Sparkling Troubles

Chapter 4

"Aahaha! You can't catch me!"

Ratchet sighed for the twentieth time that day. Bulkhead had become so attached to the younglings that he forgot to go on his scouting mission. He, Smokescreen, and Bumblebee had been playing tickle fight.

"Bulkhead! For Primus' sake, will you please go on your scouting mission?!" Ratchet finally lost it as Bulkhead almost dropped the blind youngling. As the 'green machine' walked reluctantly through the ground bridge, Ratchet thought of all the bad things that could've happened to the younglings in this not-so-innocent game.

For one, Smokescreen's vents could have shut down again, rendering him helpless under large mech feet. Second, Bumblebee's inability to see could've let him step unknowingly under another large foot. Ratchet picked up the small younglings and carried them to the large Rec-Room. He sat on the ground, temporarily leaving the monitors to talk to them.

"-Ratchet?-" Bumblebee asked, wondering who his handler was.

"Yes, it is I."

Smokescreen giggled at that. "R-Ratchet... Hatchet... teehee!"

Ratchet once again sighed, now for the twenty first time. The younglings had started wrestling near his lap, and he scooched a little to allow them room.

"-Smokes? Where you at?-" Bumblebee asked, waving his arms out in front of himself. Smokescreen crawled below his arms and crept up behind him. He pushed the younger one playfully to the ground.

"BOO!"

Instantly, Bumblebee started crying his unseeing optics out. Coolant was pouring down his face. Smokescreen looked concerned and tried to console his friend.

"Bumblebee? Smokescreen?" Ratchet grabbed their attention. The little bots turned their heads. "Do... do you..." Ratchet had to choose his words carefully. "Do you-"

A large boom sounded from directly above their heads as Vehicons jumped through the now gaping hole in the roof.

: Optimus! Get the others! The base is under attack! : Ratchet commed his leader.

: Understood. We will be there shortly. :

Ratchet scooped up the younglings and shielded them from upcoming attack. Suddenly, the Vehicons stopped advancing.

"So, it looks like my faithful communications officer has done his job quite nicely."

Bumblebee whined, clinging to Smokescreen at the loud, booming voice coming from above them. Then, Megatron himself stepped through the hole.

"Ah, it seems that you and I meet again, scout. But this time, you are a mere youngling, only four stellar cycles of age! You will not leave this encounter alive!"

"Leave my friend alone!" Smokescreen spoke up. Ratchet quickly put his hand over the youngling's mouth, but Megatron was sneering.

"I see you have trouble keeping your mouth shut, as this scout did before I-" Megatron cut himself off as he heard a whimper. Looking toward the sound, he guessed that it was that cursed Bumblebee that made the pitiful noise. On further examination, however, he saw that the young scout was not looking at him. He had a face of complete and utter terror, but was staring blankly at a wall.

"What is wrong with this youngling?" His voice dripped not with evil, but instead with disgust and confusion.

"He is blind, thanks to your 'faithful communications officer'!" Ratchet yelled in anger. Megatron once again looked confused, but that was replaced a nanosecond later by sneering pride.

"Ah, Soundwave. You know how I love little surprises..." Megatron looked a little behind himself, and only then did Ratchet see that the Third-in-Command was present.

All of a sudden, there was another crashing sound as more bots slammed into the room.

"Megatron, I suggest that you leave the premises immediately."

Ratchet once again sighed, but this time in relief. Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead had arrived. Megatron had his feeble Vehicon drones attack, but they were quickly annihilated as Optimus used his blades to strike through the ranks.

Megatron called for a Decepticon retreat. Eradicons and Vehicons swarmed through the hole in the ceiling, trying to get out before the rest came barreling up behind them. This continued until every Decepticon was gone from the room. Except one.

He had gotten trampled by the Vehicons, and was lying on the ground offline. Smokescreen scurried over to the mech's limp body and poked the back of his helm. The now online mech turned his helm toward the poker, and Team Prime gasped. It was Soundwave.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Ratchet was very against taking Soundwave in. The mech was currently offline again. Arcee and Bulkhead argued that the mech was unable to move anything but his helm, so he posed no threat.

Optimus took a different, more resourceful argument."Soundwave must come back online at some point. When he does, we can use his knowledge and intellect to help us find energon. We also can use his knowledge of Smokescreen and Bumblebee's transformation to... tell us why they are diseased."