Thank you, all of you who reviewed the last chapter. A number of you all's ideas I took into consideration for this fic. There were some really good ones.
Here is the 13th chapter of Tiny! Yay! X)
I don't own the Transformers. That's Hasbro's thing.
Enjoy!
...Soundwave's POV: Datapad Journal Entry #44...
I am relieved that the little one was safe, not that I didn't already know he was.
I did not expect the Autobot medic to allow me into their base in order to see the little one. I had initially predicted that the medic would bring Parvolus to me, rather than leading me to him. He must have made the correct assumption that I had found the location of their base. He told me that Parvolus was not leaving the silo before allowing me, as well as the cyberdog, in. That decision is completely understandable. The last time Parvolus was beyond the boundaries of their protected safe haven, he was taken from the medic. I regret taking him from the medic, but I do not regret the resulting stay with us Decepticons. Parvolus has truly changed a multitude of mechs among us.
My spark warms every time my processor wanders back to the fresh memory of Parvolus's little faceplates lighting up at the sight of me walking through the Ground Bridge behind the medic. I was rejoined with that missing piece of me. It was like being reunited with my own little one, Wingspar, as if he was never killed. At that moment, I was glad that I wore a mask. My faceplates would have given away the emotions that were overwhelming me.
Wingspar was the light of my life. I could not live without him. Every time I looked at him in my memory, I remembered my beloved sparkmate, Halyard. Being the guardian of Parvolus was as if Primus was granting me an opportunity to be with my little one again before I joined him in the AllSpark. I truly wish that I could have been there for my precious little sparkling. If only I had been there for him...
The monster who had brutally slain my neighbor and my sparkling was still hidden among the stars. I would rather not think about how many more bots he may have killed. It sickened me when I saw that he had murdered countless sparklings and femmes. That monster called Faultline was still online. The harm I would love to inflict upon him...
I should know better than to walk into such a sinkhole. The emotions will only consume me, hindering my progress in achieving my personal goals. Perhaps I should write of something else. Yes, that would be the best course of action for now.
The cyberdog I had given to Parvolus and the Autobots was not one of my Deployers. She was the pet of Tripwire, or Steve, as many prefer to call him. Originally, pets were not allowed in the Nemesis for sanitary purposes. The rule was never enforced because of my ownership of Ravage. I would not like for someone to take him from me, so I would not do it to another bot. She acted as a messenger on board the warship, taking crucial items, normally datapads, to commanding officers, medics and technicians. Her speed and efficiency in her unofficial job rivaled that of Ravage's. She also assisted the Vehicons with their repair work around the Nemesis, giving them the tools and materials they need.
Tripwire was the only mech on board with a surviving pet that size, and many other Vehicons enjoyed being in the dog's presence. Unlike Ravage, she was friendly towards bots other than her master. When she was not transporting equipment and datapads, she was, more likely than not, playing with the soldiers or resting with her master, Tripwire.
Even Lord Megatron liked the dog. She was the only one Megatron was openly kind to before Parvolus. Almost always when she was sent to him or was idling nearby, our leader would toss her a treat and occasionally give her a scratch behind her ears. I can understand why he liked her so much.
He once told me many vorns ago that he had become close friends with a stray cyberdog that lived in sector D-16 of the mine that his demolition division was often working in. Many called the dog Ore. The stray cyberdog was very loyal to the workers of the mine. He told me that the dog tended to warn his team of particularly dangerous sections of the mine, and they learned to trust the cyberdog's instincts. The dog stole medical supplies from somewhere outside of the mine and gave them to the workers whenever somebot was injured with the equipment. The dog he spoke of kept the workers company throughout the solar cycle, providing some form of entertainment. He said Ore's favorite game was Tear 'n' Chase.
Lord Megatron was more attached to the cyberdog called Ore than most of his fellow workers. He said that one particular solar cycle someone had destroyed a crucial support pillar, causing the chamber around our leader to collapse. Whether this was an accident is unknown, though I personally believe that it was not on purpose. Lord Megatron was separated from his team and trapped under a tremendous amount of rubble. Because of the size of the boulders that had fallen on him, he had an extremely limited range of motion, keeping him from freeing himself. He told me that he had an idea of where he was in the mine, but the collapse of the chamber and the area around it rendered the navigational maps saved in his CPU virtually useless. He was trapped as well as injured. The falling debris had crushed his right arm and leg. Lord Megatron is a very strong mech, but he is stronger now than he was then.
Under normal circumstances, he would have been left to offline. Workers were easily replaced and it would not have been worth the effort to retrieve him. Had it not been for the cyberdog digging his way into the collapsed room and leading the rest of his team to his location, our leader may not be here today.
Tripwire's cyberdog most likely reminds Lord Megatron of the mine dwelling cyberdog named Ore. Tripwire's dog could be sometimes seen walking by Lord Megatron's side in the hallway. She did indeed seem to like him, even more so than she did other mechs.
However, I already knew that there were a few bots on the warship that she did not like. She was not fond of Starscream and Tripwire's close friend, Shank. Her dislike of Shank is part of the reason why she is with the Autobots now. I saw through my surveillance system that Shank had stepped on her tail. I cannot confirm if he did this on purpose. She had turned around and snapped at him, clamping her jaws down on his ankle. It took four Vehicons, including Tripwire, to get the cyberdog away from Shank. The Vehicon's ankle was badly mangled and he had to be assisted to the medical bay.
After this incident, Tripwire decided to give up his beloved pet. He brought her to my workstation and asked me to care for her. He couldn't have her attacking his fellow comrades. I originally planned on designating her as one of my Deployers and have her continue her duties as a messenger and assistant, but Ravage strongly objected. Ravage could not stand even being in the same room as her. More than once I had to step in before they could attempt to kill each other. I eventually decided that I would give her to the Autobots after a multitude of standoffs between my Deployer and Halli.
I could obviously see the surprise on the Autobot medic's faceplates when I stated that I wished to give the cyberdog to Parvolus. He likely assumed that the cyberdog was one of my Deployers. I transmitted to the cyberdog her orders, which was to protect Parvolus at all costs. The Autobots will do well in protecting the little one, but there will be moments were Parvolus is alone, and ultimately, vulnerable. In those moments, Halli will be there. The cyberdog is strong enough to shield Parvolus from harm.
I do not know how the other Autobots will react to a former Decepticon cyberdog in their silo, but I trust that Ratchet would prevent any bodily harm from reaching her. The fact that the medic allowed me into their silo gives me reason enough to trust the Autobot. I should return my trust since he trusted me with the privilege of entering their home. All of the others would not have permitted my presence anywhere near their sparkling leader.
After the short conversation held with the medic, I could almost say that we are acquaintances. Unlike most bots, he was not uncomfortable in my presence. It did not surprise me to hear the questions the medic had. Very few mechs know of the fate of my sparkling and my mate. I can only hope no harm comes to the medic's little one. I don't want another mech to share the pain of losing a sparkling.
...In the recent solar cycles, my dreams have been disturbing me. They are all the same. I usually stand, staring up at a comet in the night sky. As I stare at the comet, the sky turns from a rich, dark blue to gunmetal grey, and an echoic sound seems to emanate from the object streaking across the sky. For a reason I could not name, I receive a very strange sensation while I watch the comet travel across the graying sky in my dream.
My dreams normally have no meaning or significance. However, I cannot shake the feeling that the repetitive dreams are something more than inane visual creations of my subconscious mind.
~Soundwave
...Ratchet's POV: Autobot Outpost Omega One – The Next Afternoon...
"Optimus, Halli is not a horse!" I yelled as I raced down the hall after the running cyberdog. Those little monsters had quickly become friends. That cyberdog simply refuses to leave Optimus alone anywhere. If someone's carrying my son, Halli follows that bot. If Optimus is sitting on the floor, she is somewhere nearby. You don't have to be the brightest to see that she is following through with what Soundwave said.
The others were surprised to hear that the cyberdog was from the silent mech, to say the very least. As I told them, I made sure to keep them from knowing that Soundwave was inside of the base. They are better off not knowing this information. They'll panic, believing Soundwave would send the Decepticon troops down on us. Contrary to what they would think, I know that the odds of a Decepticon siege are slim. I doubt Soundwave would do such a thing to a sparkling's family.
Arcee explicitly expressed that she didn't want a dog, or anything for that matter, from a Decepticon. Bumblebee was just scared of dogs in general. Once he saw that Halli wasn't going to attack anyone, Bulkhead looked like he didn't care either way. Wheeljack (he came into the main room when he heard what was going on in the main room) seemed to want the dog to stay, though he didn't vocalize it.
But the decision to keep the dog was not theirs. It was Optimus's. Seeing that I'm chasing after a dog with a sparkling sitting on her back, I would say that my son would rather have the dog around.
I don't have an issue with Halli, so long as she doesn't destroy my things. I don't have to worry about her barking, since she's a relatively quiet dog. She seems to know that I am the sparkling's father since she looks at me if she wants to carry him somewhere else in the silo, as if to ask for my permission.
When Halli stood on all fours, the top of her head came just below my hip, a considerable size for a cyberdog. The Halli's size alone would be enough to make any human with common sense exhibit nervousness and behave cautiously. However, I can only imagine how the children will react, Miko especially.
"Halli, stop right now!" I commanded as I rounded a corner, zooming past a confused Bumblebee, who was just leaving his room. I'm beginning to get very frustrated with that cyberdog. My son could easily fall off her back and get hurt. I can't have him getting hurt because of something silly like this. Thankfully, she heeded my words and slowed to a stop, looking back at me with golden optics. I continued closer, my optics locked on my son.
My son was hugging Halli's neck, optics glittering as he laughed and giggled. The bright smile remained on his little face when he gazed up at me. My gaze softened when I saw how much fun he was having. But that didn't stop me from scolding him.
"Optimus, what made you do that? Do you how dangerous that is? You could have hurt yourself!" I gently took him off her back and cradled him in my arms. Realizing that what he did with the cyberdog has upset me, his optics gained a sorrowful expression as he gazed up at me.
"Promise me you won't do that again." I stared down at my son, engine humming. Halli walked around me to stand next to my legs as her tail wagged gently. Her golden optics were apologetic as well. I know that Halli would not have allowed him to fall, but that fact didn't ease my concern at all. I truly was worried for his safety. Sparklings are already very fragile, and my son's abnormally small size only makes him even more fragile. I would be devastated if he was hurt.
My son's bright optics grew even brighter as he smiled up at me. "I pwomise."
I smiled lightly and stroked the side of his little helm. My spark warmed at the happy little grin I received from my sparking. "Thank you."
"Let's go play with something else." I said as I walked down the hallway, Halli following close behind.
...
Just a few doors down the hallway from my room is the Play Room. Bumblebee and I decided to set up this room so Optimus could have a designated place to safely play. The main room was a nice place for him to play, but there was too much foot traffic. There was the risk of my son getting accidentally stepped on by the other bots.
All of Optimus's playthings were in this spacious room, most of them scattered on the floor so that they could be easily accessed by my little boy. Also in the room was a low berth for his rather frequent naps. From the moment we showed him the room this morning, I knew he would greatly enjoy being in here. Right now he's wrestling with the stuffed tiger he calls 'Stripey'. Somehow the tiger managed to win, much to my son's frustration.
I smiled slightly and shook my helm at the sight of a stuffed animal winning against the Prime from the chair I was seated in near the wall. He was on his back now, laughing and chirping happily as he hugged his stuffed tiger to his chassis. Halli was hopping around him, tail wagging madly, eager to play along with my son. The cyberdog gave a small, playful bark and Optimus turned to her. I watched as he wobbly stood to his pedes, only to fall forward. I moved to catch him, but the cyberdog standing in front of him immediately rushed forward, using her muzzle to keep him from falling onto the floor. I slowly sat back down, feeling my spark warm at the sight of Halli gently steadying Optimus with her muzzle.
My son had loved all of his birthday gifts, but he simply refused to sleep without the Autobot insignia necklace around his neck. He never told me where the charm came from, but he seemed to be quite attached to it, so I let him recharge with the necklace on.
It's impossible for an object to just appear. Someone had to have put it there. But, the question was who put it there. Bulkhead and Bumblebee are simply too large to create something so small for my son, and I believe the same applied for Arcee. I already know that the children lack the ability and proper materials to forge a flawless, black and silver Autobot insignia. Wheeljack is skilled with his servos, but he would have given the necklace to Optimus when he gave him the car if it were from him. I know I didn't make it. No one here made the necklace, yet the necklace still made it to Optimus's little servos...
...Perhaps I am putting too much effort into processing this information. I suppose that some things are better left beyond our understanding.
I noticed Optimus open his mouth to say something that I felt had something to do with Halli, I heard someone come running down the hall towards the Play Room. Halli automatically started to growl and crouched menacingly. My son stood up, his stuffed tiger dragging slightly on the ground, to see who it was. The cyberdog leaped in front of him, her optics flaring and her growl intensifying.
Bumblebee threw open the door to the Play Room and instantly stepped back when he saw Halli's threatening form. Knowing that the scout was afraid of cyberdogs, I told Halli to calm down. She followed the order, but still glared at him. I briefly glanced at the dog and addressed the young mech standing in front of me.
"What is it, Bumblebee?" I took note of the excited look on his faceplates. His doorwings were almost bouncing in his excitement. I wonder what has him so happy...
"The kids are here!"
...
I honestly don't know how Halli will react to the children, so I had her follow behind me. I'll use myself as a barrier between the humans and the large cyberdog. Because of this, I gave Optimus to Bumblebee so the scout could carry him to the main control room.
Just as we entered the room, Bumblebee in front and Halli behind me, I saw Jack walk away from Arcee, and Miko and Rafael exit Bulkhead's alternate mode. As soon as they saw Bumblebee, Optimus and I, they said their usual greetings. All was calm until Halli walked out from behind me to investigate.
All three of the children stared at Halli for a full second before reacting. Rafael's eyes grew huge as he froze at the sight of the dog. It looked as if the little human was attached to the floor. Jack immediately jumped in front of Rafael to protect him, never taking his eyes of the cyberdog. Miko's reaction was nothing of the sort.
"Oh my gosh, that is so COOL!" Miko made the very unwise decision to run right up to the massive cyberdog.
"Miko, no!" Bulkhead yelled, attempting to grab the rather foolish human child. Halli seemed more curious about the little human, but started to growl at Bulkhead's sudden movement. The Wrecker instinctively backed off, but remained tense. Arcee was on edge as well.
We all watched the cyberdog lower her head so that she was somewhat eye level with Miko. She brought her sensitive olfactory sensors down near the top of Miko's head. She jerked her head back slightly as Miko's scent reached her, making Bumblebee snicker. While Halli was investigating the little human, Miko looked around at the other bots.
"Where'd did you guys get a dog? This is so awesome! That dog is huge! I didn't even know Cybertron had dogs!" The Japanese girl continued to vocalize her excitement, and Jack and Rafael worked up to courage to walk up to Halli. The dog lost interest in Miko and shifted her sharp gaze over to the other two humans. She looked at them as if she had never been this close to a human.
Jack cautiously held a hand up to the cyberdog. She considered him for a moment, golden optics scanning over his small form. Then she nudged Jack's hand, encouraging him to pet her snout. Apparently she approved of him. Rafael seemed to be perfectly content with not receiving any attention from the dog.
"How did you guys get the dog?" Jack looked around at us. Before I could answer the question, Optimus chirped from Bumblebee's arms.
"Seytas guh- gave her to me!" Jack gained a confused look.
"Who's 'Seytas'?"
"That's what he likes to call Soundwave. Soundwave wanted Optimus to have the cyberdog." Arcee said, putting a servo on her hip. The confusion on the black-haired teenager turned into surprise. The expression on Rafael's face reflected Jack's.
"Soundwave? As in the faceless Decepticon third-in-command?"
I nodded. Miko suddenly moved away from the cyberdog, bringing Halli's attention back to her. The human pointed accusingly at the dog.
"That dog is a Decepticon?! How could you guys let her in here? What if she's a spy? What if she's an assassin sent to kill Optimus?" I could tell Arcee agreed with Miko's argument.
"She isn't an assassin. If she were, she could have easily killed Optimus already." I looked over at the yellow mech beside me. I'm going to demonstrate something to the children that Halli can be trusted around my son. "Bumblebee, put Optimus down."
The scout looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I glared at him, in no mood for hesitation. Seeing the look on my face, He lowered my sparkling to the floor. Halli immediately turned away from the humans and took a few steps towards Optimus. Miko yelled, demanding to know why I did that. I ignored her, knowing that she'll get her answer in a matter of seconds.
Optimus stood to his pedes and held up his arms towards the much larger cyberdog. Halli leaned forward, pressing her muzzle into Optimus's tiny servo. She emitted a low, rumbling sound as my son stroked her muzzle. My son couldn't stop smiling as he gave the dog attention.
"...I still don't trust that dog." Miko huffed. Halli must have understood her, since she looked away from Optimus and gave her a pointed glare.
"Hey, if Optimus thinks she's fine, then she must be fine." Bulkhead stated, gesturing towards my son. The statement was true. Had Halli been a spy, Optimus would not be so willing to be in her presence.
After the humans grew somewhat used to the size of the cyberdog, they decided to play a few new games with Optimus. I stayed in the room, relenting to the powerful urge to watch over my son. Arcee huffed and left the main control room, no doubt detesting the presence of the former Decepticon , who was in such close proximity to the children and my son. Bulkhead and Bumblebee stayed, hoping to interact with the newest Autobot addition.
Bumblebee worked up the courage to let Halli sniff his servo while she lay on her side behind Optimus. Rafael had suggested they play a schoolyard game called 'Bubblegum, Bubblegum, in the Dish'. I was surprised jack decided to participate. I smiled as I cleaned my tools, listening to all four of them laugh and giggle as they sat in the middle of the floor, almost singing the human rhyme.
Suddenly, there was a loud boom off in the distance. Halli immediately jumped up and started growling, as everyone else looked down the hall where the sound came from. The children all fell silent. Bulkhead just shook his helm. The sound startled Bumblebee, and his doorwings instantly lowered. My son wasn't scared at all, and seemed to be humored by the sound, knowing where it came from.
"Jackee bl- ble- blew himself up." You couldn't help but smile at my white and gold sparkling's matter-of-fact statement.
Wheeljack was, without a doubt, working on the 'cure' for Optimus. He kept saying that the restructure nanites needed to be stabilized, that they were the main thing causing the explosion. Once he solved the problem with those, the cure would be ready.
It has been almost six weeks since the solar cycle Optimus was turned back into a tiny sparkling. Then, he couldn't even stand on his own. Now, he can stand and even walk a few steps without falling. His little laugh was the sweetest thing I have ever heard. All of the other Autobots loved to play with him and protect him and care for him. Optimus has never gotten so much time to interact with the human children. His smiles are now a common sight.
In that six week time period, there has not been an encounter with the Decepticon army. The bond he formed with the Decepticons is truly remarkable. Had Optimus not been turned into a sparkling, I would not have seen the caring and protective side of Soundwave. Optimus may have even changed Megatron, a feat most believed was impossible and would remain so forever.
The bond he formed with me is one I thought I would never experience. I never thought that I would have a son, given this seemingly endless war. Knowing that I now have a child warms my spark. He has taught me that this war is no longer a hopeless stalemate in which both sides will destroy each other.
So much has changed, and to be honest, I doubt anyone truly wants things to go back to before.
...Starscream's POV: Aboard the Nemesis...
I glared at the monitor in my personal quarters, one of my wings aching where it was reattached. All of them are imbeciles. Everyone on this warship now knows of what I attempted to do. No one is obeying my commands, insolent fools. Megatron has yet to say anything to insult me. But in his silence he has made it clear just how angry he was with me. And his lapdog is no better. Soundwave is angry as well, an emotion I thought that mech was not able to feel. Dreadwing didn't even have that much interaction with the little cretin, and glares at me every time I see him Even those mindless Vehicons seem to glare at me when I walk by. That little cretin has all of them wrapped around his digit, and they are all fine with it. I however, am not.
I opened the transmission and a video feed on my personal monitor. I managed to disconnect this monitor from Soundwave's surveillance system, so he won't be able to see what I am doing here. A mech's face formed on the screen and the white noise swiftly dimmed down.
If there is anything I am not known for doing, it's giving up.
"So, you're Commander Starscream. I must say, I thought you'd look... stronger." I growled under my ventilations at the snicker beneath the mech's words.
"Enough with the small talk! I gave you an assignment." My words were met with a chuckle.
"Now, now. I don't give my service for free."
"Do you wish your pay to be in high grade?" I ground my denta as I glared at the blurry figure staring back at me on the screen. The mech scoffed.
"Oh please, I have plenty of that. Are there any femmes on the blue planet?"
"There are two, one an Autobot." A look of approval and pleasure spread across the mech's faceplates.
"Ah, good. I couldn't take a fellow Decepticon for pay."
"How long will it take you to reach this planet?"
The shadowy mech thought for a moment, giving a long hum before answering. "I'll be there in three joors. My ship's moving as fast as it can."
"You know your terms. Just-"
"I know, I know. I've done this more than you would think. " A frustrated tone leaked into his chuckle.
"What is your designation, mech? I would rather have a name to address you by." My servo hovered over the switch to end the transmission feed as I waited for an answer. A smile spread across his faceplates and a very unsettling laugh met my audio receptors.
"The name's Faultline. At your service."
Why, Starscream? Why?!
Here are a few notes to help you understand some Cybertronian terms I used that you may not know. A joor is a Cybertronic measure of time. Basically their hour. One joor equals six Earth hours. Tear 'n' Chase is the Cybertronian version of hide and seek.
I hope this chapter answered some of you all's questions about Wheeljack's progress. I noticed a few of you ask about that in your reviews.
Corona Pax, one vorn equals 83 human years. I just got as close as I could get to ten million and still get a whole number of vorns. And that ended up being 120,483 vorns. That's a long time...
As always, if you have any ideas, comments or questions, just let me know.
Until next time! :)
P.S. Halli is a very protective dog.