Oh yeah, I can illustrate a book a week... WHAT THE HELL AM I ON? *dies*
Title: The Nine Rings of Vos
A Transformers G1 Fanfic
Author: Sanjuno Shori Niko
Summary: Ravage is not paranoid... the Seekers really are out to get him. XP
Timeline: Rest of the fic is here.
=/=
(In which Ravage is paranoid while Skywarp is sneaky.)
Ravage did not want to admit it, but he was worried. The feline Transformer took pride in his place as eldest and strove to emulate his creator’s emotional control. Some things however, were beyond even the strictest of protocols. As eldest, Ravage knew that it was his duty to look after his siblings until Soundwave returned. As his psionic gift was currently the strongest of all the cassettes, Ravage used it both to keep track of the younger members of his family and to try exerting control over his own spark-growth.
It was even working, to an extent.
The other Cassettacon’s were even trying the same thing. While Laserbeak and Buzzsaw, sparked within a vorn of each other and several decavorns older than the twins, were mostly successful. Rumble, Frenzy and Ratbat were not doing nearly as well. Perhaps it had to do with age and the resulting strength of their telepathic gifts, as that was certainly the way it was with Ratbat. Privately however, Ravage knew that it was their status as split-spark twins that gave rise to Rumble and Frenzy’s rapidly worsening condition. Ratbat at least was still self-mobile to an extent. Enough that he could still wander off at the most inopportune times to investigate something shiny. The twins had not left Soundwave’s recharge berth in several solar cycles.
“… Rav?” Came a faint call.
Turning from his thoughts to the real world, Ravage leapt up onto the berth.
“What is it Rumble?” Ravage asked quietly, looking over the twins sadly. They were overheating so badly that their cooling fans could probably be heard out in the hall, forcing them to forgo their usual habit of resting together in a tangle. The only point of contact between them was their clasped hands as they stretched out to take advantage of the recharge berths cooling properties.
For a moment, Ravage thought he would get no answer. Sometimes over the last few cycles they had called for him just to be certain Ravage was there. Something that worried the eldest cassette to no end, shattering whatever attempts to calm himself he made, ‘If their psionic powers weaken how can they expect to survive until Soundwave returns?’
“Where’s Batty?” Frenzy asked in a small, staticy voice, “We can’t find him.”
Ravage stared at the twins for a click before his head snapped up, optics flaring as he searched the family bond for their youngest member. Ratbat’s mind was faint, blank, and worryingly unresponsive to his mental calls. Contacting his avian siblings, Ravage filled them in and bid them look for Ratbat. Ravage felt them each perform a similar search as he had before their worry spiked, alarm ringing in his mind as a multi-part chorus.
At the edge of the berth Ravage hesitated. At present it was impossible to do more than sense the direction Ratbat was in. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw could not search them same places that Ravage could, nor he they. But…
Ravage held back as whine as he looked back at the twins. They too were worried for their youngest sibling, but it was an abstract concern rather than the knife-edge intensity of emotion they usually brought to bare.
“We’ll be OK big bro.” Rumble said, perhaps picking up on the reason for Ravage’s sudden hesitation.
Frenzy moved enough to nod, “Yeah. G’wan an’ find the bitty-Bat.”
“I will return soon.” Ravage promised after another clicks worth of debate before leaping to the floor. Absurdly pleased when he managed not to stumble. He was paranoid still, and made certain that the door was locked securely after leaving the room. The Decepticon’s sometimes seemed to have a sixth sense for weakness, and never failed to exploit it. Ravage would not tempt Fate, the fickle glitch, not when it came to his family.
Little did he know just how very well founded his paranoia was.
Once certain that ravage was gone, Skywarp peered around the corner with a devilish grin. In his signature flash of purple light he appeared inside Soundwave’s quarters. Looking around curiously he winced when he spied Rumble and Frenzy.
“Ouch. You poor little pests.” Skywarp crooned, gathering them both up in his arms in a smooth, practiced movement. Triggering the subroutines for modulating his energy field to help stabilize their overstressed systems until they could be switched over into new protoforms. Just like Ratbat, as soon as their systems began to calm down Rumble and Frenzy dropped abruptly into recharge.
“Aww.” Skywarp cooed as he nuzzled a small helm, “Poor bratlets, you’re kinda cute when you’re unconscious.”
Checking to make sure that the hall was empty, Skywarp sauntered out of Soundwave’s quarters, locking the door behind him in a fit of perverse humour. Grinning wickedly at the thought of Ravage’s reaction, he moved quickly through the corridors, avoiding security cameras with the adeptness of a born prankster until he slipped silently into Starscream’s private labs.
“I’m back!” Skywarp called out softly, grinning when his wingmates seemed to materialize on either side of him, optics locked on the twins.
“You didn’t warp with them, did you?” Starscream demanded, already running a multitude of scans and transmitting the results to the computers nearly as quickly as he obtained the data.
“No, of course not.” Skywarp pouted at the implied slight to his intelligence, but forgave his obviously distracted wingleader, “They’re worse off than the other one and I didn’t wanna risk exploding them with a warp jump.”
“Good thinking.” Thundercracker said, pulling Skywarp into the hidden back room that held an extensive medical bay.
If Megatron knew of the secret addition he had chosen to ignore it. After all, it was just a small medbay. It was unlikely that Starscream was going to take over the Decepticons through medicine, and everyone needed a safe place to lick their wounds, Starscream more often than most. However, the small set of medical chambers served a greater purpose than as Starscream’s post-beating bolthole. When any of Starscream’s Seekers of Vos-builds needed aid for any problem not related to battle damage, they came here. It was a safe place to deal with problems with a bond or… anything having to do with the real reason the Seekers joined Megatron’s cause. There was another entrance through the main medbay that the medic trine of Aerialion, Wingnut and Turbine kept a close optic on.
“We’re ready to start the transfer, my Lords.” Turbine said as the lead trine stepped through the hidden door.
“Twins?” Wingnut asked, scanning the cassettes with a practiced ease, “Split-sparked too. It’s always twice as bad with twins.”
Bemused, Skywarp allowed Aerialion to take the two sparklings from his arms. The other Seeker trine had taken over the little medbay with the pushy self-confidence of accomplished medics.
“Go stand over there.” Aerialion pointed to the even smaller recovery room, “We can’t have you all fluttering under pede. This transfer will be tricky enough as it is.”
“Of course doctor.” Starscream said, grabbing Skywarp and Thundercracker by an arm each and pulling them along, “Ping us when you’re done.”
“By your command, Winglord.” Turbine said respectfully, then promptly turned to the task of getting the new protoforms shells ready for the spark transfer.
“How did Ratbat’s transfer go?” Skywarp asked, watching through the window as Rumble and Frenzy were expertly stripped out their outer armour.
“As far as I could tell?” Thundercracker asked, standing next to Skywarp and watching as the twins were reduced to little more than their core systems, “I think it went well. There was a bit of a hiccup when we realized that he’d need a blank power rectifier ship, but Starscream had one on hand so it was no big deal.”
“What about those two?” Skywarp asked, tilting his head at the objects of the medics attention, “They’ve got freaky mind-powers too.”
“We realized it might pose a problem.” Starscream walked up with the newly upgraded Ratbat in his arms, using the power of his own energy field to ease the integration of the small spark with its new shell, “We grabbed a load from the main medbay stores while you were gone. It won’t be any problem when we get the rest of them.”
“With these two we’re already halfway done.” Thundercracker pointed out distractedly, and Skywarp tore his attention away from Rumble and Frenzy to look at his wingmates.
“What?” Starscream asked irritably as he became the focus of two intent red gazes, “And what are those stupid looks on your faces supposed to mean?”
Skywarp just shrugged and grinned wider, “Hey Screamer? Have I ever told you how completely smoking hot you are with a sparkling in your arms?”
Starscream stared at Skywarp in disbelief for a long moment before speaking in a dry voice, “I believe I’ve heard that one or twice. Do you have a point?”
“They’re a lot nicer to look at in Vos-made shells.” Thundercracker mused out loud, sidling closer to his wingleader and leaning over the offline Ratbat.
His wingmates had to agree. In the shell of a Vos skyborn sparkling instead of his old bestial drone casing, Ratbat was simply… adorable. Tiny, slender red limbs, itty-bitty black thrusters, and the cutest little yellow winglets the Seekers had seen since leaving Vos.
“Mmm.” Starscream hummed agreement and shifted Ratbat into a more comfortable position, very aware of the weight of his trinemates gazes, “His colours are already mostly filled in. Give it another cycle and he should be fully integrated.”
“I really wanna ‘face with you right now.” Skywarp sighed wistfully, wilfully ignoring it when his wingmates choked, “Seeing you with a sparkling makes me wanna spark you off like anything.”
“Skywarp.” Thundercracker groaned, covering his optics with one hand, “You’re shameless. How can you say things like that with a winglet in the room?”
“I’m not surprised.” Starscream remarked flatly, quirking a browridge at Thundercracker, “Remember what happened when I brought Runabout and Runamuck home?”
“That was nice.” Skywarp purred happily, optics dimming as he accessed the memory file.
“Good memory.” Thundercracker agreed, well aware that he sounded a bit stupid but not caring as he recalled one of the most intense bouts of interfacing the trine had ever had.
“Speaking of which…” Skywarp ginned meaningfully at his wingmates, optics glinting.
“No.” Starscream said firmly.
“Aw, but Screamer!” Pleading optics accompanied the whine.
“No means no Skywarp.” The white jet turned away.
“Please?” The deeper voice made Starscream stare in disbelief.
“Not you too Thundercracker!” Starscream scowled and freed one arm to point at the door, “Both of you out. Now. Go get the other three if you have that much energy.”
“But…” Both tried to protest.
“Out!” Starscream ordered, arm swinging up.
“Eeek!” Dodging the irritated nullray blast, Thundercracker and Skywarp darted out of the medbay into the lab proper.
= “That was mean Screamer.” = Skywarp pouted over the trinebond, = “Aren’t I allowed to appreciate how pretty you are anymore?” =
= “Not when it could get one of us sparked you aft.” = Came the prompt response, underlain with apology, = “Or do you not remember the result of the last time you two slaggers jumped me with sparklings on the processors?” =
= “Oh.” = Skywarp sounded truly sheepish, = “My bad.” =
= “We are in the middle of a war.” = Thundercracker pointed out with a heavy sigh through his vents, = “Not exactly the best time for procreation. C’mon Warp. Let’s get the rest of Soundwave’s menagerie.” =
= “Stupid war didn’t stop Soundwave.” = Skywarp muttered sulkily.
There was silence along the bond after that, but Thundercracker had to admit that Skywarp had a point.
Then…
= “If you’re really serious about this…” = Starscream said slowly.
= “I am!” = Came Skywarp’s immediate response.
= “We are.” = Thundercracker said a half-beat afterwards.
Thundercracker and Skywarp blinked at each other and grinned as Starscream grumbled about them ganging up on him.
= “I’ll think about it.” = Starscream said resignedly, snarling when his trinemates bombarded him with love and adoration, = “I said I’d think about it, you nitwits! No promises! Now go find those slagging cassettes before they figure out they need to hide!” =
= “Yes Starscream.” = Came the complacent reply in two-part harmony, and the two Seekers set off to do just that.
(Word Count: 2061)
=/=
TRIUMPH! *poses* I have finished the first set of illustrations for the series of kids books I got hired for! By the deadline even! Yeah, I have to pump out a book a week, but somehow fic still gets written!
... I don't actually remember sleeping. And my back hurts from hunching over the tablet.
Please mention any typos you see, I'm pretty sure there's at least one. Now I have to go do my homework.
XP
A Transformers G1 Fanfic
Author: Sanjuno Shori Niko
Summary: Ravage is not paranoid... the Seekers really are out to get him. XP
Timeline: Rest of the fic is here.
=/=
(In which Ravage is paranoid while Skywarp is sneaky.)
Ravage did not want to admit it, but he was worried. The feline Transformer took pride in his place as eldest and strove to emulate his creator’s emotional control. Some things however, were beyond even the strictest of protocols. As eldest, Ravage knew that it was his duty to look after his siblings until Soundwave returned. As his psionic gift was currently the strongest of all the cassettes, Ravage used it both to keep track of the younger members of his family and to try exerting control over his own spark-growth.
It was even working, to an extent.
The other Cassettacon’s were even trying the same thing. While Laserbeak and Buzzsaw, sparked within a vorn of each other and several decavorns older than the twins, were mostly successful. Rumble, Frenzy and Ratbat were not doing nearly as well. Perhaps it had to do with age and the resulting strength of their telepathic gifts, as that was certainly the way it was with Ratbat. Privately however, Ravage knew that it was their status as split-spark twins that gave rise to Rumble and Frenzy’s rapidly worsening condition. Ratbat at least was still self-mobile to an extent. Enough that he could still wander off at the most inopportune times to investigate something shiny. The twins had not left Soundwave’s recharge berth in several solar cycles.
“… Rav?” Came a faint call.
Turning from his thoughts to the real world, Ravage leapt up onto the berth.
“What is it Rumble?” Ravage asked quietly, looking over the twins sadly. They were overheating so badly that their cooling fans could probably be heard out in the hall, forcing them to forgo their usual habit of resting together in a tangle. The only point of contact between them was their clasped hands as they stretched out to take advantage of the recharge berths cooling properties.
For a moment, Ravage thought he would get no answer. Sometimes over the last few cycles they had called for him just to be certain Ravage was there. Something that worried the eldest cassette to no end, shattering whatever attempts to calm himself he made, ‘If their psionic powers weaken how can they expect to survive until Soundwave returns?’
“Where’s Batty?” Frenzy asked in a small, staticy voice, “We can’t find him.”
Ravage stared at the twins for a click before his head snapped up, optics flaring as he searched the family bond for their youngest member. Ratbat’s mind was faint, blank, and worryingly unresponsive to his mental calls. Contacting his avian siblings, Ravage filled them in and bid them look for Ratbat. Ravage felt them each perform a similar search as he had before their worry spiked, alarm ringing in his mind as a multi-part chorus.
At the edge of the berth Ravage hesitated. At present it was impossible to do more than sense the direction Ratbat was in. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw could not search them same places that Ravage could, nor he they. But…
Ravage held back as whine as he looked back at the twins. They too were worried for their youngest sibling, but it was an abstract concern rather than the knife-edge intensity of emotion they usually brought to bare.
“We’ll be OK big bro.” Rumble said, perhaps picking up on the reason for Ravage’s sudden hesitation.
Frenzy moved enough to nod, “Yeah. G’wan an’ find the bitty-Bat.”
“I will return soon.” Ravage promised after another clicks worth of debate before leaping to the floor. Absurdly pleased when he managed not to stumble. He was paranoid still, and made certain that the door was locked securely after leaving the room. The Decepticon’s sometimes seemed to have a sixth sense for weakness, and never failed to exploit it. Ravage would not tempt Fate, the fickle glitch, not when it came to his family.
Little did he know just how very well founded his paranoia was.
Once certain that ravage was gone, Skywarp peered around the corner with a devilish grin. In his signature flash of purple light he appeared inside Soundwave’s quarters. Looking around curiously he winced when he spied Rumble and Frenzy.
“Ouch. You poor little pests.” Skywarp crooned, gathering them both up in his arms in a smooth, practiced movement. Triggering the subroutines for modulating his energy field to help stabilize their overstressed systems until they could be switched over into new protoforms. Just like Ratbat, as soon as their systems began to calm down Rumble and Frenzy dropped abruptly into recharge.
“Aww.” Skywarp cooed as he nuzzled a small helm, “Poor bratlets, you’re kinda cute when you’re unconscious.”
Checking to make sure that the hall was empty, Skywarp sauntered out of Soundwave’s quarters, locking the door behind him in a fit of perverse humour. Grinning wickedly at the thought of Ravage’s reaction, he moved quickly through the corridors, avoiding security cameras with the adeptness of a born prankster until he slipped silently into Starscream’s private labs.
“I’m back!” Skywarp called out softly, grinning when his wingmates seemed to materialize on either side of him, optics locked on the twins.
“You didn’t warp with them, did you?” Starscream demanded, already running a multitude of scans and transmitting the results to the computers nearly as quickly as he obtained the data.
“No, of course not.” Skywarp pouted at the implied slight to his intelligence, but forgave his obviously distracted wingleader, “They’re worse off than the other one and I didn’t wanna risk exploding them with a warp jump.”
“Good thinking.” Thundercracker said, pulling Skywarp into the hidden back room that held an extensive medical bay.
If Megatron knew of the secret addition he had chosen to ignore it. After all, it was just a small medbay. It was unlikely that Starscream was going to take over the Decepticons through medicine, and everyone needed a safe place to lick their wounds, Starscream more often than most. However, the small set of medical chambers served a greater purpose than as Starscream’s post-beating bolthole. When any of Starscream’s Seekers of Vos-builds needed aid for any problem not related to battle damage, they came here. It was a safe place to deal with problems with a bond or… anything having to do with the real reason the Seekers joined Megatron’s cause. There was another entrance through the main medbay that the medic trine of Aerialion, Wingnut and Turbine kept a close optic on.
“We’re ready to start the transfer, my Lords.” Turbine said as the lead trine stepped through the hidden door.
“Twins?” Wingnut asked, scanning the cassettes with a practiced ease, “Split-sparked too. It’s always twice as bad with twins.”
Bemused, Skywarp allowed Aerialion to take the two sparklings from his arms. The other Seeker trine had taken over the little medbay with the pushy self-confidence of accomplished medics.
“Go stand over there.” Aerialion pointed to the even smaller recovery room, “We can’t have you all fluttering under pede. This transfer will be tricky enough as it is.”
“Of course doctor.” Starscream said, grabbing Skywarp and Thundercracker by an arm each and pulling them along, “Ping us when you’re done.”
“By your command, Winglord.” Turbine said respectfully, then promptly turned to the task of getting the new protoforms shells ready for the spark transfer.
“How did Ratbat’s transfer go?” Skywarp asked, watching through the window as Rumble and Frenzy were expertly stripped out their outer armour.
“As far as I could tell?” Thundercracker asked, standing next to Skywarp and watching as the twins were reduced to little more than their core systems, “I think it went well. There was a bit of a hiccup when we realized that he’d need a blank power rectifier ship, but Starscream had one on hand so it was no big deal.”
“What about those two?” Skywarp asked, tilting his head at the objects of the medics attention, “They’ve got freaky mind-powers too.”
“We realized it might pose a problem.” Starscream walked up with the newly upgraded Ratbat in his arms, using the power of his own energy field to ease the integration of the small spark with its new shell, “We grabbed a load from the main medbay stores while you were gone. It won’t be any problem when we get the rest of them.”
“With these two we’re already halfway done.” Thundercracker pointed out distractedly, and Skywarp tore his attention away from Rumble and Frenzy to look at his wingmates.
“What?” Starscream asked irritably as he became the focus of two intent red gazes, “And what are those stupid looks on your faces supposed to mean?”
Skywarp just shrugged and grinned wider, “Hey Screamer? Have I ever told you how completely smoking hot you are with a sparkling in your arms?”
Starscream stared at Skywarp in disbelief for a long moment before speaking in a dry voice, “I believe I’ve heard that one or twice. Do you have a point?”
“They’re a lot nicer to look at in Vos-made shells.” Thundercracker mused out loud, sidling closer to his wingleader and leaning over the offline Ratbat.
His wingmates had to agree. In the shell of a Vos skyborn sparkling instead of his old bestial drone casing, Ratbat was simply… adorable. Tiny, slender red limbs, itty-bitty black thrusters, and the cutest little yellow winglets the Seekers had seen since leaving Vos.
“Mmm.” Starscream hummed agreement and shifted Ratbat into a more comfortable position, very aware of the weight of his trinemates gazes, “His colours are already mostly filled in. Give it another cycle and he should be fully integrated.”
“I really wanna ‘face with you right now.” Skywarp sighed wistfully, wilfully ignoring it when his wingmates choked, “Seeing you with a sparkling makes me wanna spark you off like anything.”
“Skywarp.” Thundercracker groaned, covering his optics with one hand, “You’re shameless. How can you say things like that with a winglet in the room?”
“I’m not surprised.” Starscream remarked flatly, quirking a browridge at Thundercracker, “Remember what happened when I brought Runabout and Runamuck home?”
“That was nice.” Skywarp purred happily, optics dimming as he accessed the memory file.
“Good memory.” Thundercracker agreed, well aware that he sounded a bit stupid but not caring as he recalled one of the most intense bouts of interfacing the trine had ever had.
“Speaking of which…” Skywarp ginned meaningfully at his wingmates, optics glinting.
“No.” Starscream said firmly.
“Aw, but Screamer!” Pleading optics accompanied the whine.
“No means no Skywarp.” The white jet turned away.
“Please?” The deeper voice made Starscream stare in disbelief.
“Not you too Thundercracker!” Starscream scowled and freed one arm to point at the door, “Both of you out. Now. Go get the other three if you have that much energy.”
“But…” Both tried to protest.
“Out!” Starscream ordered, arm swinging up.
“Eeek!” Dodging the irritated nullray blast, Thundercracker and Skywarp darted out of the medbay into the lab proper.
= “That was mean Screamer.” = Skywarp pouted over the trinebond, = “Aren’t I allowed to appreciate how pretty you are anymore?” =
= “Not when it could get one of us sparked you aft.” = Came the prompt response, underlain with apology, = “Or do you not remember the result of the last time you two slaggers jumped me with sparklings on the processors?” =
= “Oh.” = Skywarp sounded truly sheepish, = “My bad.” =
= “We are in the middle of a war.” = Thundercracker pointed out with a heavy sigh through his vents, = “Not exactly the best time for procreation. C’mon Warp. Let’s get the rest of Soundwave’s menagerie.” =
= “Stupid war didn’t stop Soundwave.” = Skywarp muttered sulkily.
There was silence along the bond after that, but Thundercracker had to admit that Skywarp had a point.
Then…
= “If you’re really serious about this…” = Starscream said slowly.
= “I am!” = Came Skywarp’s immediate response.
= “We are.” = Thundercracker said a half-beat afterwards.
Thundercracker and Skywarp blinked at each other and grinned as Starscream grumbled about them ganging up on him.
= “I’ll think about it.” = Starscream said resignedly, snarling when his trinemates bombarded him with love and adoration, = “I said I’d think about it, you nitwits! No promises! Now go find those slagging cassettes before they figure out they need to hide!” =
= “Yes Starscream.” = Came the complacent reply in two-part harmony, and the two Seekers set off to do just that.
(Word Count: 2061)
=/=
TRIUMPH! *poses* I have finished the first set of illustrations for the series of kids books I got hired for! By the deadline even! Yeah, I have to pump out a book a week, but somehow fic still gets written!
... I don't actually remember sleeping. And my back hurts from hunching over the tablet.
Please mention any typos you see, I'm pretty sure there's at least one. Now I have to go do my homework.
XP