Fic: Future (1/3)
Title: The Future...(1/?)
Author: dreamerchaos
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are owned by Hasbro. I'm only playing with them.
Summary: Sequel to my StarscreamxPerceptor drabble 'Home'.
My thanks go out to nova_myth, for our wonderful conversations about this drabble, and for inspiring me to continue. My thanks to kirin_saga, for being the first to point out that a continuation would not only be desired, but greatly anticipated. X3
Any and all mistakes are mine.

Link to the post hosting the Home drabble: http . // community . livejournal . com / transficsation / 244998 . html # cutid1 (Note: take out the spaces)

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"Perceptor Must Carry A Sparkling Soon, Starscream."

"Would you cease to bother me!" Starscream snarled in Shockwave's direction. "Your nagging is going to blow my audio receptors!"

Shockwave refused to be cowed by the irate Seeker, standing firmly in the mech's path. Not allowing the Seeker to leave the sanctuary of his private labs; a simple revisit to discuss Perceptor's medical scans and results now coming down to a standoff between the much larger violet mech and the slimmer red, white, and cobalt Seeker.

The single yellow optic bores down into his optics, Shockwave gripping a data pad in his hand. "This Can Not Wait. He Must Carry."

"This isn't a breeding factory." Starscream refuses to submit to the mech's insistence. "The more sparklings, the better; I get it! Especially after all the mechs lost during the War. But you're being a little bit disturbing about this, hmm? It isn't as simple as forcing every available mech or femme to carry."

"This Is Different."

"This is my pet. Mine!" Starscream cuts in. "And I will not stand here and listen to your harping. You insult me and your reputation by wasting my time with this drivel."

"Starscream-"

But Starscream is on a role, continuing his tirade. "And do you have any how long it's taken for Perceptor to gain a little bit of trust? After how many meta-cycles? How I don't have to worry about him dashing from the room, nor instructing my Trine mates to keep their optics alert when the microscope has fled from my estate yet again? By Unicron! I'm just beginning to start the courtship process-"

'And you have no idea how long that has taken with all of the close calls of nearly having a knee imbedded into to my crotch plating! And the first time that I held him! I thought his shriek would shatter my audio receptors. I would be willing to bet credits that he's stainless if he wasn't swooning into my embrace after finally wrestling him into my arms.'

"We haven't so much as gone beyond a kiss-"

"STARSCREAM!"

"What!?"

It is probably the first time that Starscream has ever worried that the mech is going to smash the data pad through his face. Perhaps the mech has been spending too much time around Megatron's pet medic. "This Can Not Be Avoided!" Shockwave insisted with low indignant fury.

"It is too soon to insist upon such a thing." Starscream argues further. "You and I both know how long it would take for him to recover from the surgical procedure to introduce a reproduction chamber-"

"He Is Already Carrying A Reproduction Chamber."

That sentence freezes Starscream's tirade.

"What did you just say?"

Shockwave's optic pulses bright. "He Is Already Carrying A Chamber. Possible Origin: Your Pet Previously Bonded. Reasons: Unimportant. For Now, Only The Results Of My Scans Matter."

Starscream is thrown by the news. He is dangerously close to wobbling on his pedes, not anticipating that sort of news.

Certainly, a small population of pets has been found to already house a reproduction chamber inside their torsos, but that population is slim at best. A majority had the chambers introduced well before the War, when they eagerly anticipated a future with a beloved bondmate, envisioning the bond and a sparkling that would symbolize their unity.

What other secrets was Perceptor hiding?

"The Make And Structure Of The Chamber Is Unique." Shockwave continued doggedly. "I Reran The Tests Several Times To Make Certain."

"And?"

"The Makeup Of The Chamber Provides Optimal Nourishment and Protection For A Future Sparkling." Shockwave informs, allowing the Seeker to process his words. "The Energon Flow Is Highly Enriched, More Than Any Other Reproduction Chamber I Have Ever Studied."

"That's nice and well." Starscream admits darkly. "A sated and intact sparkling is anything that a mech can hope for."

"This Is Not The Only Reason Why I Insist That Your Pet Must Carry."

"Well, get to it, then!"

Shockwave ignores Starscream's rising temper.

"Based On My Results, I Can Conclude That Perceptor Can, And Will, Bear A Sparkling That Will Have Optimization And Formatting Potential That Has Not Been Witnessed Since Before The War."

"...And by this you mean?"

Starscream had his own theory, but found that words escaped. Throat dry, unwilling and unable to believe the possibility.

'You can't possibly mean...'

"Starscream." Shockwave's optic burns bright with the fever of a scientist devoted to the prospect of his findings. "Perceptor's Sparkling Will Be Capable of Future Optimization Into A Prime."

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The roar of laughter that rises from a flooded bar room filled with mechs and femmes sharing high spirits and high grade does not drown out the impact of Starscream's words. Pockets of mechs hide the party of three Seekers in an unobtrusive corner, the blue Seeker and his black and purple mate summoned a joor ago to meet with their Trine leader.

Skywarp hides his face in his hands, shaking from mirth.

"It's not funny!" Starscream snarls.

Thundercracker is nowhere near as rude as his mate, optics merely blinking in mute surprise. "Well...I imagined it was all quite a shock." He finally states, watching his Trine leader sprawl defeated across the bar table, bemoaning into the depths of his high-grade.

"This is some sort of petty revenge, isn't it?" Starscream mutters, swigging back a long draught of energon. "For every nasty thought and crude comment I've ever made towards that fragging mech."

"Who?" Skyward giggled behind his hands. "Shockwave or Megatron?"

"I think he means Shockwave." Thundercracker calmly informs the dark Seeker.

"Soooo..." Skywarp purrs, fingertips rubbing designs into the tabletop, raising his voice to be heard over the loud din of the bar patrons that fill the cramped bar. "When should we be expecting a little Seeker?" He teases.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Starscream mutters under his breath.

"Who says the sparkling will be a Seeker?" Thundercracker asks, attention focused on his mate.

"Oh come on!" Skywarp barks, appeared a face of hurt. "With Starscream as his Sire, and us to keep the little devil company while Perceptor is carrying, what else could the sparkling be?"

Starscream groans in horror, CPU springing forth the worse possible scenarios. Frag, what if the little brat developed warping techniques? "A miniature version of Skywarp.." He bemoans in terror.

"It won't be so bad." Thundercracker calmly assures his leader, arms folded over his chest, ignoring the full flask of high-grade, unlike his companions who are trying to drown themselves in energon. "You'll have me to help keep an optic online for the kid. After all, if I can handle Skywarp, a sparkling won't be any more trouble." He offers in support.

"Hey!"

"Wonderful." Starscream savagely bites around the single word.

"Those sort of words hurt, Thundercracker!" Skywarp whines, clinging to the blue Seeker's arm, optics glassy from high-grade. "Can't hold that kind of stuff in. Bad for the system." He slurs. "What other secrets are you keeping from me?"

"I'm sorry, Skywarp." Thundercracker apologizes dryly, face blank. "I've been lying to you this entire time. During the last vorn I've been Ramjet's love slave."

Skywarp's squawk, "You liar!" is lost; a loud bellow of greeting catches the Trine's attention from the bar entryway.

"Well, well! There he is. Starscream!"

"Blitzwing?" Thundercracker is surprised to see the triple-changer, more so when his partner Astrotrain ventures into the bar and follows his companion towards their table.

"Did you just get back from patrol?" Skywarp asks, grinning in greeting towards the triple-changers, not noticing when Blitzwing swipes one of his full flasks of high-grade while Astrotrain keeps the Seeker occupied.

"Heard the news." Blitzwing takes a sip, savoring the burn of high-grade. He claps a hand on Starscream's shoulder. "Congratulations. The entire Seeker community is abuzz."

Starscream's pump feels as if it's been dropped onto the floor. "What are you talking about?" He demands, trying to appear unaffected by the mech's congratulations.

"On your little pet Perceptor, and the fact that your sparkling-to-be is already famous."

"WHAT!"

"Where did you hear this?" Thundercracker intercedes, calmly rescuing Starscream's drink before it is smacking off the table.

Blitzwing grins. "The Coneheads. Who heard it from the Constructicons. Who heard it from the Cassettes-"

"Those little glitches!!" Starscream growls. "Shockwave can't keep his vocal component silenced when Soundwave is around."

"Not as if you were discrete through your conversation with Shockwave!" A voice yells from the safety of the thick crowd.

"Who said that!" Starscream's head whips around, trying to locate the speaker. "Swindle! If that's you, I'll tear your head off your shoulders struts!"

"You and what army!"

"Not even an orn since Shockwave shared the news, and half of Cybertron is sharing the gossip." Astrotrain quips in dry humor, curious to see whether the Seeker will make due of his threat.

"I heard Megatron is cutting his conference in Kaon short, and plans to head back and meet with Shockwave and Soundwave to discuss Perceptor and what needs to be done to ensure the safety and comfort of your pet and sparkling." Blitzwing delights in the horrified look on Starscream's face.

"M-Megatron..." Skywarp whimpers. Even he feels pity for his leader, knowing that Lord Megatron would be the last mech on the planet that Starscream would wish to know about his predicament. The tyrant would never let the Seeker live it down.

"Heard the Constructicons will begin work on re-designing your estate and quarters to properly befit a sparkling, courtesy of Soundwave's orders." From somewhere within the vast room a second Stunticon adds the latest bit of gossip, much to Starscream's obvious dismay.

Thundercracker moans, rubbing his fingers against his helm, developing a terrible headache. "The Constructicons on the estate." Those maniacs will have a field day terrorizing the Seekers. They'll have to go through greater efforts to keep Perceptor out of their way. The last thing that they need is the microscope becoming agitated while dealing with the mess and chaos that follows those mechs.

"You don't look too disturbed by the latest news." Skywarp points out, noting Blitzwing's smug expression. "You'll have to share part of the estate with them, too."

"Why would I be?" The triple-changer asks. "I'm already handling bets about the sparkling's schematics and paint work."

"And Swindle hasn't gotten a piece of the betting pool yet?"

"He's holding the pool on whether the sparkling is going to be a mech or femme, or any other special qualities." Blitzwing grins.

"Heard that the Combaticons placed a bet with Swindle that the sparkling is going to be part of a gestalt."

Starscream's helm thumps onto the table, repeatedly smacking his forehead against the thick metal.

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TBC