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“Has Shockwave been acting funny to you?”
“That overconfident aft is always acting strangely. If he hadn't been a spy for our glorious leader than I would have suspected treachery by now!”
Blitzwing hummed in agreement. Shockwave was always reclusive and hardly came out of his room on the best of days but lately he’d been even scarcer. In fact Blitzwing could count on one hand how many words he’s been able to say to the mech before he would inevitably retreat. Not that Blitzwing cared, but there was something suspicious about the other ‘Cons behavior that had his interest peaked.
“Lugnut watch the monitors. I will be back,” he called and left his post. He heard Lugnut grumbling as he left the main area and headed for the berthrooms.
They were simple holes in the wall honestly. The only difference is they had automatic doors built into the rock for some symbolism of privacy.
Stopping at Shockwaves door, he raised his servos to rap on the door but paused. At first he was unsure if he heard correctly, but when he placed his audial delicately to the door he was sure of it. Shockwave was talking. To someone.
Blitzwing did a quick headcount. Lugnut was watching his post, Lord Megatron was out for a flight, and really there was no one left who would stand talking to Shockwave, himself included.
Now even more curious he rapped his servos on the door and called clearly, “Shockwave may I have a word?”
The commotion on the other side of the door ceased, and Blitzwing heard the big cons footsteps before the door cracked open and revealed Shockwaves large optic.
“Yes? What can I do for you?” The con drawled as if this was of the highest inconvenience.
Blitzwing tried to look nonchalant as he peaked over Shockwaves shoulder. The room was dim and, from what he could see, there was no one else there.
Suspicious he asked, “Who were you talking to?”
Shockwaves posture stiffened, although only slightly, but Blitzwing saw it.
“No one,” Shockwave replied. Blitzwing smelt a lie. “Now if you’ll excuse me—“
Blitzwing shoved his ped in the door before it could close completely.
“Now, now no need to be rude,” he said calmly but his guns whirred online.
Shockwaves optic narrowed and, for a moment, the tension was palpable. Neither said a word as they gauged whether they could seriously win a fight against the other in such close quarters. In the end it seemed that Shockwave didn’t want to risk being frozen solid, and his stare relented.
“What do you want?” he asked, his voice low and angry but his posture sagging.
Taking that as a sign of peace, Blitzwing offlined his guns.
“You have been distracted. We all have seen it. I have not seen you for two days. If something is damaging your ability to serve Lord Megatron I think we have a right to know.”
By the look on Shockwaves face—or lack thereof—Blitzwing hit the nail on the head. The mech suddenly looked tired and a plethora of possibilities went through Blitzwing’s processor. Sickness being one of them. It was completely possible that Shockwave had contracted a virus of some sort and refused to tell them either out of pride or fear of eviction.
Blitzwing sighed heavily and leaned in closer, “Look we have never gotten along, yes? I know this. But if you let me help I won’t speak a word of this to Megatron or the others.”
Shockwave tiled his head in his version of a quizzical expression and asked, “Why would you want to help me? You said it yourself we have never seen optic to optics.”
Blitzwing’s face switched in sudden rage and he barked, “Because I have to pull your veight as vell you ignorant glitchhead! I vant you to vork so I can stop carrying your sorry aft!”
Shockwave squinted at the unexpected volume, but much to Blitzwings surprise he stepped aside and gestured for the triformer to enter.
Still steaming a bit, he entered the room without question and gave the room a lookover. Nothing looked too abnormal.
Once the door was firmly shut, Shockwave made a gesture for Blitzwing to follow. The purple con led him behind the berth where a small pod lay, usually for carrying weapons—to keep them dry and such.
“I didn’t know what else to do,” Shockwave groaned and before Blitzwing could ask, Shockwave opened the pod to reveal a screaming sparkling.
Blitzwing jumped back a few meters and cursed, “The pit? Vhy in Primus’ name do you have a sparkling?!”
Shockwave rubbed the ridge above his optic and had to shout over the childs wailing, “It’s a long story. Look I don’t know how to shut him up! He’s been screaming for a cycle and a half and I can’t him stop.”
Blitzwing had to admit the child was terror on the audials. Shoving Shockwave out of the way, he knelt by the pod and picked up the upset babe. The small red bot fit easily in the palm of Blitzwings hand, and although it paused it’s crying for a moment, it immediately picked it back up again.
Humming, Blitzwing shoved his servo in its mouth.
“What are you doing?” Shockwave asked skeptically.
Blitzwing paid him no heed and simply held the child. The sparkling settled somewhat and started eagerly gnawing on his servo.
“It’s hungry,” he declared.
“I tried feeding it,” Shockwave responded bitterly.
Blitzwing looked over at the other con, “What did you feed it?”
Shockwave shrugged, “I gave it a crystal but it—“
“Vhat?!” Blitzwing roared in fury and it riled up the sparkling again. “Are you an idiot?! Are you trying to kill it? Zat is not how you feed a sparkling.”
Shockwave’s patience, it seemed, had ran out and he shouted back, “Well then you do it smart one! Please be my guest.”
Rolling his optics, Blitzwing took his servo out of the babes mouth and cradled the sparkling up to his neck cables. He felt the sparklings small servos curl on his plating and immediately felt the prick of its tiny teeth puncture his cables.
The sudden silence was deafening.
“How…what?” Shockwave looked both disgusted and amazed as the child eagerly suckled.
Blitzwing switched again and hummed calmly, “A sparklings systems cannot handle fully charged energon. They must have it already processed. The neck is the best place.”
He settled back against the wall in total comfort. A suckling sparkling never failed to get the cybermones pumping and Blitzwing found himself calmed than he had in solar cycles.
“Oh,” was the most intelligent response Shockwave could come up with.
They sat in silence until a tiny beep emanated from the sparkling. Blitzwing pulled it away to get a good look at him and smirked when he saw how pudged its belly was.
“See? All better,” Blitzwing declared and offered the babe back to Shockwave who took it as if it was a rabid scraplet.
“So. You know what I’m going to ask next,” Blitzwing said as he watched Shockwave awkwardly fumble with the sparkling to put it back into the pod. Now that it was fed the little thing seemed grabby. It was like trying to get tape off your fingers. It just kept sticking to everything thing you tried to get it off with.
“This…well this is Cliffjumper,” Shockwave said hesitantly and Blitzwing just stared at him. “You know…the Autobot?...Red? Horns? Oh for Primus sake the little mech with anger issues?”
“Oh I know him….” His face switched to inky black and he cackled playfully, “Oh wait isn’t he the one you were fragging?~ Oooooo cradle robber!”
“W-No! Slaggit it was an accident. I had some mechs on the inside steal some of Perceptors inventions. They sent me something that, apparently, was a weapon. During our last scuffle with the Autobots I tried firing it on Sentinel. I missed and it hit Cliffjumper instead.”
Shockwave managed to get the sparkling off him and Blitzwing tried not to laugh when the babe whined pitifully. Seemed it was quite taken with Shockwave.
“So…Perceptor made a baby-gun?” he asked, his Icy persona taking over once more.
“It seems so,” Shockwave said with a groan and watched the child. He lifted a servo and wiggled it at Cliffjumpers’ face making him erupt into a fit of giggles and binary beeps.
Since Shockwave seemed utterly clueless on how to raise a sparkling, Blitzwing put it upon himself to educate the idiot. How to feed him, when to clean his waste ports, and touching. Lots of contact or they get whiney and needy.
“Just keep him in your lap. You don’t have to pay attention to him constantly,” he explained when Shockwave made an irritated noise. “Look I don’t know how long this will last but if you want any recharge then do as I say. Either that or throw him out the window, it’s simple as that.”
Shockwave scoffed and Blitzwing stood. Shockwave suddenly looked very alarmed and asked, “Wait where are you going?”
“Back to my post. Unlike you I don’t have to raise my sparkmate, and I have a lot of reports to fill out.”
Shockwave stood abruptly, “Wait what if he starts crying again?”
Blitzwing made his way to the door and knew he was being cruel but lessons had to be learnt not told.
“Just do everything I told you and you’ll be fine. I suppose you can comm. me if it gets too bad yes? Good luck.”
He smirked and left, relishing the look of terror in Shockwaves optic just before he heard, “He’s not my sparkmate!” from behind the closed door.
Shockwave turned slowly toward the pod and tried not to groan. He approached the pod and sat, looking at the fully alert babe.
Even as a sparkling Cliffjumper was small. Short legs and a chubby middle made him look impossibly round. His horns were tiny nubs at this point and his optics looked too big for his face. Not at all like decepticon children who were bulkier, pointier, and all around less cute.
“What am I going to do with you?” he asked and Cliffjumper let his optic. He squealed and raised his chubby hands in what Blitzwing had described as the ‘pick me up fragger’ gesture.
Part of him hesitated. Primus it was so awkward holding him when he was like this. As an adult Cliffjumper had been easy to pick up and mech handle around, but there was something so unnerving about holding something so small.
A small whine got his attention. “Oh no. Primus please don’t start crying again,” he panicked and hastily took the sparkling into his hands.
The babe settled immediately and Shockwave sighed with relief. He supposed this could be worse. Cliffjumper could start screaming again. He had to admit though Cliff was much more interesting to watch when he was like this. His big blue optics wandered over everything and settled on the most mundane objects—like Shockwaves servos for example. Cliff seemed utterly fascinated with them and smacked at the nearest one.
Shockwave huffed and shifted Cliffjumper into the crook of his arm so he could hold his servos above Cliffjumpers face. It was almost funny to see Cliff get so worked up over something so simple, and he smirked when Cliff gave a delighted boop.
“Well at least you're finally easy to please,” he mused aloud. “I suppose when you’re not screaming your helm off your alright. Just warn me before you start that slag up again,” he said as he watched Cliff try to shove his own ped into his mouth.
“What are you even doing?” he deadpanned. “Even when you're this small you’re still an idiot.”
He watched as Cliff gave up trying to eat his own ped and yawned widely. Shockwave watched as, for the first time in a cycle and a half, Cliffjumper fell asleep. Dead to the world in his arms
It happened so fast that Shockwave first worried that something was wrong, but no, the babes middle rose and fell with deep intakes, and Shockwave maneuvered Cliff very carefully back into the pod. If he was lucky he could get in some recharge himself and see to some of his work before Cliff inevitably woke up again.
Shockwave covered him in a tarp to keep him warm and eagerly, but quietly, flopped sidewise on his berth. His optic offlined in blissful oblivion as he fell into recharge.
“So what was his issue?” Lugnut asked as Blitzwing came back to his seat in the main area.
“Oh just some personal troubles. He’ll get over it eventually,” Blitzwing replied as he began typing up a report.