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English
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Part 1 of Warped Minds
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Published:
2015-03-28
Updated:
2015-04-18
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8,491
Chapters:
5/?
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74
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27
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Warped Minds

Chapter 5: In which Skyway's adventure goes horribly wrong.

Chapter Text

Fallstreak

A blue tetrajet shot up through the clouds and rolled his way through a series of practice manoeuvres. Thundercracker didn't need need the practice, but it felt good to be up in the air, away from the clutter and solid surfaces that made up the world below.

'Mettlewing to Thundercracker,'

His vacation wasn’t turning out like he’d expected it to. 

He’d spent some time speaking with the flock’s elder, the Old Mech, and had found brief distraction in being idolised and pawed over by those younglings who planned to enter service, but after that had not really had much interaction with anyone. The Seekers who he’d spent time with growing up, or even those he was in service with, mostly worked different rotations than he did, so most of the people around that he could spend time with were either too young for service, or invalid.

Skyway was the former and the old hag the latter; the groundling police bot didn't count.

'Thundercracker, come in,'

He supposed he could visit the academy. There was an officers club just off campus - full of those he'd carefully avoided by playing truant at his return ceremony - where he might even cross paths with somebody he didn't particularly dislike - but even if he did, drinking for pleasure got his gyroscopes rolling the wrong way far too quickly for it to be worthwhile.

'Thundercracker, so help me--'

He muted the channel. His CO could shove it. Thundercracker was on leave.

Down below, the effects of ice-crystals nucleating where he’d punched through the clouds was starting to become visible - heavier ice crystals dropped lower than the surrounding clouds before re-vaporizing, leaving a growing hole where he’d passed. The hole in the clouds added to the pock marks left by numerous other fliers, but though he was far from alone up here, the skies seemed emptier than they had in the past. Once again, Thundercracker was struck by the sense that either Vos, or his own perception of it, had changed.

Vos didn’t feel like home, anymore.

Maybe it was just because he was up in the air, but the thought didn’t bother him quite so much as it had earlier. It was probably normal... He hadn’t been back to Vos for a long time, and in that time (as evidenced by the difference between himself and Skyway) he’d grown up, and matured beyond the need to fly home to the place of his upbringing. Perhaps after his next tour of duty he wouldn't return.

Deciding he could (eventually) come to terms with the changes to Vos, and to himself, Thundercracker managed to stop brooding for long enough to properly lose himself in the enjoyment of his flight. He hadn’t realised before hand just how much his inability to find harmony with his city had been tying up his processors.

Time passed quickly for him after that, and it didn’t seem like long before Cybertron’s star was throwing lengthening shadows from Vos’ central spires far across the countryside.

He was just deciding to turn back so that he would be in time to make sure Skyway didn’t let anyone else breach curfew, when his comm system activated again.

‘Goodcop to Thundercracker’

‘Thundercracker receiving. Do you have good news?’ There was a brief pause.

‘No, I haven’t found them-’ Goodcop continued on quickly, as if trying not to leave Thundercracker a chance to reply before he finished speaking, ‘but I’m calling on another matter, actually.’

Thundercracker transformed into his root mode, so that he could more easily frown irritably. ‘Acknowledged.’ If this turned out to be some sort of survey, Goodcop would score poorly, with a complaint attached regarding the use of contact details for reasons other than those solicited. ‘Can I help you?’

‘Not me,’ if Goodcop was put off by Thundercracker’s tone over the comm., it couldn’t be heard, ‘the latest addition to my holding cell could use some, though.’

‘What? Who?’ Thundercracker didn’t stop frowning. ‘...Skyway?’

‘That’s right. Should I tell him you’ll come down to the station?’

‘... He really isn't my responsibility, you know.’ Thundercracker thought about it. Skyway should really be contacting the Old Mech if he was in trouble. For some reason he hadn’t done that. Then again, Thundercracker himself had been thinking of checking that Skyway was doing what he should be doing. That was also the Old Mech’s job. If Thundercracker wasn’t willing to rely on the flock’s elder, then maybe Skyway wasn’t either.

'I know. Will you come?'

‘...I'll come. E.T.A. four breem. Thundercracker out.’ that should give him time to check on things at home before heading over.  He transformed into jet mode and continued on his way.

It took Thundercracker only one breem to reach the police station, because when he’d reached the flock’s residence Old Mech already had everyone well in hand. A quick check revealed the presence of everyone he didn’t already know to be missing. When asked about Skyway, the elderly Seeker had snorted and said ‘not here, which is a flutter in the right direction.'

Not a Nice Girl

Skyway leant back against the wall, unsure if he felt relieved, or that other emotion: The one other people felt when something was going on that they hoped to feel relieved about. Worried.

The cop had just told him that his elder refused to come down to the station. ‘Don’t worry too much,’ he’d said ‘lucky you came in with Thundercracker yesterday; he’s agreed to show up instead.’ Skyway didn’t normally bother with worry. Things would go to the pit, or they wouldn’t.

But… Old Mech wouldn’t come for him? Well it wasn't really a problem. TC would pay the fine, or whatever. Luckily the guy was pretty rich.

'Sweetwings, you two seem awfull familiar.' Canted the brawny orange Seeker with whom he was sharing a cell. She leaned into his personal space, and spoke just a little too suggestively. 'Just saw him yesterday? See him often?'

'Primus, what are you on?' Skyway scooted sideways, towards the energy bars that prevented them from leaving.

'What am I on, Primus?' She growled, following him. 'Anyone would think you were trying to get me to confess, or something. Wanna share why that Copper’s so cozy with you?'

From the cell opposite, Skyhigh made a noise like he was going to say something, but she shut him up with a gesture, not taking her gaze off Skyway.

A Good Deal to Think About

Goodcop opened the door for Thundercracker before the Seeker could do it for himself.

“I hope you’ll excuse my breach of protocol in asking you here, Thundercracker.” Said the officer, ushering the Seeker inside. “In all honesty, Skyway didn’t name you as his next of kin, but, for him at least, it’s rather important that somebody show up.”

“He asked for the Old Mech.” Said Thundercracker. It was a statement, but Goodcop nodded anyway gesturing in invitation to the seat opposite his desk, which Thundercracker accepted.

“Luckily I didn’t file the request straight away. Skyway’s charges are serious. He was arrested during a drug bust, and since he already has a record he won’t be tried as a minor.”

“Alright.” Pause. "A record? He said he got away with a warning."

“He lied. It means no trial is needed to convict him. He can eventually appeal, but it’s a lengthy process and I wouldn’t put credits on a good outcome, even if he was innocent-”

“-Is he?”

“He was still high when they brought him in, so I doubt it. Regardless, he’ll be sentenced to labour or imprisonment. He’s young and well maintained, so I expect private industry will snap him up on the market.”

Thundercracker frowned “You wouldn’t have called me here for nothing. What did you want me to do?”

“Buy him.”

“Buy him? I don’t want him.” Fortunately Goodcop was experienced enough with seeker mannerisms to realise that Thundercracker’s blunt statement wasn’t actually an outright refusal to help. “As his next of kin you can tie him to you for a bail fee, otherwise his labour contract will be up for auction once the paperwork has gone through. Here." Goodcop passed a pamphlet data chip to Thundercracker, who promptly inserted it into his arm.

“Out of the question,” said Thundercracker after a moment analysing the data, ”I’d be responsible for anything he does under bail.. I’d be putting my commission on the line. I doubt I can afford it on my pay, anyway.”

“I see. The system won’t be kind to him.” Thundercracker didn’t reply. “No, no, I understand, he’s not your responsibility. I’ve run out of pamphlet chips about it, but you’re also entitled to manage his financial and legal affairs while he’s away, including organising his defence, if you choose to go down that road. You’re considered his point of contact for the outside world, and you have some visitation rights.”

“I’m surprised you’re so concerned, given what Skyway told me about your history.”

There was a pause during which Goodcop avoided looking Thundercracker in the optics. Then he sighed. “Yes. Well. My creation wasn’t badly damaged, just humiliated.” Another pause “I’m not sure I could have said the same for Skyway if things had gone down differently. ” The awkward moment stretched on a moment longer.

“You feel guilty?!” Thundercracker’s wings perked up in what Goodcop thought was either shock or amusement. Seeker wing kinesics were similar to their Praxian equivalent, but not identical. Even with practice it was hard to be sure.

Thundercracker gave a pointed look at the ‘Help Wanted’ sign.

“So why don’t you buy his contract?”

“Ugh..” The look on Goodcop's face said 'I don't feel quite that guilty.'

“‘The force can take recruits from amongst convicted inmate," quoted Thundercracker dryly, "This takes priority over external applications for service.’”

That came straight from the regulations, but Goodcop didn’t think that information was on the pamphlet chip he’d handed over. He pulled up a document on his console, then turned to Thundercracker. Never mind.

“Very well. With that in mind, how would you rate the applicant’s verbal and written communication skills?”

Thundercracker met Goodcop’s stare for a klik before admitting to himself he really didn’t have a decent answer for that.

“Well played. I suppose I should go and see him.”

 

When Thundercracker arrived in the cell block, it was only to be met with the grisly sight of Skyway on the ground, spitting energon from a blow to the face, a burly Seeker standing over him.

The confined space and Skyway’s relative inexperience gave the larger, ginger femme the advantage, but it wasn’t a one-sided fight. A moment later Skyway was up and ducking under a swipe to send his cell-mate crashing wing-first into the wall. She gave a shout and lunged, crushing Skyway into the bench and then sending them both to the floor where he clawed at her optics until a punch to the helm left him dazed.

Another two blows had landed before Thundercracker made it to the cell door. His weapon was up and a command to “stop!” punctuated with a warning shot before Goodcop was even half way across the floor. He wasn’t new to Vos, but sometimes he was still surprised by how quick Seekers' reaction times could be. By the time he’d made it the rest of the way across the floor both captives were up against the back wall of the cell, the femme with her claws entangled in Skyway’s neck cables, using the smaller jet as a body shield.

‘Tell your cop he ain’t getting his snitch back,’ she spat to Thundercracker in Cant. He didn’t bother to translate.

Skyway let slip an effete noise, and Thundercracker almost sighed.‘Skyway isn’t a snitch,’ he replied in kind, ‘Put him down or I'll take you out.’

She grinned, showing corroded denta. "Whatever'na," she vocalised, 'You better shoot straight. Mines don't take murderers - either way I won't go back.'

“Alright," said Thundercracker. "Goodcop, How long does it take for you to deputise a mech?”

“Not long; you make a pledge. Retrospective in an emergency”

“Fine,” he said, and Skyway screamed as a laser blast cut right through his intake, and crumpled to the ground with his rapidly greying cell-mate. There was a hole where her face used to be.

Thundercracker lowered his weapon and levelled a red glare at Goodcop.

”I would be grateful if you would consider my application for this position.”

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