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I do not own Transformers, I am merely tormenting them for my and other’s amusements.
Thank you to Tash and Zira for letting use many of their ideas: there are too many to list here.
Happy Birthday Delle! This is for you!
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Perceptor sighed as he entered Councillor Stamen's prized garden. Stamen was famed for his unusual collection of plants, crystals and trees. He even had several organic specimens growing in specially created habitats.
Normally, Perceptor would be excited to be able to explore and examine all the unique plant growth. However he was here with a most mysterious purpose. Someone or somemech had been appearing in the night and eating all the fruit from Councillor Stamen's trees. He was particularly irate over the loss of almost the entire Metelloak's acorns as well the theft of his prized Crystal City Crystal Cherry tree's entire harvest.
After listening to Councillor Stamen complain for three joors in a council session, Perceptor had volunteered to place several cameras around his garden to capture the image of the thief. His cameras were very sensitive and motion activated. They would have the thief captured before sol break.
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Hot Rod woke as a mech walked beneath the tree he was perched in. He watched as the mech moved about the lovely forest that Hot Rod had found when he had come to this strange land. He had always wondered what lay over the mountains that bordered the Great Forest and finally he had set out to find the answer.
What he had found was astounding!
An entire land of alt-moders! All with diverse alt-modes that had as many variations as the forest had variety of trees. He had flown over the land looking at the many bots and came at last to the huge city he now found himself in.
Many of the mechs who lived here confused Hot Rod. They had more than enough to be content: huge homes, tons of fuel and the bots here were still not happy. They still wanted more.
He wondered what this new mech wanted, and why was he here putting his odd items about the small forest he had found. It was small but lovely and he only wished that he could show his sparklinghood friend Orion how very lovely it was. Orion would have loved it.
Hot Rod decided he would investigate when the odd mech left.
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Perceptor was confused.
He did not like being confused. It was a fairly rare feeling for him and he did not enjoy feeling it at all.
His cameras had caught nothing. He had even had one pointed directly at a Flameberry tree that had been found to have been picked bare by something or someone. Councillor Stamen had been most vociferous in his outrage at what he termed Perceptor's failing.
Reviewing the recordings the only thing he found was puzzling in it's own right. One of his cameras had picked up an odd image, a single bright blue optic that had looked at the camera and then a fast moving blurr that had passed in front of it.
Perceptor narrowed his optics and frowned. He began to manipulate the image until at last he had a single stilled image that showed a bright red and yellow avian midflight.
Perhaps he had caught the thief on camera after all.
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Perceptor was now more intrigued than before. He had shown the image he managed to capture to his fellow scientists and none of them could identify what species the avian belonged to. The mere idea of having found a new species in the center of one of the largest cities on Cybertron was absurd yet seemed to be fact insofar as Perceptor could determine.
He had even gone so far as to send the image to a collegue on another planet to see if could identify the mysterious avian to no avail.
Deciding he needed more data, Perceptor went to Councillor Stamen and asked when the 'thefts' had begun or at least been noticed. The answer was surprising: almost three decacycles. That any species could remain unseen for so long in a garden that saw so many vistors was truely remarkable.
Going to a dealer in exotic plants Perceptor bought several storage cubes worth of bait and spread small amounts in front of his cameras. Perhaps if he had a clearer image then the avian could be identifed.
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Hot Rod was beyond amused.
The new mech he was following was so interesting. He seemed to do nothing more than figure out the answer to questions and find out reasons why things happened. He was delighted to find that /he// was the source of the mech's current questions and was determined to prolong the challenge just to have more time to watch the mech.
Especially if the mech kept giving such wonderful gifts. Yum. The mech had set out delicous chronocherries. They were one of his favorites.
He fluttered down, making sure to keep away from the mech's devices. Then just because he wanted to be a bit naughty, strutted into the view of the device. He fluttered his feathers and lightly fanned his wings to show off how lovely his plumage was before he began to nibble on the chronocherries.
Once they were gone, he fluttered his wings once more for good measure before flying away to find a nice tree to roost in while he recharged.
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Perceptor watched his new footage with awe. The avian was nothing like any known species! It's brillant plummage almost seemed to glow it was so bright. He had to know more about it. It was completely unknown and completely his. He had planned to show his recordings in hope of identifying the mystery avian, but now he wished to keep the discovery all to himself.
The avian had been quite lovely and Perceptor was so rarely moved by the abstract idea of beauty that it was indeed notable.
He had to know more about the avian.
Perceptor went to the plant merchant and purchased far larger amounts of the fruits and other bait he had purchased. He would feed the avian all vorn if that was what it took to get it to hold still long enough to study it.
The avian had liked the Chronocherries very much based on it's behavior. Perhaps he should name the new species a Chronocockatiel? No, it did not do justice to the avian. He would find the right name when the moment came.
For the time being he would offer a different fuel source and attempt to determine the fuel requirements of the new avian.
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Hot Rod watched the mech below him from the tree he had roosted in. The mech, Perceptor as a mech had called him, was intriguing to him. He had never felt the pull to another being before, let alone to an alt-moder. He hardly dared to think about what his big brother would say about all this. Springer had taken care of him ever since his Papas were lost. Springer had made sure he had everything he could provide.
However, now he was being offered something that his brother could not supply. A mech who called to his spark. He decided that he would go away for a decacycle and think this over. He had been gone for a while after all. Springer was probably getting worried. He would go home to the Great Forest and visit Springer and hopefully get some advice on how to encourage his chosen mech.
For the moment however, Perceptor was putting out another dish filled with yummy fuels for him and he would hate to leave him with out any new images of him before he went. Flying down he fluttered and strutted about before delicately eating the fuel, a delicious blend of PhotonPinenuts and Berllyium berries.
So tasty!
It would be rude not to nibble on them after all, since they had been offered.
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Springer was worried.
His precious younger brother was missing again. The impetuous young mech had been gone for seven decacycles. Springer had flown about in his avian mode, calling out for Hot Rod over and over again, with no response at all.
He was preparing to go out and seek his younger brother again when Hot Rod came flying in with a most ungainly appearance that Springer feared his brother was injured. He rushed to where Hot Rod was changing back to his mech form and was relieved to see his brother unharmed.
His relief turned to anger now that he was reassured that Hot Rod was fine. "Where the pit have you been, Hot Rod! I worried myself nearly into a moult! Do you have any idea how worried I was? You are all the family I have left and I am not going to lose you!"
Hot Rod laughed and hugged Springer when he drew close enough. "I did it Springer! I flew over the border mountains! They have so many wonderful fuels, Springer!"
Springer looked Hot Rod over and realized why his flight had been so ungainly: his little brother had become /fat//. "So I see. Did you leave any fuel for anyone one else? Pit, even your plating has become distended, you are so fat."
Hot Rod crimged away. "I am not fat! I am not fat! Why would you say something like that?"
Springer sighed, "Hot Rod, your armor is too small for your frame. You are bulging out a bit."
Springer gave his younger brother a suspicous look, "Are you egg heavy? Did you let some mech catch you?!"
Hot Rod blushed and covered his bulging midsection with his servos. "No! I am not egg heavy and I have not let anyone catch me. Not yet anyway."
"What the frag do you mean, 'not yet'." Springer gave Hot Rod a supicous look.
Hot Rod blushed and looked at the floor of the mountain cave he shared with his brother.
Springer placed a servo under Hot Rod's chin and lifted his helm until Hot Rod looked into Springer's optics. "Hot Rod, what did you mean?"
Hot Rod blushed deeper, and looked away. "I...I may have found a mech I like."
Springer gave his brother a look, "May have?"
Hot Rod gave his brother a resigned look. "I found a mech I like. I really really like him! In fact I was thinking-"
Hot Rod cut himself off. Springer however seemed to know what he was going to say. "You were going to let him catch you weren't you?"
Hot Rod just looked away.
Springer sighed. "Come on little brother. Let's go sit together and talk about this and why you want that mech in particular."
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Perceptor was rarely emotially distraught but at the moment there was no other term for it. The mysterious avian he had spent so long studying had disappeared. The was no sign of it anywhere. He had no idea what could have happened to it, he had done nothing diffierent. The avian had eaten as usual but then it had just vanished without a trace.
Perceptor continued to set out the small dishes filled with fuels for the avian in an attempt to lure it back. He was no where near finished studying the most unusal avian. He could only wait and see if it would in fact return.
To his pleased surprise, about a decacycle later the avian had returned and was docily feeding on the fuel placed in the dish. Perceptor began to record once again. As he watched the feed, he frowned and studied the avian more closely. There was a small wire snare twisted around one of the avian's legs.
As the avian akwardly flew away after fueling, Perceptor began to plan.
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Hot Rod shook his leg furiously as he tried to remove the stupid trap he caught it in. He shook and shook but could not get it lose at all. He sighed and tried to lossen it with his beak but again no luck. He would just have to wait until he could change to his mech form and take it off then.
knew what Springer would say about it though: that he was a fool and a klutz! He never should have gone back to the small forest on the way to Perceptor. There had been plenty of fuel in the dish, he should never have gone to get a snack on the way.
He sighed and settled in the tree he was perching in. He shifted until he was as comfortable as he was going to get with a snare stuck on his leg and pulled his wing over his helm to recharge.
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Perceptor studied his trap and nodded to himself. It would do.
Carefully baiting his trap with more Chronocherries, Perceptor moved to his preprepared hiding place and settled in to wait.
After three joors, his target at last appeared. Perceptor watched as the brilliantly plumed avian carefully examine the complex arrangement around the Chronocherries and wait for his trap to be sprung.
The avian began to mince it's way forward, neatly avoiding all the trigger mechanisms. Perceptor was impressed. The avian was apparently quite intelligent.
Just as he had hypothesised.
Perceptor let a slight small smirk cross his faceplates as the avian reached the dish. As he watched his smirk began to be a frown when the avian began to fuel on the Chronocherries in a hasty manner. As he watched nothing happened and his frown became more pronounced.
Suddenly the avian staggered as it stood there, before flopping onto it's side in a drugged recharge.
Stepping out of his hidden position, Perceptor removed the fake traps from around the avian and was reaching down to pick it up when it glowed in a bright light. When the light faded, where the avian had been was a young mech whose plating was the same bright red and gold as the avians. A young mech who was actually quite pretty...
Where had the avian gone though?
It would seem he would have to wait until the attractive young mech awoke.
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Hot Rod groaned as he began to leave recharge. He felt so strange, and his helm was throbbing with pain. He had not felt this bad since had tried some of the centaur twins' high grade. He blearily opened his optics and for the spark of him could not figure out why he was looking at a ceiling.
Hot Rod turned his helm to try and get a better look at his surrounding and jumped with shock at seeing himself in his mech form. His shock was followed by a pained yelp as his jump knocked him off of the medical berth he had been laid on.
Hot Rod looked around nervously as he took in the sight of the laboratory he found himself in. He was beginning to become quite scared when a door opened and the mech he had been watching, Perceptor, walked in.
He felt his spark flutter in relief at the sight of his mech. He knew the terrible stories of fireavians who were caught and sold as pets, or a fuel. Tales of being trapped in avian mode and being cut apart as they were poked and prodded.
He had feared he had been wrong and that he should have listened better to Springer when he had woken in this sterile lab.
He watched Perceptor walk towards him and then kneel down a little way away from him.
Hot Rod had to swallow a laugh when Perceptor spoke very slowly, "Can you understand me?"
Hot Rod smiled, "Yes, I can. Who are you?"
It would be best if he pretended that he had not been following Perceptor for the last few decacycles. Some mechs had issues with being watched like that for some reason Hot Rod didn't understand.
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Perceptor permitted a small pleased smile to spread across his faceplates. He had already made first contact and the mech could understand Iacon standard. He reached into his subspace and pulled out a cube of mid-grade energon and set it on the floor before carefully sliding it towards the avian-mech.
The avian-mech looked at it curiously, before picking it up and taking a hesistant sip. The mech made a face and put the cube down. Hmm. So he was not able to drink energon? Perhaps some of the fruit he had eaten while an avian?
Perceptor drew out a dish filled with a few aluminium apples and set it down. He slid it to the mech and was pleased when the mech began to nibble on one of the fruits happily. At least he knew what to feed the avian turned mech.
Perceptor then answered the mech's question, "My name is Perceptor. What is yours?"
The mech gave him an assessing look before answering, "Hot Rod."
A curious name.
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Hot Rod was happy. He had been staying with Perceptor for a decacycle so far and he liked the mech more and more as time went by. Now he just had to get the mech to feel the same for him.
He had slowly gained Perceptor's trust and answered as many of his questions as he could safely. He wouldn't betray his people's nesting areas, nor his friends who lived within the great forest. He would risk his helm but not others'. He may be reckless at times but he was not stupid.
However, if the looks Perceptor kept giving him when he thought he wasn't looking were anything to go on then he already had a good start to winnning the mech over.
He walked over to where Perceptor was working and set a cube of the nasty energon stuff Perceptor fueled on next to him. Perceptor barely looked up and downed the cube before returning to his work.
Hot Rod laughed to himself, he was already such a part of Perceptor's life already.
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Perceptor was uncertain when his feeling for the avian turned mech had changed but he could no longer ignore the feelings he had.
It had only been a few decacylces but already he had come to rely on Hot Rod. He liked to listen to the mech prattle on as he was working, Hot Rod's melodic voice a delight to listen to.
He was a scientist and had to face facts even when they were very unexpected.
The fact was he loved Hot Rod.
Perceptor wondered if Hot Rod's people even could bond but he steeled himself. He would find a way to win the servo of the mech he had come to love. It was after all the logical thing to do, his calculations showed that they should be compatiable however he was unsure if, since Hot Rod was an avian orginally, he would have the approriate equipment as a mech or if he would have to create an adaptor of some sort to allow them to enjoy physical companionship.
Yes, he had a few things to work out, but he could draw up a basic time table at least.
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Hot Rod - no Rodimus, he must remember the name Percy said would be more approriate for living in the altmoder city. He had never been so happy before in his whole life! He had gotten bonded to his beloved Percy! Even his brother Springer had attended the ceremony in his mech form, although he had mostly glared at Percy. Still, he had come!
He and Percy and gone to Percy's, now their, home and bonded their sparks together. It had been wonderful and amazing and awe-inspiring. They had learned everything about the other: Percy had learned how long Rodimus had watched him and loved him and Rodimus had learned about Springer threatening Percy before the bonding ceremony about treating Rodimus properly or else.
Now even more than that sol, Rodimus was filled with joy as he looked around the room and then tore apart another metal mesh laying on the floor. The closet was almost done now.
He was putting the finishing touches on the closet when Percy came home. "Rodimus? I trust there is a reason that you have apparently shreaded every mesh we own?"
Rodimus gave Percy a kiss and curled against him when he walked over to him. "I do have a reason. Did the Magnus manage to sneak out alright? "
Percy gave Rodimus a look at the deflection, "Yes, Ultra Magnus and his companions made it out undetected. Now, can you explain why our home is in such disarray?"
Rodimus led Percy to the closet and proudly opened the door to it, allowing Percy to see the mound of shredded metal mesh. Percy however failed to look as enthused as Rodimus thought appropritae though.
Percy turned to Rodimus, "I do not understand the purpose of this, Rodimus."
Rodimus giggled, "It is a nest, silly mech."
Percy froze and looked at Rodimus in confusion. "A nest?"
Rodimus smiled brightly, "Yes, of course! A nest for the egg!"
At the word 'egg' Percy's optics blazed brightly then went dark as he dropped into forced recharge. Oh well, he could work on the nest until Percy woke back up. They had much planning to do.