TFP: Youngling
Ch.1~ Nameless Femeling
I drove behind Bulkhead as we entered the ground bridge. Ratchet had found an Autobot distress signal and sent Bulkhead and I to check it out. Transforming in my robot mode I peeked around the rock. I saw a few vechicons in a group and Knockout standing dead center, he was trying to grab onto the youngling feme.
"Let's send these cons to the scrapheap." Bulkhead stated, nodding we both ran from behind the boulder.
I fired a few blasts from my gun aiming at the cons away from the young femme. Knockout grabbed the youngling's servo yanking her around so she was behind him. He was just about the run when I slammed into him knocking him away from the femme. Grabbing the small femme, I saw she was wearing a visor over her optics but she was smiling at me happily.
Carrying her back behind the boulder I listened as Bulkhead called for a ground bridge. I waited for it to appear before darting into it as Bulkhead covered me. Soon I heard him follow me through the portal. The little femme looked up at me with a sense of wonder, she reached a hand toward my Autobot insignia.
"Bumblebee did something... Oh no, bring the poor thing over here! Optimus you better come out here!" Ratchet called, I set the little femme onto the med berth but she clung to my servo helplessly.
'Don't worry Ratchet isn't going to hurt you.' I soothed in my usual beeps.
"By the Allspark," Optimus stated walking over to us. The poor thing clung to me and now Ratchet tightly.
"Knockout was trying to scrap the poor thing when we got there," Bulkhead added Optimus frowned as Ratchet attended to the small femme who had finally let go of my servo.
'Lucky we found that signal when we did.' I said.
"Indeed it is Bumblebee, youngling what is your name?" Optimus asked, the small thing only stared at him confused.
"Can you speak?" Ratchet asked, the femme simply reached up to grab his hand.
"Looks like the poor thing was alone for a while," Acree stated.
"I wonder how a youngling ended up on Earth?" Bulkhead added.
"Probably put in stasis, but how did the poor thing awaken then," Ratchet muttered.
"No matter the reason, it is imperative that we protect this youngling," Optimus said we all nodded in agreement.
"We better go pick up the kids from school; should we just take them home?" Arcee asked.
"I see no harm in bringing them to the base," Optimus answered.
"I'll tell Miko to be as quiet as she can," Bulkhead added as we transformed into vehicle modes and left the base.
Driving up the highway towards Jasper I let my mind wander; I bet that little femme is only just gotten into the youngling stage. I remember back on Cybertron I was preparing myself to join the war efforts around her age. Pulling over the side of the road by the school I waited for Rafael. Running out of the school he hopped into his seat and buckled in.
"Hey Bee." he greeted as I pulled back onto the road.
'How was school?' I asked he smiled.
"Same as always, anything happen while I was at school?" he replied.
'We found a femme youngling; the cons were attacking her but me and Bulkhead saved her and brought her back to base. Ratchets fixing her up there." I answered.
"So it's a kid Autobot."
'Yep.'
"Wow. Is it alright?"
'Its arm was hurt but I'm sure Ratchet can fix it.'
"Ratchet is a good medic."
'The poor thing can't talk.'
"Did its voice box get damaged like yours?"
"No, I don't think it learned to talk yet."
"So it's really young, huh... Hey, Bee did you have parents?"
"Yeah, but I was orphaned when I was small, why the sudden curiosity."
"I guess I never thought you were ever that young."
Arriving at the base I let Rafael hop out of his seat before transforming into my robot mode and picking him up. I held him where he would be able to see the youngling. Jack and Miko stared at the youngling from the upper human reserved portion.
"Optimus please tell me you have a plan for the poor thing; it needs to learn to speak and understand what people are saying. You know both you and I are too busy for that." Ratchet questioned as I set Raf next to Miko and Jack.
"Arcee..." Optimus started.
"Optimus why can't Bulkhead or Bumblebee do it?" Arcee growled.
"You know very well that you are the best choice," Optimus replied.
'I could help.' I stated, she glared at me.
"Not much, sorry Bee but you know can't help much since you can't speak," Arcee said I let my shoulder slump and optics look down.
"I could help him I have a lot of younger siblings," Rafael suggested in an attempt to cheer me up.
"Beep!" The youngling squealed, Optimus smiled and patted her helm.
"My name is Ratchet and that is Optimus Prime; who are you?" Ratchet asked again, pointing at her to stress his question.
"Moo... ng... sha...dow." she sounded out.
"Moonshadow it is very nice to..." Optimus started but she shook her head quickly stopping him as she pointed to the corner.
"Moo...ng...sha..dow!" she cried, cling to Ratchets servo.
We all looked at the corner which was empty with a small shadow cast in it. Bulkhead went over and stood there waving at the youngling. She must be scared of something but what is it.
"Metron." she whimpered, Bulkhead quickly left the corner in fear of scaring her more.
"Younglings were sent off-world during the war; do you think it is possible her ship had been attacked by Megatron?" Ratchet asked, directing his gaze at Optimus.
"Metron!" she cried.
"Those cons I'll send them to the scrapheap," Bulkhead growled Arcee's glare silenced him.
"She shall need a name." Ratchet stated.
"Moonstriker!" Miko yelled everyone, ignored her yell except Bulkhead who consulted his charge.
"Mirvena, it is the greek goddess of wisdom, war, art, schools, and commerce," Rafael suggested I nodded in agreement.
"Stargazer..." Ratchet mumbled.
"Didn't think Ratchet would suggest such a cute name." Miko teased, Bulkhead and Arcee were suppressing their laughter.
"Good name old friend was that not the name of the hospital..." Optimus started.
"Of course it was the name of a hospital," Arcee stated.
'I think it suits her.' I added.
"S-sta..r..g-g...a...zer." the youngling sounded out.
"Good job young one." Optimus praised.
"She'll have to wear this sling for a bit but she should be fine. I need to get back to work so can someone entertain her." Ratchet stated, setting Stargazer down and patting her head quickly.
She ran to me and I smiled as she looked up at me her big smile drawing my eyes. Picking her up I held her up high and moved her around in the air. I began to move her around like I remember my caretakers doing a few times.
'Spaceship!' I cheered, she giggled excitedly.
"Be careful with her Bumblebee!" Ratchet yelled.
"Let them be Ratchet, younglings love games such as this and I doubt Bumblebee will allow her to get hurt," Optimus replied, the medic grumbled and turned back to his work.
"Bulk Cybertronians play that game with kids too!" Miko said as I set down Stargazer.
"Yep; Bee you know any other games we can play with her," Bulk asked.
"Youngling love to be told stories, why not tell her about some of your favorite memories." Ratchet suggested.
"You seem to know a lot about kids Ratchet," Jack stated Optimus smiled at that.
"Bee!" Stargazer scheduled my leg.
Picking her up I played the spaceship game again, this time she squealed and giggled. Waving her good arm as she smiled down at me, I moved to set her down but her visor fell off clattering to the floor. Looking into her optics I was met with two bright golden optics, but that's a... Were her parents.. Decepticons!
"What's the matter Bee," Bulkhead asked, Stargazer turned toward him and everyone else confused. "Wow!"
"That would explain the visor..." Ratchet muttered, walking over to her he picked up her visor slipping it back on.
"What's up with you guys?" Miko asked.
"Why does her having gold optics make you all act so funny," Raf asked.
"It is a stereotyped Decepticon trait when actually it's a trait of miners back on Cybertron. Many miners joined the Decepticons very few were Autobot, most who were choose to hide their optics behind visors to avoid judgment." Ratchet explained, Stargazer looked completely confused by what was going on.
"It has been a long time since I have seen an Autobot with golden eyes," Optimus stated, Ratchet shot him an annoyed glare.
"Not that long, remember Jazz had golden optics." Ratchet argued, Optimus seemed to remember and sent Ratchet an apologetic look.
"Commander Jazz had gold optics?" Bulkhead and Arcee said in sync.
'I guess you didn't know him that well, I knew he had gold optics.' I added.
"Rache!" Stargazer called, grabbing onto his leg plating.
"Go play with Bumblebee." he replied, she shook her head.
"Rache." she stated, he sighed.
"I think she wants you to play with her old friend," Optimus added, he knelt down in front of her frowning.
"If I do the spaceship game once will you leave me to my work?" he asked.
"Rache." she responded.
"Fine..." he muttered.
Picking her up he gently moved her around in the air, from where I was it almost looked like he was smiling... She reached with her good arm to touch his faceplate as she squealed happily. Setting her down gently, she quickly spun around to look at Optimus.
"Opmis!" she cheered, he smiled at her.
"The kids gonna lose this one," Arcee predicted.
Almost to defy her words Optimus picked up the youngling and moved her around in the air. Gently he tossed her up a bit catching her before setting her back onto her on pedes. I turned to see Arcee look at Stargazer in shock.
"Bulk you gotta get her to play with you too," Miko said.
"Hey Stargazer want me to play the spaceship game with you?" Bulk asked she ran to his side excitedly.
"Be careful with her Bulkhead." Ratchet lectured, as he picked up Stargazer.
"I'm not gonna break her Ratchet." Bulk stated in a tone that sounded a bit insulted.
"Bulky!" she cried; she learned our names pretty quick.
Bulkhead played with her a minute before he set her down much to Miko's disappointment. She ran up to Arcee, looking at her a minute she pointed at herself and then at Arcee. What could that mean; Arcee seemed confused as well. She pointed at herself seeming a bit frustrated.
"Star." she said, then pointed at Arcee clicking and chirping like a sparkling.
'I think she wants to know your name?' I stated.
"My names Arcee, but you can call me Cee." she introduced, seeming satisfied she looked around.
"Ja!" she called, she began to wander around as if she were looking for someone. "Ja!"
"What is she doing, is this another youngling game?" Miko asked.
"I have no idea Miko; hey Star what are you doing?" Bulkhead replied.
"Ja." she stated, which was followed by more sparkling noises.
I followed her with my optics as she began to peek around things, she had a childish pout on her faceplates. Stopping she put her hand on one of her audios almost as if she was turning on a comm link. She began to make more sparkling noises as she kept her hand over that audio.
"er Ja." she yelled, looking a bit angry and confused.
"Stargazer are you looking for a friend of yours?" Optimus asked she nodded quickly. "Try to say his full name."
"Ja.. s." she sounded but shook her head. "Ja.. zie."
'Is she trying to say Jazz?' I asked rhetorically.
"Is the person you're looking for named Jazz?" Optimus asked she thought a second before nodding.
"Ja." she replied.
"Maybe she's that Jazz guy you mentioned earlier sparkling," Miko suggested, Bulkhead looked at her a bit surprised.
"I hate to say this, but maybe you are right Miko." Ratchet said.
"Woah, woah; I heard that Commander Jazz was killed during the evacuation Cybertron, she would be too young to remember that wouldn't she," Arcee added.
"I heard the same thing, he and Commander Prowl were killed during the evacuation." Bulkhead stated.
'I heard they both escaped on one of the ships.' I said.
"Stargazer can you tell us what happened to Jazz?" Optimus asked she nodded.
She held out her arm, "Boo." she said, then she pointed to her chest and fell down. Getting back to her pedes she frowned, "Ja."
'Did she just act out how Jazz was killed!' I cried.
"Bumblebee don't say that she is probably confused and anxious because of the broken parental bond." Ratchet growled.
I looked at her sadly, I wasn't much younger when my parents offlined, I had never been so confused and anxious, I pleaded to hear how they were. The people looking after me figured out they had offlined before anyone else because of my behavior. She seemed a bit less hysterical than I had been, maybe her confusion and sparkling like mind are keeping her from being hysterical.
I heard a loud version of a yawn, turning I saw her optic drupe a bit, rubbing her optics she made her way over to Ratchet. Why is she going to him? Grabbing onto his pede she yawned again, I turned to see Ratchet knee down and pick her up.
"Tired already?" he hummed, Star looked at her confused.
"And I thought you said you had no time to teach and look after her?" Arcee teased Ratchet huffed glaring at Arcee as Star settled against his chest.
"I don't know, but at the same time we can not waste your time when you need to be out scouting and fighting, you already have to human sit." He stated, she smirked at him as he gently rocked the femme as she settled into recharge cradled in one of his arms.
"Speaking of missions, Arcee care to join me on a scouting mission," Optimus stated, she nodded and Ratchet programmed a bridge for them sending them off.
Bulk and I turned our focus back to our charges, they were setting up the console. Miko snatched the control before Jack challenging Raf to a game. Soon the two were racing in their game. I quickly turned to see Ratchet doing his usual work one-handed as he cradled the sleeping youngling. Something about this felt nostalgic in a way.
"Bee I've never seen Ratchet act so kind," Raf stated I chuckled.
'He's always had a soft side for sparklings.' I replied.
"Why?"
'No idea.'
"Did he used to be a doctor for kids or something before the war?" Miko mused Bulk chuckled.
"In a way, I don't remember it too much but he ran a hospital in Kaon where I grew up. A lot of kids with no families or who were seriously ill lived at the hospital. He ran it for years, I mean Ratchet was considered old even back then." Bulk informed that makes sense why he made it habit to come to the youngling centers set up during the war.
'So, that's why he used to come to the youngling centers.' I stated Bulk nodded.
"Only went there a few times when I was really young, my parents eventually moved from Kaon to Tarn." Bulk added Miko peeked at Ratchet curiously.
"So, he's not as much of a grouch as he first appears." Miko chimed giggling with glee.
"How old is Ratchet?" Raf asked I shrugged.
"No idea, all I know is that he's a little younger than the old mech Ironhide and he boasted about being alive during the golden age with Nova Prime." Bulk stated was Ratchet that old?
(Knockout's POV)
Breakdown and I sat in our shared quarters, we sat next to each other on my berth. I briefly examined my newly waxed finish, Breakdown did a phenomenal job of buffing my finish. Although it's not like he ever did a bad job.
"So how did that solo mission for Lord Starscream go?" he asked, I frowned.
"When we got to the signal it was a crashed escape pod, inside was the cutest little femme. She most likely just starting in the youngling stage. During the crash, she had been thrown around and injured one of her arms. Poor dear was terrified I tried to coax her to let me look at her arm but she wouldn't let me touch her. Then the blasted Autobots showed up I pulled her out of their shot range but then that blasted Bumbler attacked me and him and that Bulky fellow you hate retreated into their ground bridge." I explained.
"Are you okay?"
"It's been so many stellar-cycles Breaky, I've tried to not think about it, we both have. Today all I wanted was to protect that poor femme, she is safer with them in the long run"
"I hope those Autobots don't leave Bulkhead in charge of the femme or she'll be dented to scrap in a stellar cycle."
"I should hope not, an adorable little bot like her should be pampered, not end up a brute like you."
"I thought you like how rough and tumble I am."
"There is a difference between you and adorable little femme, she was far too cute to end up a tough thing."
"So you would hate to see her pretty finish get banged up."
"Pretty much, your finish looks the best with battle scars, but she was far too pristine for that. Younglings are too precious to end up scared and beaten…"
"Knock, we did all we could."
"I know, sometimes I think if I had done something differently none of that would have happened..."
"Love ya Knock."
"Who wouldn't. Heh heh, I love you too."