Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

...Cold... so cold it burns.

Ice fire.

Tendrils of icy mist rise up to meet me; I am falling.

Star... Where is my Star? Is that him, plummeting? No, he would never.

I am falling—falling to the planet below.

STATUS REPORT:

67% Damaged.

Navigation systems have frozen; optics cracked from below-zero temperatures; processor stalling; wings…

Burn.

Numb… I feel so numb...

…I suppose it is better than being in pain.

Sad… grace is not my ally like Star, yet the sky has never failed me before.

...Will he come for me? Yes, he will. He always does. Always.

Chapter Text

They all think I'm paranoid, even my allies! Oh, but they won't be laughing when I disrupt the Decepticons' plan to gas us all in our sleep, turning us into mindless drones! Or when the human government decides to team up with the Decepticons to take us out! Oh, they think I'm screwy now, but they won't be laughing then!

"Yo, Red! What's shakin'?"

"How are you so calm? The Decepticons are going to attack any breem, I know it! They're going to kidnap somebot! What if it's Bumblebee again? What if he cracks? W-we have to protect him!"

"...Oi..."

Chapter Text

Lost / Weak / Hopeless

"Help," small, slight chirps.
'Pointless, pointless…'

"…Please…" pathetic mewling, barely whispered.
'No one there, no one…'

Questioning / Wary / Concern

Heard, it was heard…!
'Don't hope; no hope…'

"Is… someone there?"
'Broken spark, nobody cares…'

"Response: yes. Designation: Soundwave. Query: you are alone?"

"…Yes," nervous, but hopeful.
'No, crush hope, crush hope!'

"A-are you… h-here f-for m-m-me?"
Say yes, say yes!
'It will say no… always no…'

"Affirmative."

"R-really?"
'No, not really…'

"Confirmation: yes."

Said yes, said yes!
'Will betray, will betray…'

Comfort / Embrace / Trust

"Query: stay with me?"

"Oh… kay…"
Y-yes!

"Response: welcome home."

Found / Purpose / Love

Chapter Text

"Swindle..." a threatening tone warned—growled at, really—the attack vehicle.

Freezing in its tracks, the military truck's engines rumbled a bit, nervous. Not that it would admit that! "Ah... yes, Ons?" His 'innocent victim' voice... yep, guilty.

A cackle somewhere to his left. "Ooh, you're in for it now, Swin!"

An exasperated sigh crackles in his comm. link. "What did you do this time, Swindle?"

"Nothing, I swear Blast Off!"

"Yeah, right!" The sadistic laughter reaches his audio receptors, receiving a slight growl from the jeep.

"Shut it, Tex!"

"Swindle..." his commanding officer rumbled, dangerously low.

Swindle gulped. 'Scrap.'

Chapter Text

"Now, Grimlock..." a voice patiently explained while holding back his furious comrade. "Ratchet really doesn't like it when you break his stuff, remember?"

Scratching his helm, the T-Rex stared at the scientist below. "But you, Wheeljack, always blow up him, Ratchet's, stuff." While saying this, his lumbering tail swatted a table, medical supplies sent flying.

"GRIMLOCK!" The medic, practically frothing at the mouth, roared at the dino-bot.

Wheeljack winced, narrowly avoiding a wrench. "That's, uh, different."

"How?"

"It—youch! It just is, Grimlock."

"Me, Grimlock, don't understand."

"YOU WILL WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOUR GLITCHED PROCESSOR!"

Crash!

"I NEEDED THAT!"

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Single optic blazed, thoughts indistinguishable from the mech's emotionless stance.

His database registered the half-starving femme as a neutral. Unallied mechs were rare enough… to find a femme? The odds were minuscule; not impossible. It was logical to assume she had been separated from other refugees… and mate.

'A sparkling. How… illogical to spark during wartime.'

Terrified, celadon reflected within carmine, femme curling further in on herself, attempting to conceal the child. "P-please… have m…mercy…"

Optic flashed while the mech processed this request, barrel tip gleaming with a purple aura. "It is illogical to spare you and waste resources."

/Static./

Chapter Text

Optics onlined to a bright orange ceiling…

"Hmph, it's about time!"

…and to the charmin' vocalizer of the Autobot medic.

Scrap.

"So, the punk's up, huh? Good! Lemme show 'im why ya don't mess with us Autobots!"

There's the old geezer… Was wonderin' how long it'd take him to show.

I glared, mouth moving before Hatchet could. "Oh, so ya wanna go? I'll show you what this squirt can do when I toss you outta this volcano!"

"Why Ah oughta-!"

"Enough, Ironhide!"

Cue Mr. Stick-Up-His-Aft to ruin my fun…

"Now, Rumble, there's evidence…"

Fraggit all...

It's official: I hate oranges.

Chapter Text

Hidden in a corner
Though worthwhile, soon a goner.
Still, chuckling, Wheelie winked
For who else could've tricked?

"Has anyone seen Wheelie?" Daniel queried.

Kup shook his helm. "Nope, sorry kid. I'd be sure'n tell if I did."

“Alright, thanks. Blurr—?”

"Nope-sorry-Daniel-I-haven't-seen-the-snitch," Daniel stared. Did Blurr just... pause? "But-he-should-hope-I-don't-if-he's-the-cause-of-this-darn-glitch!"

Daniel blinked, "...Glitch?"

Before Speedy continued— "Me Grimlock confused! Why Me Grimlock rhyme like it need be used?"

And, suddenly, it dawned on the boy. With a mighty heave and utter ease, Daniel had quite the laughing fit indeed. Seems Wheelie kept his promise, everybot would stop mocking his rhyming fondness!

Chapter Text

“Look out!”

Cr-aaack!

“Jazz! I’m so sor- are you okay?”

Wincing, servos flew up to his helm, shielding his optics from view as if to protect them.

He can’t let them—his friends, allies—see. If they do, they’ll view him in an entirely different light… and carefree Jazz?

He’s scared of that.

Ah, who’s he kidding… he’s terrified! Not of them, though… of what they’ll think.

Still, no matter how hard the saboteur tried, Bumblebee saw that one secret Jazz was desperately trying to hide. Because, in that split second before it was covered, Jazz’s visor was tinted purple.

Chapter Text

“It has been said I am obsessed with winning, with beating Prime…”

Blue eyes narrowed, locked with red. Meaningless banter… amusing to him.

“Perhaps I am, it matters not. Regardless I shall keep this endless cycle between us until I bore of it.”

Black gripped blue, struggling against their equal.

“Perhaps I am obsessed with the Prime, with the challenge he poses to me…”

Laughter from a silver form, the charge of its canon following.

“Ah, but then again, perhaps I merely wish to prolong it. Indeed, for once the Prime is gone, who will be left to oppose me?”

Chapter Text

Trines… Three Seekers come together as one, the ideal being perfect synchronization.

We fly in threes. We live in threes. Often, we bond in threes.

“Thundercracker, you imbecile!”

Sometimes, I wonder why.

“Hey, TC! Stop thinking about it already!”

They're overbearing...

“Hmph, obviously I am the only intelligent one around!”

…Obnoxious...

“C’mon, don't tell me you’re still mad! It was hilarious!”

…Utterly incompatible. And yet…

“TC?”

“Ugh, the incompetence…”

They’re my trine.

“Warp… Scream…?”

“Oh, hush you idiot! We're taking you back to base for repairs.”

“Just hold on, TC. We gotcha.”

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Chapter Text

Briefly shuttering his optics, the red boombox stared at his Recordabot twins, both calmly waiting for his response. “…Say wha?”

“On Earth, household units generally have a parental figure in charge of their young.”

“But… how does this make me a femme?” Blaster fumbled, tuning out the snickering coming from his chest components.

“I'm thinking the media’s blowing this out of proportion…” Eject muttered to his brother who only shrugged at the sports reference.

::Love you too, mom:: his eldest purred, the more rambunctious sibling chortling beside him in cassette form.

“Slag, why doesn't Soundwave have to deal with this?”

Chapter Text

“Well… This is a first.”

The unfortunate red and gray mech waited (impatiently, mind you) for his best friend to get off his fragging aft and comm. the doc.

Wheeljack (un)helpfully piped up from behind. “It could be worse—we could’ve exploded.”

That just brought another wave of laughter from the usually tough-as-nails minibot.

“Will you just call Ratchet already?” Windcharger grumbled, twitching uncomfortably from his spot as the Ark’s latest wall decoration.

Wheeljack’s head fins flashed sheepishly, unable to do much more while magnetized between Windcharger and the wall.

Windcharger’s never letting Wheeljack near his electromagnetic field again. Ever.

Chapter Text

Humming, the insane Combaticon selected a scalpel. Vortex felt like taking his time. He wanted to enjoy it, after all!

“Wh…what are you g-g-g-going to do to m-me, De…Decepticon?”

He grinned, rotors flicking in delight. How cute! The sillly Autobot was trying to sound brave.

“Oh, a lot of things! But don't worry, I'm not gonna deactivate you.” He laughed, finally deciding—the mask would go first.

Vortex locked gazes with First Aid. The terror on his victim’s faceplates… This will be gratifying.

“Nah, I'm gonna break you down until I get what I want. Break you piece by piece.”

Chapter Text

‘Hide got to his pedes. He was alone in enemy territory… and he was surrounded!

The leader stepped forward, “What’re ya doin’ here so far from base, Autoslag?”

While the Seekers laughed, Ironhide turned towards the head goon. Training his weapon on the ‘Con, Ironhide said,

“Why’m Ah here? Ah’m here ta kick aft ‘n chew rust sticks, an’ Ah’m all out’a sticks!”

“Hey, what's that s’posed to be? He’d never say that!”

Bumblebee frowned. “He did Cliff, I was there.”

“No way, you said he was alone! What really happened, ‘Hide?”

Ironhide only smirked, continuing to polish his gun.

Chapter Text

“Now that the electrum enhanced skirmish has concluded, I would like to converse with you on an observation I noted in regards to your unconventional communication preferences.”

Warpath briefly shuttered his optics. “Mech, speak English or BANG! Cybertronian, would ya?”

Perceptor out-vented, “I thought I was... Very well, my apologies.” He paused, slower now. “I was wondering why you speak that way.”

“What way? ZOW!”

“You utilize vocal expressions for war-related activities. Does your vocalizer have a malfunction?”

Warpath stared, so Perceptor tried again. “You say boom a lot.”

The tank grinned, “Easy, I just think it sounds cool—KABLAMMO!!!”

Chapter Text

You ask who I am; who I was. Such a question had once been unheard of.

I was the mighty leader of the Decepticons and before that a gladiator in the Pits of Kaon!

None could defeat me, my power was matched only by the Prime! I was reliant on none… now, I am merely a tool.

My name… It was once feared by all! Now, it is my master who inspires true terror.

You ask of my name? My name…

I, the disciple of the Unmaker, cursed to live a life of madness...

Megatron no longer, I... am Galvatron.

Chapter Text

Inferno considered a moment.

“Red’s my favorite color for many reasons, not just ‘cause of my paint job.” He grinned, “it’s the color for Autobots, which is cool. Not to mention that it represents fire, so there's that.”

“Is that all?”

“Hardly, you ever seen a sunset?” He chuckled, “I mean, despite being such a, well, fiery color, it can still be part of a beautiful whole.” His smile turned gentle. “More than that, it reminds me of my best friend.”

Red Alert made a slight noise, embarrassed.

Inferno laughed, curiously watching the security director. "So… Why’d you wanna know?"

Chapter Text

Rumble once said that.

Clones.

And I laughed it off because that’s all it was—a joke. Obviously, we’re more than that! The twins, Boss’ boys, muscle backin’ the Decepticons!

“Get back here, you little pit-spawn!”

“Which fragger even are you?”

“Shut it and catch ‘im—s’not like matters!”

—Are we really just that to the rest of ‘em, though? Just The Cassette Twins?

…Heh.

What am I doing, actin’ like a strutless Auto-wimp over this slag?

Rumble’s my bro, and I’m his! I ain’t his back-up copy or something! I’m me!

“RUMBLE!!!”

“I’m F-F-Frenzy, bolts-for-brains!”

…Aren’t I, Boss?

“Affirmative.”

Chapter Text

Hi im waving @ u! u cant c it but i m =D
Haven updated yatter in while… gasp oh noes! :'(
Been busy w spy stuff—v cool! i is quietest :3

…

W8 im not done? i dunno wut 2 do lol
Mybe steeljaw want 2 talk!

…

Awww… steeljaw nvr responds D:
Worst bff >:(
Oooo other mes on! HAI RAVAGE!!!!

No.

Awww… =(

*Sir Soundwave likes this post*

YAS! hi wave! can u c me waving?

“Totally, my main cat! But you gotta focus on the mission, dude. We’re rollin’ stealth mode.”

Lol k g2g bai!!!

Chapter Text

A ranting and raving Whirl is hardly a new experience for the Lost Light. Less so to see Whirl with a petite precision tool clutched between his pincers while smashing an unidentifiable lump of metal against the ship’s walls. All while screaming something about clocks.

“Whirl, are you quite alri-”

“SHUDDUP BROWS! I’M BUSY!”

“Mutilating the corridor?”

“…YES!”

“Ah. I see… Shame, I was actually hoping for your assistance.” Rung smiled, unflinching under Whirl’s one-optic gaze. “I really don’t know much about chronometers. Could you perhaps teach me how to build one for my office?”

“...”

“For ambiance.”

“…Thanks, Doc.”