Work Text:
The pest had broken through the gate. It skittered about the enclosed shelter seeking its prize. Sentinel Prime stood at the ready after catching site of the red and blue Autobun. He brought up his shield and net to finally capture the stupid pest.
Sentinel ran out, looking for his quarry. He ran into some of the Deceptihares, thumping their feet and biting at his heels.
"Ow, ow, slaggit. Stupid techno-organics. You're lucky the Magnus thinks you're valuable."
Sentinel humph, steam rising from his vents as he's careful of the bigger hares, like that lummox Lugnut and his mate Strika. Their offspring are huge too, snapping those buck teeth at him.
The blue mech trudges out, wondering how that glitch Autobun comes out alive. He comes to the largest enclosure with its own field environment for their biggest hare, D-16. The hare is the leader of the current fluffle and is supposed to be the one to make the fluffle follow him once they are released. It also pertains to getting the hares to mate, Lugnut and Strika not counting because the doe was already sparked by the time they got the rabbits out of the burnt ruins of Kaon.
When he makes it to the door, Sentinel's tanks churn.
That stupid red and blue bun is humping D-16. The glitch has his hindlegs digging on the ground and holds for dear life as the large hare seems to welcome the attention. Sentinel opens the door screaming. The bun hisses first but runs when Sentinel brandishes his net.
The pest hops circles over him, D-16 watching like he's amused. Sentinel is about to trap the pest when he loses his balance from the Deceptihare leader bunting him in the side. It feels like Kup's flail back in his academy days hitting him. The red and blue bun flees as Sentinel comes faceplate to faceplate with a fury grey mass of anger.
"Eep, don't bite me."
Several cycles pass as Sentinel hides the fact that an Autobun is contaminating their wild preserve. He did attempt to capture it again. Each time landed him under those red eyes of D-16 or another Autobun that he found out was fragging his pet, Jazz. The little black golden slagmaker had been using the red/blue bun's excursions as distractions to sneak in and violate his perfect little Jazz.
And Jazz has refused his spark reducers somehow not eating them in his food mix. Sentinel is afraid that his bun might be sparked. He is even more worried if D-16 is sparked without Ulchtar's CNA. Ulchtar was the chosen mate for D-16 for his speed and mild temper. However, D-16 throws the fairly large bun down like he weighs nothing.
Sentinel wonders how that tiny bun hasn't been thrown around?
He reviews the film and the first time he saw the pest. He and D do appear to fight, but at one point, the bun starts bringing crystal blooms and D-16 allows it to sniff him. They even groomed each other before Sentinel arrives to scare it away again. That's not good.
Ulchtar is starting to sniff at another hare, a big white one with large ears. If that happens, then the whole breeding program is off to a rocky start.
He knows he needs to hide this evidence, so he does. With magnetized gloves, Sentinel grabs the large hare that Ulchtar is after and puts him in quarantine. He then fudges the security tapes for Ultra Magnus and Cliffjumper so that it looks like Ulchtar is humping D-16, thank the Primes the two had similar coloring. So long as no one notices the shoddy image enhancer, then Sentinel can get away with this free of charge.
Next problem will be dealing with Jazz and not taking his medicine.
By the time Sentinel finishes his list, Ultra Magnus has returned with that grumpy old med bot, Ratchet.
"Thank you for your services, Sentinel. From here, Ratchet will examine D-16 for proof of sparking," Ultra Magnus says with a curt nod.
Sentinel's optics widen. He turns to Ratchet.
"Hey, uh, can you check on Jazz too?"
"What, can't use your own shanix to take the bun to another vet, brat?"
Swallowing the barb he wants to throw, Sentinel says the thing to get Ratchet on his side.
"It's just, he's been a little sick. I'm worried for the poor thing, I mean, he's from your Arcee's litter."
Ratchet grunts but makes a motion to bring Jazz in.
Sentinel leaps at it as he goes to grab his Jazz. The poor bun does look bad, maybe that slagging Autobun did something to upset Jazz. He brings Jazz as he sees Cliffjumper bring in D-16. The large hare jumps out of the cage, but Ratchet catches him mid-jump with his magnetizers. The hare hisses and chomps at the air, trying to get the digits of Ratchet.
"There, there, little runt. You're fine. Your sire was larger than you," Ratchet mutters as he scans D-16.
"Runt?" Sentinel asks, confused.
"Galvatron and Megatronus are related to this one. I can see it in his build and he has the same grey as Galvatron. They were the largest wild Deceptihare on record before the fire," Ultra Magnus responses.
"Yep, and I was on the team to monitor them back in the day. It's how I got Arcee too. Oh, hold on, almost done," Ratchet says to the frowning hare. "There. Good news to you two, he's sparked. I see at least four new frames building so it'll be a small litter."
"Wonderful. Cliffjumper, get Ulchtar please."
Sentinel faceplate greys. "Uh, er, is that a good idea."
"Of course. This little scrud will calm down once he smells the sire nearby."
"And if he smelled, I don't know...a hare he didn't like?" Sentinel says.
Ultra looks at him sharply. "Not a joke, soldier. That will cause the carrier emotional harm and force their programming to haywire to protection protocols, especially if the sire is out of reach."
"How about we check Jazz real quick?" Sentinel says. He knows Cliffjumper won't find Ulchtar for another few kliks because the fragger's been hiding near the quarantine zone.
"Hm, all right, put him down on that counter and hold him. He's domesticated so it'll be quick."
Following the instructions, he places Jazz on the counter, the black and white bun drooping down sad. Ratchet checks him and pauses. He scans again.
"He's sparked," Ratchet says. "You better find the sire soon. Jazz's not taking the separation too well."
Sentinel's processor reboots and he does not notice Cliffjumper coming in with a fussy Ulchtar. The sound of the high-pitched squeaks agitates D-16 as the hare muscles out of the magnetism. He jumps and attacks the red and blue hare, as it squeaks in terror. Cliffjumper loses his grip and two large hares fight at the mech's feet.
"What in the Pit! I thought that was the sire?" Ratchet yells as he tries to target his magnets.
"He is! I chose him to breed with D-16," Ultra Magnus says, stressed as Ulchtar hides between his feet as a last haven. "Sentinel confirmed they got along."
The room turns to Sentinel, whose processor is back on track. His intake opens silent at the accusing look and at the growling of D-16. It is then that the thumping of the fluffle get their attention and the door is hit twice. Cliffjumper, for his own reasons, opens the door.
Two Autobuns rush in. The red and blue bun goes straight to D-16 and starts to groom his ears, the hare melting under the attention.
The black and gold bun jumps on the counter and Jazz comes to life, the two sniffing each other affectionately.
Ulchtar takes the opportunity to run away.
Again, all optics are on Sentinel.
"I have some news..." he says
Several weeks pass as the sanctuary makes room. Thanks to the successful breeding, it was proven that Deceptihares and Autobuns are related and can share the Iacon Woods area without too much resource battles. Many of the Deceptihares have been monitored to ensure there is no issues between the species. As it appears, the red and blue bun, titled Orion Pax, is the current leader of the largest Autobun warren, next to Arial of the Caminus Hill warren further within the woods. In fact, several of the doe hares have found the femme dominate warren and integrated.
Sentinel Prime kept his job, and even got promoted to watching the growth of the hares/buns society. He even sees his Jazz and that stalker he calls Prowler getting along. They had a small litter of two that he's named Jetstorm and Jetfire.
The mech sighs at his life. He was hoping his promotion would lead to a better position out of the sanctuary in a zoo back in the city. Nope. He's stuck watching the rabbits for his foreseeable future.
Optimus nuzzles his big love. Megatron nuzzles back, twitching his cute pink nose.
In the fluff of their den, four little bitties whine and whimper as they toddle in their new home.
"They are mighty warriors," Megatron says, putting his teats out for the four new lives to find. The yellow one reaches first and starts feeding, followed by his orange brother. The black one and the red and yellow one they are the last to find their way.
"They are cute little fluffbutts, Megatron." Optimus gazes from atop his love's mountainous back. "We made them, together, even when that monster chased me away."
"Hehe, the dolt never realized you were hidden. I am glad that your ally was able to find his mate."
"Prowl's just happy Jazz isn't imprisoned anymore. They're safe in the warren like the rest of the Deceptihares."
"Yes, and we'll reclaim Kaon once again when these children are grown and ready," Megatron said.
"That'll be for later. For now, our forest provides enough and Kaon needs time to heal," Optimus replied.
"Yes, yes. We'll hide better from those poking prodding monsters too."
Optimus laughed and licked his mate.