Birds of a Feather

Chapter 3

Rodimus groaned as the dialing tone went.

He sat down in his desk chair, holding a glass bottle full of pretty yellow liquid, starting to pop it open with his bottle cap opener.

He took a sip, and set it down on a coaster like drink holder esque thing- he was pretty sure it was just an ashtray, but he wasn't going to tell Thunderclash that. Besides, he didn't smoke, so there was no need to tell him.

"Mama, who are you calling?" A voice asked, and Rodimus looked to where the two younglings were rested on his berth, playing a game on their portable systems.

"Silver." He answered.

"Aunt Silver?" The other asked excitedly.

"Yes."

"Can we talk to her?"

"Not tonight, Smoke."

"Awh."

They both pouted at him, as if that would help their case.

"Don't pout at me." He said. "You two are sixteen now."

"And it always works." the other pouted at him, trying not to laugh.

"On your sire, maybe." Rodimus shrugged. "But it takes more than just a little pouting with me, Sea."

"Please, mama?" Smoke asked.

"Not tonight." Rodimus remained firm. "This is serious adult business."

They both huffed a sigh.

"You can talk to her another time. But we're focused on serious matters."

"Well can we sit in, on these 'serious adult matters'?" Sea asked.

"No."

"Why not?" Smoke asked. "We're gonna have to learn eventually."

"And this is not something you will learn tonight."

Rodimus remained firm, as they groaned. With a roll of optics he got up and moved over to them. He pecked each of them on the forehead, and gently settled a hand on each of their cheeks.

"Go find your sire, hm?" He suggested. "And be safe."

Seashot sighed. "We will, mama."

"There's no need to tell us every time." Smokeshot smiled. "We'll be okay."

He simply watched them as they got up, and purred, while his field remained full with both worry, and love.

"We'll see you later mama."
"To say goodnight."
They both said on the way out.

"Alright." He called, sitting down at his desk again. "I love you."

"Love you too, mama!" They cried back in unison, as they left.

It was quiet now that they were gone. He breathed a sigh.

"You're too cute, Rod."

Rodimus jolted looking back to the screen, noticing that finally Silver had picked up.

"Jesus Christ!" He loudly exclaimed. "You sack of shit- scaring me like that-"

She simply laughed, showing a mouth full of sharp teeth, and well maintained fangs all from her canines and back. Her silver, black, and dark red sheening frame was looking well kept, as he should expect from her, being that she was the official leader of the Decepticons. She had red lipstick and possibly lipgloss on, matching her red optics, with eyeliner and mascara decorating them, while her crown was settled on her helm, a little off to the side, rather than the middle.

"Now, what did you need?" She asked.

"See, I-" Rodimus steadied himself, clearing his throat. "I sent it to you, but to summarize;"

"Ah, let me pull that up."

"We picked up a pair of Decepticon younglings. They were just kinda floating adrift in space on the brink of death."

"Okay." She nodded, reading it on her personal HUD interface. "Decepticon younglings."

"Perhaps you might know something? Since you've been in reign about as long as Smokeshot and Seashot have been alive, and they look about their age, so, I figured..."

"Okay, I'm gonna need names, and basic information, to see if I can get somewhere on investigation into them."

"Yes, I can send the medical file that First Aid and Ratchet have built." Rodimus said, already jacking into his copy from the datapad, and using his own HUD to send it over.

After a minute or so it went through, and she started reading.

"Firebird and Featherflame; that's their proper names as they've provided?"

"I would guess, from how they let them slip now and then when referring to each other, and seemed to respond when used."

"Okay. So, the Phoenixes; fliers, male, look kinda like you, around sixteen-ish, illegally wearing sigils, kindled, twins."

"Mhm."

"Okay. That's a decent start. Now if possible I need creators names."

"Got those as well." Rodimus said, sending his conjux's notes over to her. "Thrillchaser and Tankcrusher."

Silver seemed to start typing, looking the names up.

"Snow said they had a bakery they ran now, but remain Decepticon aligned."

"Okay." She mumbled, focused on what she was doing. "I think I can work with this for the time being. I'll see what I come up with, and get back to you, yeah?"

"Yeah." Rodimus agreed. "If we get anymore important or vital information, I'll send it to you."

"Alrighty then."

—

Thrillchaser sighed, setting the line back on the hook. Tankcrusher looked over to him.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

It was quiet. Too quiet.

Normally they didn't mind, but now that they'd heard their sparklings had gone missing... it was eerie, and gloomy.

Their precious little Phoenixes. Gone. Nowhere to be found.

Thrillchaser stood up.

"I'm going to go look for them." He firmly stated.

"Hu- Thrillchaser-"

"I'll keep in touch." He softly assured his conjux. "I just... not doing anything, and hoping for the best, that they'll find their way home, or someone will find them..." He turned his head to look at the floor. "It doesn't feel right."

The 'And we may never know.' was left unsaid.

Tankcrusher sighed, knowing he was right. It wasn't often that typical Decepticons truly cared about others, and they probably wouldn't care much about a set of younglings that looked like an Autobot, and a Prime at that.

"Alright." She relented. "But you keep in touch regularly so I know you're okay."

"Of course, my love." He pecked her forehead. "I'll get everything settled and ready, and I'll most likely leave at the end of the joor."

"Alright then." She chuckled warmly. "Still some time left to cherish."

"Mhm."

It was quiet for the rest of the evening.