YAY!
Well. I fail at drawing... Luckily, they decided that I had -tried-... and that was good enough.
"Give him back!"
Skywarp's cry was certainly loud enough for the entire Ark to hear. All the commanding officers heard it, though that had nothing to do with volume. Optimus watched as the purple and black Seeker struggled against, of all mechs, Soundwave, who was holding him from behind, and Starscream and Thundercracker, pinning Skywarp from the front. What made the scene even more surreal was the fact that, even with three mechs on him, Skywarp looked like he was very close to breaking free, and he very clearly wanted to do damage to the Autobots.
"Give him back, you pit-spawned scrap heaps! TC, Screamer, 'Wave, get off of me, they took him, I'm going to get him back, I'm going to rip them to shreds!"
Starscream's wings twitched at that, and he looked at Soundwave. Soundwave’s expression didn't change as far as Optimus could see, but then, it never changed, so far as anyone could see. Starscream seemed satisfied, though, and a moment later Skywarp went limp. Starscream waited a moment, then slowly shifted his weight off the purple Seeker and turned around to face the Autobots. His frame was tense, and it was obvious he was every bit as angry as Skywarp had sounded, but he seemed to have much better control of himself. "We want Shockwave back."
Optimus had thought that might be why they were here... after all, no-one else had been 'taken' from the Decepticons. The Dinobot's bitlet had been recovered, but as the Decepticons had taken it in the first place, and was still an it, Optimus wasn't surprised that the Seeker didn't mention it. "Give Shockwave back? To be raised by Decepticons? He may have been one, but he's a sparkling now, and it's far too dangerous to-"
A shriek of rage cut off Optimus' words, Starscream throwing his head back and screaming. His anger was much clearer when he spoke again, "Do you think we would let anything happen to our sparkling? Do you think that it matters that he is a grounder? He is our sparkling!"
There was another note in Starscream's voice, Optimus realized. It was well hidden, but he sounded... hurt. Pained. "Intentionally, no," Optimus agreed. He had heard all the stories, though, Seekers were too high-strung to raise sparklings... "But it is just too dangerous at your base!"
"Seekers not only ones watching," Soundwave said suddenly, leaving Thundercracker sitting on the ground cooing to Skywarp. "Soundwave and cassetticons watching as well. ...Ratbat close in age to Shockwave now." That hurt to admit, and the telepath was aware that the Autobots may try to 'rescue' his cassettes... Well, if they did that, they really would find out what it was like to have an angry telepath for an enemy. Soundwave then admitted to himself that they would find that out simply by refusing to return Shockwave.
"Be that as it may," Optimus started. No-one noticed Red Alert slip away.
Shockwave was with Skyfire, the only mech so far able to keep the sparkling from screaming all the time. Right now, Skyfire was holding Shockwave and looking towards the front of the Ark, a troubled look on his face. He smiled when Red Alert came in, but the smile slipped away almost immediately. "I told you this would happen..."
Red Alert nodded, looking more nervous than usual. "You would seriously trust Starscream with raising a sparkling? Even on the Nemesis?"
"The trine will rip apart anyone who offers Shockwave the least bit of danger. Even Megatron himself needs to be careful about that! I would trust Starscream to keep a sparkling safe more than I trust myself..." Skyfire answered. Red Alert nodded again, then reached for Shockwave. Skyfire looked at Red Alert for a long moment before handing the sparkling over.
Starscream was yelling as Red Alert came closer to the entrance, "Too high strung? Seekers are to high strung to be creators? You think that's the reason our winglets were reclaimed?"
Skywarp had woken up, and his voice was high with pain as he took over yelling at the Autobots. "My winglet wasn't taken because I was high strung! It was taken because I could warp! I could warp, and my creation was more likely to be... special! So it was taken, to find out why Seekers are so special, can do so much... Taken, and examined, and it died. It died just like almost every other stolen winglet. How does that feel, Mirage? Hound, Smokescreen? Trailbreaker? How does it feel, your stolen powers... how do you think your scientists learned how to give those?"
The Autobots looked at each other as Skywarp feel silent, unsure how to respond. Red Alert took advantage of confusion to slip forward, shaking a little as the Decepticons focused on him. "I have one request."
Skywarp gave a low, keening moan, reaching past Starscream towards Shockwave, but Soundwave kept him back with a hand on his wing. "What is it?" Starscream asked, wings twitching in agitation as Shockwave started to cry.
Not wanting it to seem like he was trying to ransom the sparkling, Red Alert force himself to walk close enough to give Shockwave to Skywarp. Optimus gave an angry rumble, but the sparkling instantly stopped crying, and Thundercracker and Skywarp began unabashedly cooing. Even Starscream relaxed, looking at Shockwave and smiling gently. "What is it?" he asked again, tone much softer.
"I want you to shoot me," Red Alert answered, taking a step back.
"What?" Starscream squawked.
"I want you to shoot me," the paranoid CSO answered, sounding very sure.
Starscream stared at him for a long time, finally lifting his null-ray into position. Red Alert didn't move or try to stop him, and the Autobots seemed to be stalled. Prowl actually appeared to have crashed, but no one noticed. "Alright... fine..." the white Seeker said, shooting Red Alert.
Red Alert froze for a moment, then relaxed and smiled. "Thank you. It's nice to not be paranoid for a little while... hey, Inferno! Come on, I have about four breems before this wears off, that should be long enough for a good 'facing. Hurry up!" Waving at Starscream, the Lambroghini ran towards the Ark, grabbing Inferno before vanishing into the ship.
Looking at each other, the Seekers and Soundwave deiced that Red Alert had the right idea. They had what they had come for, everything was right in the world, and if they left before the Autobot's shock wore off, they could even get out without a fight. They were gone the next moment.
"Give him back!"
Skywarp's cry was certainly loud enough for the entire Ark to hear. All the commanding officers heard it, though that had nothing to do with volume. Optimus watched as the purple and black Seeker struggled against, of all mechs, Soundwave, who was holding him from behind, and Starscream and Thundercracker, pinning Skywarp from the front. What made the scene even more surreal was the fact that, even with three mechs on him, Skywarp looked like he was very close to breaking free, and he very clearly wanted to do damage to the Autobots.
"Give him back, you pit-spawned scrap heaps! TC, Screamer, 'Wave, get off of me, they took him, I'm going to get him back, I'm going to rip them to shreds!"
Starscream's wings twitched at that, and he looked at Soundwave. Soundwave’s expression didn't change as far as Optimus could see, but then, it never changed, so far as anyone could see. Starscream seemed satisfied, though, and a moment later Skywarp went limp. Starscream waited a moment, then slowly shifted his weight off the purple Seeker and turned around to face the Autobots. His frame was tense, and it was obvious he was every bit as angry as Skywarp had sounded, but he seemed to have much better control of himself. "We want Shockwave back."
Optimus had thought that might be why they were here... after all, no-one else had been 'taken' from the Decepticons. The Dinobot's bitlet had been recovered, but as the Decepticons had taken it in the first place, and was still an it, Optimus wasn't surprised that the Seeker didn't mention it. "Give Shockwave back? To be raised by Decepticons? He may have been one, but he's a sparkling now, and it's far too dangerous to-"
A shriek of rage cut off Optimus' words, Starscream throwing his head back and screaming. His anger was much clearer when he spoke again, "Do you think we would let anything happen to our sparkling? Do you think that it matters that he is a grounder? He is our sparkling!"
There was another note in Starscream's voice, Optimus realized. It was well hidden, but he sounded... hurt. Pained. "Intentionally, no," Optimus agreed. He had heard all the stories, though, Seekers were too high-strung to raise sparklings... "But it is just too dangerous at your base!"
"Seekers not only ones watching," Soundwave said suddenly, leaving Thundercracker sitting on the ground cooing to Skywarp. "Soundwave and cassetticons watching as well. ...Ratbat close in age to Shockwave now." That hurt to admit, and the telepath was aware that the Autobots may try to 'rescue' his cassettes... Well, if they did that, they really would find out what it was like to have an angry telepath for an enemy. Soundwave then admitted to himself that they would find that out simply by refusing to return Shockwave.
"Be that as it may," Optimus started. No-one noticed Red Alert slip away.
Shockwave was with Skyfire, the only mech so far able to keep the sparkling from screaming all the time. Right now, Skyfire was holding Shockwave and looking towards the front of the Ark, a troubled look on his face. He smiled when Red Alert came in, but the smile slipped away almost immediately. "I told you this would happen..."
Red Alert nodded, looking more nervous than usual. "You would seriously trust Starscream with raising a sparkling? Even on the Nemesis?"
"The trine will rip apart anyone who offers Shockwave the least bit of danger. Even Megatron himself needs to be careful about that! I would trust Starscream to keep a sparkling safe more than I trust myself..." Skyfire answered. Red Alert nodded again, then reached for Shockwave. Skyfire looked at Red Alert for a long moment before handing the sparkling over.
Starscream was yelling as Red Alert came closer to the entrance, "Too high strung? Seekers are to high strung to be creators? You think that's the reason our winglets were reclaimed?"
Skywarp had woken up, and his voice was high with pain as he took over yelling at the Autobots. "My winglet wasn't taken because I was high strung! It was taken because I could warp! I could warp, and my creation was more likely to be... special! So it was taken, to find out why Seekers are so special, can do so much... Taken, and examined, and it died. It died just like almost every other stolen winglet. How does that feel, Mirage? Hound, Smokescreen? Trailbreaker? How does it feel, your stolen powers... how do you think your scientists learned how to give those?"
The Autobots looked at each other as Skywarp feel silent, unsure how to respond. Red Alert took advantage of confusion to slip forward, shaking a little as the Decepticons focused on him. "I have one request."
Skywarp gave a low, keening moan, reaching past Starscream towards Shockwave, but Soundwave kept him back with a hand on his wing. "What is it?" Starscream asked, wings twitching in agitation as Shockwave started to cry.
Not wanting it to seem like he was trying to ransom the sparkling, Red Alert force himself to walk close enough to give Shockwave to Skywarp. Optimus gave an angry rumble, but the sparkling instantly stopped crying, and Thundercracker and Skywarp began unabashedly cooing. Even Starscream relaxed, looking at Shockwave and smiling gently. "What is it?" he asked again, tone much softer.
"I want you to shoot me," Red Alert answered, taking a step back.
"What?" Starscream squawked.
"I want you to shoot me," the paranoid CSO answered, sounding very sure.
Starscream stared at him for a long time, finally lifting his null-ray into position. Red Alert didn't move or try to stop him, and the Autobots seemed to be stalled. Prowl actually appeared to have crashed, but no one noticed. "Alright... fine..." the white Seeker said, shooting Red Alert.
Red Alert froze for a moment, then relaxed and smiled. "Thank you. It's nice to not be paranoid for a little while... hey, Inferno! Come on, I have about four breems before this wears off, that should be long enough for a good 'facing. Hurry up!" Waving at Starscream, the Lambroghini ran towards the Ark, grabbing Inferno before vanishing into the ship.
Looking at each other, the Seekers and Soundwave deiced that Red Alert had the right idea. They had what they had come for, everything was right in the world, and if they left before the Autobot's shock wore off, they could even get out without a fight. They were gone the next moment.