A/N: I believe that some of the more neurotic tendencies come from things that happen in childhood, and I'm starting to introduce those ideas into the story, how else could you explain Starscream's neurotic nature and Skywarp's ADHD? Constructive criticism is always welcomed, please rate and review if you like the story and beware of little Seekers with grease guns!
Chapter 3 – Beware of Bored Younglings
Skywarp was sprawled across the steps watching a line of ant-droids march along the sidewalk. "Can't you read any faster?"
"I could if you'd stop asking every astro-second." Starscream growled and tried to go back to reading the data pad on spark transfers.
Skywarp let out a long exasperated sigh. "This is sooooooo boring." He looked over at Thundercracker who was mesmerized by the fliers that performed high above them in the Cybertronian skies. Even if he could draw Thundercracker's attention away from the fliers, he wouldn't really help him pester Starscream. He flopped onto his side and pushed the stack of data pads over, scattering them down the stoop, "Why are you reading that anyway?"
Starscream picked up the scattered data pads and glared at Skywarp, "So I can get into the Iacon Science Academy. Now will you shut up and let me finish?"
The black mech let out another loud sigh as he shifted around on the stoop and started to poke Starscream with his foot, "Can't you read that later?"
The red mech sighed, grabbing Skywarp's foot and shoving it away, only to have the annoying mech move in closer and poke him more insistently.
Starscream turned on Skywarp and snarled. "Will. You. Stop. Doing. That!"
"No. Read your nerdy stuff later and let's play now."
"I can't. I'm already behind in my reading."
"So?"
Starscream let out a martyred sigh and scooted away from Skywarp's poking foot. "Just let me read a bit more and we'll play, alright?"
"I guess…"
"Thank you."
"Meh… I don't understand why you're doing all this nerdy stuff now. It's not like you're going to the academy tomorrow. You have like a hundred billion deca-cycles until you're old enough to go."
"It's not a hundred billion deca-cycles, you glitch-mouse." Starscream rolled his optics. "And if you want to get into the Academy too, you better start studying."
"I don't want to go to the dumb Science Academy."
"Then what are you going to do? Play games and prank people your whole life?"
Skywarp grinned. "I would if I could, but I'm going to be a great warrior when I grow up."
"Idiot, the war is over."
"So?" The black mech sat up quickly. "My father-creator says every era needs warriors to defend against invasions and uprisings."
Starscream shook his head. "You will still have to go to the University for your basic training, and you'll have to pass the exams before you can enter the Fighting Academy."
"So?"
Starscream put his data pad down, "So?' You'll be stuck in the first deca-mesters forever if you don't start studying now."
Skywarp balled his little hands into fists and faked a punch at the exasperated red mech. "I'm an old pro at fighting, I don't need to study."
"You're an idiot, 'Warp. It's not fighting that you'll be studying in the first deca-mesters."
"So? If I need anything other than these," he nodded to his small fists. "I'll just rely on you two for the answers."
Starscream rolled his optics again and tried to go back to his data pad.
Skywarp was quiet for a few wonderful minutes as he stood up and shadow boxed his way around the stoop. He stopped behind the silent Thundercracker, who was still enthralled with the fliers, and started to flick him in the back of the head. "What about you, TC? Are you going to the Science Academy to be a nerd like 'Screamer?" Skywarp stuck his nose up in the air and added a snooty tone to his mischievous voice.
Thundercracker swatted Skywarp's flicking hand away, "No."
The black mech sat down quickly next to his quiet friend, "Are you going to come with me and be a great warrior?"
"No."
Skywarp frowned and gave a sharp shove to Thundercracker, "What are you going to do then, huh?"
The silent blue mech looked at Skywarp for a moment before turning his attention back to the sky above and the circling fliers, "I'm going to fly."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
One optic ridge rose on Skywarp's face, "You're just going to fly? No fighting or anything else?"
"Yep."
Little purple optics narrowed. "But 'Screamer says you have to the University for training before you can do anything else." He turned and stuck his tongue out at the red mech, who was pretending to read as he listened to the others.
"I know."
"But you have to study like nerdy 'Screamer."
"Who says I'm not studying?"
"Uhm, me? You're sitting here watching the fliers and we're going to play whenever the nerdy glitch-mouse is done with reading his boring stuff." Skywarp leaned into his friend and poked him in the arm, "Did you do all your nerdy stuff before you came outside?"
"No." With his optics still on the fliers above, Thundercracker gave little attention to his pestering friend.
Skywarp looked thoroughly confused, "So when do you study, if you actually do the nerdy reading and stuff."
"At night. I watch the flier patrols and study between their sweeps."
Skywarp flopped back on the stoop with a belabored sigh, "My two best friends are nerds."
Starscream snorted in laugher, "Are you jealous that TC is smart and you're just a pain in the aft?"
Skywarp rolled his optics, "You're both boring. B-O-R-I-N-G."
"I'm impressed, 'Warp. I didn't think you could spell anything." Starscream gave the black mech a mischievous smirk.
"I can too spell anything."
Thundercracker made a choking noise and Starscream bent over his data pad, as both tried not to laugh out loud at Skywarp. The black mech caught on to why they were stifling giggles; he tried to punch at Thundercracker, but the blue mech scooted away. Skywarp crossed his arms over his chest and fumed. Some friends they were for picking on him.
Thundercracker grinned at the pouting Skywarp before turning his attention back to the fliers.
Starscream smiled and went back to reading the data pad quietly, thankful that Skywarp was effectively shot down and hopefully quiet for the next few nano-seconds.
The black youngling sighed and went back to watching the marching ant-droids. He vowed that when he grew up, he'd kick their nerdy afts all over Cybertron. His mischievous smirk came back as he pictured himself kicking Starscream around. He'd get that nerdy red mech good for making fun of him. But Thundercracker would be more difficult to catch if he was a flier. He shot a nasty glance at the mesmerized mech; he'd have to become a flier too if he was to catch him and kick his aft. He had entertained the thought of being a flier before since his father-creator was a flier in the war. And that was all it took for Skywarp, he would become a warrior and a flier and kick both Starscream's and Thundercracker's afts across the face of Cybertron.
Thundercracker felt the heated glare from Skywarp, "Still trying to think of a comeback, 'Warp?"
Purple optics narrowed, "No. I'm thinking how good it will feel when I kick both of your afts when I'm a warrior and a flier."
The blue mech turned to his angry friend, "You're going to fight and fly? Are you sure you can do both at once? It would be sad if you overclocked your CPU and fell out of the sky."
Starscream dropped his data pad as he busted up laughing; Thundercracker was grinning madly as Skywarp glared daggers back at him. The red mech reached out to retrieve the data pad only to have an angry Skywarp kick it down the stairs.
"Frag you two. I hate you both." Skywarp stood up quickly and sneered at the two laughing mechs, "I don't know why I even bother to play with you two nerdy glitch-mice, I'm going home." He spun quickly on his heel and stomped down the steps.
Starscream and Thundercracker shared a grin at Skywarp's retreating form, "Too bad you're going home, 'Warp. I had just finished my studying." The red mech pushed the neatly stacked pile of data pads to the side of the steps, "So, TC. What to you want to do today?" Starscream said loud enough for the pouting black mech to hear.
"Hmmm. Well, we could pretend we're fliers and attack people on the street with the grease guns." Thundercracker's voice took on a sing-song quality as they tempted the black mech.
Skywarp stopped in his tracks, his arms at his sides and his fists opening and closing quickly. Thundercracker's idea was a really good one and it sounded like it would be so much fun… He turned and stomped back to the two grinning mechs with his optics on the ground, "Can I play too?"
"I'll go get the grease guns." Thundercracker bolted across the street to his home quickly.
Starscream looked at the still angry black mech, "You know we're just teasing you, 'Warp."
Skywarp shuffled uneasily, "Yeah."
The red mech rolled his optics and shook his head. Seeing his cocky friend so upset over a few comments made Starscream feel bad. He gave a playful punch to Skywarp, "I'll try to get most of my studying done at night like TC so we can play more."
Skywarp's wide purple optics looked up at Starscream, as his mischievous grin spread across his face. He grabbed Starscream's arm suddenly and dragged the surprised mech across the street. "Let's scare TC when he comes out!"
--
Skywarp let Starscream's arm drop as they stood in front of the titanium door to Thundercracker's home; the blue mech hadn't shut it all the way in his hurry to get the grease guns, "Let's go inside and scare him."
"But he'll be right back, 'Warp."
"That's why he won't suspect us being here and scaring him." The black mech pushed the door open grinning manically at Starscream.
"You go scare him, I'll wait out here."
"Don't be a robo-chicken, 'Screamer." Skywarp grabbed the red mech and shoved him through the doorway, "Come on. It'll be great, TC's the most fun to scare." The two crept inside, the black mech pulling the skittish red mech along with him and motioning for him to be silent.
The home was orderly and sparse; there were holo-pictures on the wall of Thundercracker and a smiling blue femme with sleek wings who was proudly displaying a heavily decorated sash glittering with assorted medals across her cockpit. Skywarp's optics went wide at a display box holding the tri-colored flag of Iacon and an array of medals. He leaned in to Starscream as he pointed and whispered hoarsely, "Those are for valor in aerial battles!"
There was a noise in the next room; grinning purple optics and a mischievous smile sent a wave of dread through Starscream. The red mech's fuel pump skipped nervously and his morning energon tried to rebel inside his fuel tank. Skywarp motioned for the red mech to stay silent as they crept to the doorway that led further into the house. The black mech held up three fingers, motioning that they'd jump into the room on a count of three. The black mech leaped into the room shouting and dragging the unwilling Starscream with him, "YARRGH!"
A flash of blue jumped up startled at the shout. Metallic blue that was not Thundercracker. A tall blue femme with sleek wings turned to face the intruders. Skywarp's optics widened in fear and he teleported away, leaving the skittish red mech standing stock still against the doorway.
The femme smiled and put her hands on her hips. She crossed the room silently, her purple optics fixed on the youngling who looked like he wanted to melt into the floor. She looked at the frightened mech with the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile, "And just what are you doing in my home?"
Terrified purple optics threatened to burst from Starscream's face as the femme stared at him. His mouth worked wordlessly a few moments before he managed the smallest, high-pitched, panic-stricken squeak.
The femme knelt down to his level and smiled at the youngling, "You must be Starscream and your disappearing friend must be Skywarp."
The red mech nodded slowly, his voice still hiding somewhere in the octaves that even a turbodog would have difficulty hearing.
"Thundercracker talks about you two a lot." The femme stood up and she tried to pat the petrified youngling on the shoulder. Starscream visibly flinched and the femme looked at him curiously. "So… where did the other one disappear to? Seems cowardly to teleport away leaving you here alone."
Skywarp jumped out from behind the doorway, his purple optics ablaze, "I'm not a coward! 'Screamer could have ran if he wanted to!"
The femme smirked and poked the youngling's nose, "No one will trust a warrior in a battle if he leaves his comrades behind. And trusting your comrades is essential if you want to stay alive."
Skywarp's optics widened in admiration, "You're a warrior!"
Thundercracker had reappeared by then carrying the grease guns. Starscream stood with his back against the wall looking terrified while Skywarp looked up at his mother-creator in awe. The blue mech walked over to the three and waved his hand in front of Starscream's optics, "I think you knocked his CPU into shutdown, 'Warp."
"I didn't…" The femme pointed her finger in his face. "I mean... I didn't mean to. We were just going to scare you, TC."
Thundercracker grinned knowingly as he watched the cocky Skywarp back peddle in front of his mother-creator.
The femme looked at the grease guns in her sparkling's arms and shook her head. "You three should go outside to play with those."
Thundercracker nodded and grabbed the catatonic Starscream's arm, "Come on, 'Warp. Let's get 'Screamer outside before he empties his fuel tank on the floor." The red mech had started to come around and looked blankly at the others.
If Skywarp heard him at all, he didn't acknowledge it, "Can you tell us stories about warriors and how you got all those medals and awards?"
The femme smiled again, "Maybe later."
Reluctantly, Thundercracker got Skywarp to help drag Starscream outside with the grease guns where they took turns spraying the red mech unmercifully with grease until he recovered enough to retaliate.
The femme watched the three run about the street playing and chuckled as they ambushed each other. She was glad that her shy and quiet youngling had found playmates, even if they were slightly odd sparklings. Her purple optics narrowed as they were drawn to the apartment where Starscream lived. She would have to keep a watch on him, she thought as she closed the door. Something had to have happened to cause the youngling to flinch when she touched him.
