Speedwriting Prompts 6
Author's Notes: Sorry that this is so late. I had a busy week. On the other hand, I squeed when I saw Prompt 4. Oh yeah, and Omakes are little short stories based off of another story, almost always in a just-barely AU (alternate universe) setting.
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Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.
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Title: Neither Brother Nor Friend
Continuity: G1
Prompt 1: "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." (Quote of Sun-Tzu, Chinese general & military strategist ~400 BC)
I don't like him.
Sunstreaker stared at his scrubbing partner, not smiling, but not scowling either. In response, Tracks laughed and spun saucily around. "Come on, Sunstreaker. I need my back done, and I know that you want it too." Disdaining a reply, the Corvette disappeared into the washroom, leaving the frontliner to follow.
I never have liked him, the Lamborghini mused. And I know that despite appearances, he doesn't like me either. I guess we're following that "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" rule that I've heard about. Mentally shrugging, the golden bot made his way over to his smiling, phony, beautiful companion.
At least he knows how to put on wax well.
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Title: In Strange Places
Continuity: G1
Prompt 4: A character demonstrates a previously unrevealed creative ability.
Sideswipe gazed about himself restlessly, fidgeting in place. Sighing, he finally gave up his futile efforts to keep still and ignore his code-deep urge. ::Sunstreaker?:: he called to his brother over the bond.
Not surprisingly, what with Sideswipe's uncharacteristic use of his twin's full name, he received an answer immediately. ::What is it, Sides?::
::I have to do it again now,:: Sideswipe informed him guiltily. ::I know we just did it last week, but Jazz is here, and he was playing some of the most amazing music I have ever heard, and I feel too tight for my processor, and-::
::Relax, Sideswipe,:: his brother told him soothingly. ::Just give me a minute, and we'll go leave. You can't help what you Feel.::
::Thanks, Sunny.:: Sideswipe nearly melted in relief while sending his feelings over the bond. ::I'll meet you at the exit.::
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With surprisingly little fuss (although there was a glaring Prowl) later, the two found themselves out of the Ark and at a quiet, secluded area away from prying ears and eyes.
Sunstreaker turned to his almost vibrating twin. "Let it out, Sides. By the way, what are you planning to do?"
With a wan smile, the red hellion answered, "The song that Jazz was playing in the commissary today." Gathering himself together, Sideswipe began sweetly singing.
Morning in Paris, the city awakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
The fisherman fishes, the bakerman bakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
To the big bells as loud as the thunder
To the little bells soft as a psalm
And some say the soul of the city's the toll of the bellsThe bells of Notre Dame
As Sideswipe continued the song, Sunstreaker absorbed the rhythm and began swaying, quickly adding in gentle dance moves in accordance to his twin's thoughts.
Solvet saeclum in favila
Dies irae dies illa
To Sideswipe's utter shock, before he could begin the Archdeacon's first, sung line, an unknown, absolutely gorgeous voice interrupted him.
See there the innocent blood you have spilt on the steps of Notre Dame
Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt on the steps of Notre Dame
Reeling around in panic, both frontliners stopped before attacking in surprise as they truly registered the song's continuance and gaped at Soundwave's visorless face.
Calmly ignoring them, Soundwave completed the part before nodding at Sideswipe to continue.
With a jolt, the red twin obediently began once more as Sunstreaker warily watched the interloper. While perhaps not quite to the same standard as before Soundwave's appearance, their ending more than made up for it.
Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells. Bells of Notre Dame!
Recovering from the high that the music produced, Sideswipe turned to face his unexpected partner. "Since when do you sing?"
An expression of amusement on his face, Soundwave smoothly answered, "Since I was a sparkling, literally. My creators discovered my talent early. Unfortunately, I haven't sung for anyone outside of my symbiotes for entirely too long. However," a calculating look spread across his surprisingly expressive face. "I was under the impression that no Singers lived among us on Earth aside from myself. How have the two of you managed to keep others from discovering?"
Snorting, Sunstreaker deigned to answer that one. "He has a twin that loves his music and respects his paranoia of others learning. When he does get the urge, we just go for a drive, like we do all the time. Now my turn. How did you find out?"
"Do not worry; Frenzy and Rumble happened to be causing copious amounts of destruction where Sideswipe sang last week. They managed to restrain themselves when they heard you, came back, and told me. Today, Laserbeak informed me when you left, and I simply found and followed you."
Drawing himself even more upright, the Singer inclined his head toward the Autobots. "I propose a mild truce, just for the three of us. Every so often, we get together, just for music." As an afterthought, he added, "My symbiotes will often come, but they will behave."
::I think he means it; I mean, he's showing us his face,:: Sideswipe noted. ::Can we please meet with him, Sunny? It would be so nice to sing with someone again.::
"We accept on one condition," Sunstreaker spoke for both of them. "Why in all of the seven hells do you wear a mask and speak in that horrific monotone accent if you're really like this?"
With a slight chuckle, Soundwave smiled and answered, "The facemask helps intimidate others, and as you have probably noticed, disguises my emotions. The monotone helps with as well, and prevents people from guessing that I am a Singer; after all, we are even more rare than we used to be. Finally, the accent is for the same reason. I also find it amusing when people used to mistake my loyalty or intelligence because of it. Fortunately, I choose to sound that way normally; it is not a glitch."
Hopefully, the big, scary Decepticon officer raised his eyes to look at his "enemies." "So, what next?"
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Title: Famous Last Words (or Omake 1)
Continuity: G1
Prompt 6: Choose a prompt from this master prompt list. Please indicate the date and prompt no/title.
25 August 1012: Famous last words.
Omake 1: Set after the above arrangement has been going on for a while…
Standing together, shoulder to shoulder on the battle field, Soundwave, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Skywarp defiantly stared down their leaders.
"Order: now repeated" spoke Soundwave's monotone voice. "Cease hostilities between Autobots and Decepticons; Now."
Megatron sputtered in fury as the Prime just watched in shock. "How dare you defy me like this, Soundwave! And really, where do you all think that you would go if you left here?"
"Oh, we figured that out months ago," Sideswipe answered cheerfully. "We'd set ourselves up on human television, explain exactly how we had been mistreated because of our gifts, and become rich and even more famous due to our abilities to sing and dance. And then," he added with a wicked smile, "we would try to take over the world!"
Skywarp matter-of-factly cut off the cackling by slapping the frontliner on the back of the head. "You'd also be out a second in command and Elite Trine, because we have contingency plans to kidnap them." He warned Megatron, equally cheerful.
Finally breaking out of his staring, Optimus shrugged, turned to his distracted nemesis, and placed the muzzle of his gun as close to the Decepticon Leader's spark casing as possible. "In accordance with the demands of our former soldiers," the formerly-seen-as-sappy-and-reluctant-to-harm-or-th reaten-others mech stated calmly, "I hereby propose a truce."
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Omake 2: Set some time in the future…
At the end of their session, Soundwave turned to face his partner, who automatically tensed at the foreign twinkle in the telepath's eyes (as opposed to the now-familiar twinkle whenever the visor was retracted). "Sideswipe," he started in an easy tone, "I've been practicing a new parody. Would you like to hear it?"
Smiling jovially, the frontliner nodded, circumspectly telling his nearby twin that something, probably/hopefully benign, was afoot. "Of course. I'm always willing to hear one of your songs."
"Glad to hear that reconfirmed." Purposefully, the comms mech shifted himself into different stance, and, Sideswipe noted uneasily, closer to easily running away. "Let me know if you don't recognize the tune," the singer added, before he burst into song.
"Hail, to the victors valiant
"Hail, to the conquering heroes,
"Hail, hail, to Megatron, the leader of the best~!"
Unsurprisingly, Soundwave never started his second verse because of the need to run far, far away from two irritated and disgusted frontliners.
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Author's Notes 2: Here are the (really long) details for this week:
#1: I don't know enough about Tracks to really write him or understand him, but I liked the idea this time 'round. Normally though, I'm all for no conflict, no hatred, no lies, etc. All stuff that I won't ever find on this Earth.
#4: I am a singer, specifically a 1st Soprano (i.e. I can get really high), and I am rather good at it. Needless to say, I love music. I've had a version of this idea stuck in my head for about a year now, and finally got the chance to use it. There is an extremely likely chance that this characteristic will be reused or referenced in my future stories. I have never seen "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," (do NOT read the book! It's disgusting!), but I have found this gorgeous cover of the song: "The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Female Cover)" by Marina Brower on YouTube. Finally, I realize that the G1 characters are about a decade before the movie came out. I dun' care. The lyrics, including the Latin, were taken from SING365dotcom
#6/Omake 1: Skywarp is there because of my head-story. Basically, about 1 in 100 transformers have the coding for singing, and then they vary on ability. Soundwave is phenomenal, like Julie Andrews, Marion Anderson, Andrea Bocelli, and the like. Sideswipe is pretty dang good; he's about on par with Nightwish's blond singer and Toby Keith. Poor Skywarp, who also has the coding, has been forbidden to try to sing by Megatron, on the grounds that his breaks-glass voice is inhumane. Yes, it's that bad. But he loves music anyway, and is an excellent dancer with Sunstreaker. Oh, and for those that don't recognize it, 'try to take over the world' (or something really close) is from "Pinky and the Brain."
Omake 2: I credit this to my dad. I was going around humming "The Bells of Notre Dame," and we ended up talking about Notre Dame's and then U of Michigan's fight songs. Then he shot that plot bunny into my head, and I went and wrote it.