Of This Life and the Next

Chapter 8 : Punishments and Talks

“I really don’t understand why I’m one of the ones being punished…Scorch was the one that started it all…” Whirl grumbled as she continued to work under her mother’s firm gaze.

Chromia waited until her daughter carefully placed the rifle she had been polishing aside, before handing her yet another gun that needed some cleaning. “You’re being punished because you partook in that little fight of yours.” She answered as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.

“But it wasn’t our fault!” Whirl argued again, “We were all just sitting around, talking about our own thing, when Scorch and his siblings walked up and started harassing us!” She slammed the cloth down onto the ground beside her, “He brought up Hot Shot’s insecurities about his relationship with Heatwave; he tormented Medix into thinking I would loose interest in him and choose someone else as a mate; and he brought up Wedge’s heritage in a negative light!” Whirl brought her hands up in exasperation.

Chromia sighed as she bent down and retrieved the rag, “I understand what you’re saying, as does Elita and Moonracer and the other femmes that witnessed that little display of aggression. However,” she handed the cloth back to her daughter, who took it reluctantly, “that doesn’t justify the need to resort to hostilities. Scorch was in the wrong for saying such things, and rest assured, he is facing discipline as well, but that doesn’t change the fact that instead of contacting one of us immediately, you all chose to escalate the situation and initiate a full-on brawl.”

“We didn’t start anything!” Whirl repeated.

“Who threw the first punch?” Chromia countered.

Whirl deflated, “…Hot Shot.” She sighed. Even she could see her incoming defeat.

“Exactly. And because everyone else joined in, all of you are facing disciplinary measures…except for Brushfire. Apparently, she was the only logical one that knew to call for help.”

Whirl frowned and turned back to the gun she had been cleaning, “Medix shouldn’t be punished.” She said after a moment, “He was one of the bots that tried to end the fight.”

“He admitted to striking another mech.” Chromia recounted.

“Only because he tried to go after me!” Whirl looked up at her mother, “Medix was only trying to protect me after I joined the fight!”

“And why were you fighting in the first place? If I understand correctly, Scorch never said anything to you.” Chromia narrowed her optics.

Whirl pressed her lips together before answering, “Scorch made it seem like I would leave Medix for him…I mean, I’m not completely clueless…I know Scorch likes me too, but…I really like Medix, and I don’t like seeing him get hurt.” She looked down and fiddled with the polishing cloth in her hand, “So when I saw him get attacked, I tried to help him, but then things got out of control and…” she shrugged. Her mother knew the rest.

Chromia regarded her daughter in silence, “Autobots do not fight each other, you know that.”

“I do, yeah.” Whirl agreed as she went back to work, “We can’t have the Decepticons finding out that we’ve been fighting each other. They’ll take it as a weakness amongst the future ranks.” She repeated Elita’s words dully.

“That’s right.” Chromia confirmed.

“…Even though Decepticons fight with each other all the time, and they don’t seem so weak.” Whirl noted.