their transport had arrived. They couldn't wait outside for they would soon be swamped by their fellow students, the femme students in particular.
"Man, this is boring. When's the Headmaster gonna get back?" Ramjet whined, slumping in his chair.
"How should we know?" Thrust snapped back.
"Don't worry boys," Megatron calmly entered in his voice, when he saw Ramjet look as if he would run over and wring Thrust's neck. "We have to get there by the time the opening ceremonies start. So we'll have to leave within the hour, or there abouts."
That seemed to satisfy Ramjet, as he slumped gruffly back down in his chair. Megatron looked over at Starscream who seemed unusually quiet considering what a big event the day was.
"You ok?" Megatron's calm question startled Starscream out of his trance of gazing out the window.
"Uh? oh, yeah. It just sucks crude that the one person I've look up to for so long, doesn't approve of the goal I've had my spark set on ever since I came here." Starscream crossed his arms on the window ledge and lay his head on them.
"Skyfire?"
"Yes." Starscream gaze fell on the Combaticons throwing paint at each other, rather than puting it on the banner they were supposed to be making, in the street below. Starscream almost let out a chuckle, when in an attempt to get his team to stop, Onsluaght got covered with a namesake amount of paint from the other four.
"What really matters is what you want, Starscream." Megatron spoke again, this time the seeker looked at him.
"Yeah, but sometimes it's hard to know what I want." Starscream sighed.
The conversation abruptly stopped as Blitzwing walked over to the window, looked out, and laughed.
"Ha,ha. Brawl's pink! Blast! Where's Reflector when we need him?" Blitzwing was almost on the floor laughing.
All of the other team members, with the exception of Soundwave, rushed over to the window. Seeing Brawl with a pink paint job was something they could not bear to miss.
Blitzwing opened the window and yelled. "Lookin' pretty Brawl!"
"Fvker! I'll kill him!" Brawl attempted to fly up to strangle Blitzwing, but a now colorfully painted Onslaught held him back.
"Fool! We can't cause any trouble than we already have, and attacking a War Ball team member on the day they leave for the championship, particularly after the Thundercracker incident, counts as big trouble! Now knock it off or we'll get kicked out!" Onslaught hissed.
Brawl growled as he gave up his plan of attack on Blitzwing, which was soon forgotten when he was hit in the head by a blob of yellow paint thrown by Vortex.
The War Ball team watched with great amusement as four of the members of the Bruticus gestalt proceeded to get into an all out paint throwing street fight, while poor Onslaught looked as if he was about to have a nervous breakdown.
Unfortunately for the Combaticons, the War Ball team and the the growing crowd of student spectators, the infamous freelance peackeeping agent caretaker of the Aerial House, or known by his common name Death's Head, pushed his way through the crowd and threatened to shoot, maime and/or paralyze any Combaticon who dared even flick a drop of paint in his direction, or any other for that matter.
The War Ball team's enjoyment was futher interrupted when the office door opened and the Headmaster stepped inside.
"Well I'm glad to find you so merry my boys," The Headmaster smirked as the team quickly dashed from the window back to where they sitting before the paintball fight.
"Your transportation is ready. However due tothe recent events, I can not join you as tradition speaks, but you still need a chaperone, so one of the other professors has volunteered take you and look after you. Follow me."
The War Ball team filed out of the office quite excited to say the least. It was finally time.
"Uh Headmaster?" Blitzwing spoke up. "It's not Airstrike that's taken us, is it?"
"No Blitzwing it is not Airstrike." Headmaster almost chuckled at the relief that came over Blitzwing's face, but kept his face straight.
"Then who? Dreadmoon?" Skywarp offered up.
"Couldn't be, he said it was a professor." Starscream pointed out, then he stopped dead his tracks. The others turned around to look at him.
"It's Skyfire." Starscream said in almost a whisper.
"Starscream has won the guessing game, now come along." The Headmaster motioned, and the team followed.
"But why?" Starscream half whispered to himself and to Megatron who was walking next to him. "I thought he didn't like War Ball."
"Maybe it's not for War Ball." Megatron pointed out.
Starscream looked at him quizzically then looked back down at the floor as realization what Megatron was implying sunk in.
When the War Ball team walked out of the administratvie building, they were nearly drowned when their fellow classmates swarmed them with cheers and signs, and requests for autographs.
Fortunately, Skyfire was transformed and ready and waiting for them, so they managed to get out of the crowd in one piece.
************************************************
(Avoids sharp objects being tossed by audience members)
Sorry for the long wait I wanted to finish "Aviator" before I continued and college has been evil to me. I'm completely shell shocked from how much work there is, it's draining all of my brain's energy, but I promise I'll do my best to get these chapters written up quicker.
Thank you for your patience.
Till Next Time. -Vega Sailor