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Twitch was not having a good day.
Why did it seem like everyone was able to have fun except for her?
Frustration prickled along her plating while watching her siblings time Bee's racing, they all seemed to be having a good time. Even Nightshade, which was somewhat a surprise considering how self-isolating they had been acting prior to the...incident with Tarantulas. She hadn't spoke to them much since that happened, but Hashtag had grown closer to them, perhaps their more outwardness these past few days was because of her.
Regardless of what she thought, there was something simmering beneath the surface. It made her turbines twitch.
Thrash especially had been getting beneath her plating. She knew taking out her emotion on him was unjustified, especially since he tended to behave like nothing could go wrong in the world, it was only his nature.
But that's exactly what drove her bonkers.
The lack of accountability for proper training radiating from him, which she believed was the most crucial thing they could be up to right now, may or may not have what led to her trying to rough-house with him.
Stress that grinded her gears led her servos when she attempted to punch him after a tussle, his optics confused as he watched her fist meet Bee's plating. Their mentor's confusion and disappointment subtle, but there when he told them to cool off in the dugout.
Everyone made space for her and Thrash when he followed her close behind. Trying to demand what was going on with her, which she blatantly refused to answer.
Everything had just seemed wrong lately...
Dot getting kidnapped, her new siblings, Hashtag getting her alt mode, Nightshade's misadventure.
All of it curled like a turbulent storm inside her tanks, making her feel like biting anyone who even came within five feet around her. Like a toddler, she felt on edge...ready to throw a tantrum to express emotions she couldn't yet fully comprehend or process.
It hadn't been as hard when it was just her and Thrash...but now she had three new terrans to worry about, one who still didn't have an alt mode. Not to mention Mo and Robby...
So she only snapped when Thrash again, tried to get under the cloud in her optics. Folding her servos as she just went on about responsibility, how he should try harder.
His optics only flickered with hurt, and their siblings stood awkwardly nearby. Choosing not to intervein with the tension of their older sister and brother.
That is...until the dugout went on lockdown.
And if her day hadn't been ruined before, it was only about to get worse...
She listened, attentive, momentarily forgetting about Thrash as Nightshade and Hashtag took the distraction as a sign to excitedly talk about their new additions to the dugout to keep them safe. The enhanced security systems and all.
Both of their combined ramblings were at least interesting she had to admit. Even Jawbreaker was impressed as he tapped on the doors. Thrash stood off to one side, still looking muddled as he stared down at his pedes, alarms faintly blaring in the background.
But then the cameras picked up on Alex being taken by Agent Scholder.
Then panic set back in, that prickling flared back to life as she pressed her servos to the cameras, and demanded that Nightshade open the doors again.
To her great dismay, her audio sensors were forced to hear Mo ask:
"...why does it say 10 hours?"
She was frozen, barely registering Nightshade's nervous giggling as they tried to override the system to no avail...staring down at her servos, optics dull as Hashtag comforted her avian sibling apun the discovery of the plan B escape tunnels being blocked off...
All the frustration, suppressed emotion since that morning...fighting with Thrash...her parents getting kidnapped by a spider...and now being locked inside while her Dad was being taken to who knows where.
She gripped her palms, helm raising as she locked her gaze onto Nightshade. Watching their intake move as they knelt down to Mo and Robby.
"I'm afraid the only option is for us to wait out the ten hours," they apologized, glancing at Hashtag, exchanging a sheepish look with her "I'm sure Dad will be alright, and we-"
"We what? Huh?" she snapped, like a laserbeam, her optics burned into them as she stepped forward, gritting her denta together "We just wait down here until it overrides itself? Did you seriously not design any of this with that in mind?" she waved her servo around wildly, her voice slowly raising by a few octaves.
Nightshade was taken aback by her tone, quickly standing up somewhat defensively as they folded their long arms behind their back.
"Of course I had that in mind, which is why an override was installed in the first place," they replied, although she detected a hint of strain "There must be some bugs I still have to work on-"
"Oh really, you only just find this out when Dad might be in actually danger?" she interrupted them, buzzing into the air, angrily holding herself at their eye level.
Nightshade craned their neck back, frowning in confusion as their finials flicked, sensing her distress.
"Why do you never test your projects when they're actually finished?" she went on, each word tumbling out like water would from a busted damn "You always jump into things head first and only think to fix them later! You're getting us all in danger!"
Nightshade's green optics widened in shock, Jawbreaker looked on in the background. Twisting his servos nervously as he looked between her and them, like he wanted to intervein but wasn't sure how. Mo and Robby just looked speechless. Thrash was still refusing to look up from his pedes.
"Hey!" Hashtag loomed over the both of them, having gotten over her initial shock of seeing her sister so angry "I helped too y'know, both of us didn't know this was going to happen, espiceally Nightshade,"
"Oh right, because you too are just so close now," Twitch turned on her "Since when do you help them build things?"
"Since they choose their alt mode," Hashtag huffed, folding her limbs "At least I'm actually trying to get to know them, you haven't even tried to speak to them since-"
"Oh? Since what? Since they got Mom and Dad kidnapped and almost had their memories erased!" Twitch yelled.
Dead silence.
Mo and Robby visibly winced behind them. Mo looked at the ground, rubbing her own cybersleeve, as if she could quell the tension now spiraling between everyone.
"...that...that wasn't their fault," Hashtag retorted after a moment.
"Oh? Then who's fault was it? I didn't see any of us abandoning our family in favor of a giant spider," Twitch countered, glaring. Each word that escaped her had Nightshade bowing their helm lower and lower until they were visibly not meeting anyone's gaze, servos clasped tightly behind their back. If Twitch had caught the guilty look on their faceplate, perhaps she would have stopped there.
"And now Dad's in danger again, thanks to a certain someone," she huffed, firmly crossing her servos as she turned her back on her siblings.
Nightshade shuffled in the background. She ignored the sting of hurt and regret radiating from their field, it overlapped hers until she tired to block the bond.
Meanwhile Hashtag clenched her fists, out of defenses.
And finally, Thrash had had enough, stepping between Twitch and Nightshade as he glared up at her.
"Alright, what is up with you!" he demanded, sharply this time "Just because you're having a bad day, doesn't mean you get to blame all your problems on us!"
"I'm not projecting," she turned on him "I'm just pointing out facts! How am I supposed to keep us safe if we keep making mistakes? What if we lose Mom and Dad just because I couldn't be there? What will happen to us then? To Mo and Robby," her voice cracked as she lowered to the ground slowly "...I'm trying...so hard. To keep us together...but everything just keeps falling apart in my hands...like I can't keep a grip,"
"...and you think yelling at Nightshade and Hashtag is going to keep us together?" Thrash asked, his gaze searching hers for honesty.
She hesitated.
The storm inside burned...but it was slowing down...
She had let out all the anger in her system. And in doing so...had hurt two people greatly. Hashtag was just standing there stiffly, staring down at her in dissapointment...it felt like Bumblebee grounding her all over again.
And Nightshade looked devastated, not daring meeting her gaze.
She paused, glancing at Thrash, then Jawbreaker, who just looked lost as he stood over Mo and Robby. He was just afraid that they were going to keep fighting.
They were all staring at her like she was the problem.
Was she?
"I..." she felt her servos slowly un-clench, and for once...she felt utterly defeated.
Deep down, she only wanted to protect them all...even Nightshade. And now...she felt like Mandroid.
"I'm sorry Thrash," she whispered, intake crackling as she looked away "I'm just frustrated. And I'm taking it out on you guys...you don't deserve that..." she sank down slowly to her knees, energy blades sliding along the concrete.
"I'm taking everything...so seriously. Because I'm scared if something happens to Mom and Dad...if something happens to us. It will be my fault,"
She sighed, looking up.
"I've been snapping at everyone...even Bumblebee...and now I don't even know where he is...and.." she hugged her arms around herself, suddenly regretting everything she had let spill "...I didn't mean any of those things I said before..."
The dugout was quiet...
She registered Thrash hesitating, processing her words. His light-hearted spirit was obviously dampened...but he knelt down besides her regardless.
"You don't have to keep everything inside y'know," he nudged her "...or take it out on everyone else...we're siblings. You could just talk to us..."
"And if I don't know how to explain?" she asked, meeting his blue optics.
"Then tell us if you need space," Robby spoke up, walking over, Mo by his side as they both sat down on her other side "We all need alone time to process things, then you can talk if you feel ready,"
"You can even talk to Mom and Dad," Mo suggested with a small smile, placing her small hand on Twitch's knee guards "...and I'm sure he's coming back...and even if he doesn't, the dugout's not going to be on lockdown forever,"
Twitch nodded slowly, letting out a slow ex-vent. She just had to calm down...take on step at a time...and that would start with apologizing.
She looked up at Hashtag and Nightshade. The latter having somewhat hidden themselves behind HT, who was still looking defensive.
"I'm sorry Hashtag...for snapping," Twitch murmured honestly "...I'm glad you're getting along with Nightshade...I...didn't want you to think that I was upset that you two are bonding,"
Hashtag nodded a little, her optics softening...but her arms still firmly crossed as she motioned her helm towards where Nightshade was still using her as a sibling shield.
She understood, and took in another vent.
"I'm sorry Nightshade," she tilted her helm so she could get sight of their green optics.
Their servos were clasped nervously over their abdomen now, helm tilting as they averted their optics.
"I never meant for Mom and Dad to get in danger," they admitted quietly "...but there was a large misunderstanding between me and Tarantulus...one I failed to contain. And you...are right...I am the reason their memories almost got erased,"
Their wiped at their own faceplate, even if there was nothing there.
"I just didn't want to talk about it...or think about it. I've only been here for a short time, but they almost...forgot about everything. And not just me, you and Thrash..." their faceplate only crinkled more and more as they kept talking.
Twitch's optics cycled, realizing she hadn't been the only one keeping emotions hidden as she rose into the air, zipping around Hashtag as she wrapped her arms around their neck as she drew them into an embrace.
"You didn't mean for it to happen, and that's what counts," she assured them "We're all still here...that's what matters,"
"So lets wait for that timer to finish so we can go find Dad,"