Playing War: Chappie One

A/N: Hey, Guys! It's been… *looks at calendar* almost TWO YEARS?! Holy Primus! *nervous laughter* Ah ha ha… um, I didn't mean to leave you all hanging for that long… The Muse ran away and before I could catch it Life decided to kidnap me…

Prowl: You mean you didn't run off and get sucked into other fandoms?

Me: *hides memorabilia* No?*more nervous laughter* Well, um, to make up for that, here's Chappie One in all its glory! Yay! *backs away slowly* Enjoy! *disappears in a crystal burst*

Prowl: Liar. You were watching SAO…(=͢ˇ=)"

Disclaimer: …*chirp chirp*

Prowl: Since Owl seems to have disappeared (again), it seems this falls to me. Ahem. Reclusive Owl does not own any part of the Transformers franchise. The only things this pathetic author owns are a few movies, action figures, and the random slag that occasionally turns into a somewhat decent plot. Please, enjoy the story.

_Link Start! Beginning LINE BREAK_

Prowl cautiously followed a particularly bouncy Caretaker to his new classroom. The bright blue and yellow mech was rambling on and on about how he was sure Prowl would make lots of new friends and have a great time in Iacon. Prowl ignored him for the most part, his main focus on the art and other projects lining the walls, the flow of many holo-pics occasionally interrupted by a brightly colored door. The mech, who had been introduced by the Head Caretaker as Hyperdrive, grinned at Prowl as he stopped by a bright orange door that was second to last on the right.

"This is it! Right now, everyone's in the outside play area, but the break's almost over and the others should be back in a few breems. I'll let you pick out your storage cubbie where you can keep all the cool stuff you make or bring, then you can explore the classroom some before everyone gets back! Sound good to you?" Hyperdrive asked cheerfully, looking at the quiet little doorwinger who only nodded silently.

The look of concern that flashed across Hyperdrive's faceplating was missed by Prowl as the door slid open and he got his first look at his new classroom. Prowl quickly spotted the cubbies set into the wall to the left of the door. Walking over to them, he chose an empty one near the exit and then started investigating the bright room. There were four tables in the middle of the room, all a bright orange like the door, each surrounded by seven seats made to accommodate younglings. The door was near the back of the classroom and across from it there were storage bins and shelves that held craft supplies and other tools for youngling use. A large holo-board was on the wall opposite the cubbies with a large desk to the side of it for the Caretaker.

As Prowl explored the classroom, he was aware of Hyperdrive's optics following him from behind the desk. He refrained from letting a doorwing flick in agitation from the staring. He knew logically that nothing would happen to him… his Carrier had promised. Prowl carefully pulled down a story-pad from the shelves next to the cubbies he hadn't noticed from his first glance around the room. Onlining it, he saw it was like the ones his Carrier would read to him after they—Prowl deleted that line of code before any memory could be brought up. He had promised himself that he would forget that, and he wasn't about to let such things ruin this new life…

A commotion from the hall startled the little mechling from his darker thoughts, and he looked to the doorway just as three other younglings crashed through it, two landing in a heap on the floor as the third one was barely able to stop before joining them. Carefully setting the story-pad back onto the shelf, Prowl silently watched the scene play out before him with wary optics. The two younglings on the floor, one colored red and black and the other a black and white like himself, laughed as the one standing behind them, colored a gleaming gold, remained scowling.

"I totally beat you, Jazzy!" the red youngling grinned at the other black and white.

"Nuh uh, Siders, Ah was the one who won!" the bright blue visor of the other youngling glinted in challenge.

"Ha! You wish! Sunny, you saw! Tell 'im I won!" the red youngling pouted up at the golden one.

The scowl on the gold youngling's faceplate grew.

"My name is Sunstreaker. NOT Sunny." He stated and casually smacked the red one upside the helm. Prowl couldn't stop his doorwing from twitching slightly at the sound and sight.

A frazzled looking Caretaker appeared behind the younglings before the argument could escalate. "Sunstreaker, how many times do I have to tell you: don't hit your brother! Sideswipe, Jazz, no racing in the halls! All of you, pick a corner and stand in it till I tell you otherwise, and Sideswipe, don't get smart with me and stand in the same corner as Jazz or your brother. Go."

The command given by the oddly colored Caretaker was followed immediately and looked like an everyorn occurrence. Luckily, none of the younglings chose the corner he was in, partially hidden by the storage containers. Prowl frowned a bit as he examined the new mech. He couldn't decide if the Caretaker was an off jade color or a weird shade of chartreuse…

"Having a bit of trouble, Kup?" Hyperdrive said teasingly from behind the desk.

"'Drive, if you're going to be –so unhelpful– maybe you'd like to be on playground duty, hmm?" 'Kup' bit out sounding like he'd wanted to say something else, but had restrained himself.

"Ah-ha, no, thanks…" Hyperdrive sounded uncomfortable, like that one time Prowl had some bad energon… Prowl shook his helm a bit and focused back on the two Caretakers. The quite little Praxian had not yet attracted the attention of the other Caretaker or the three younglings, and didn't need to be spacing out in the middle of unknown territory. He wasn't looking forward to be introduced to a class of new 'bots, especially since most would likely be older than him…

The sound of other younglings entering the classroom had Prowl cautiously moving further into his 'cover' by the storage bins. He knew he wouldn't remain unnoticed for long, but a youngling could hope. Another Caretaker, a femme this time, entered with the other younglings, an exasperated look in her optics.

"Kup, next time you feel the need to leave me alone with 19 other younglings, Don't." she huffed to the off-chartreuse-jade-greenish mech.

Several of the younglings grinned at her and laughed to each other as they wandered over to the tables. Prowl watched as a visored mechling dragging a stuffed mesh turbocat walked over to the cubbies and put away several other mesh creatures. The bright red visor turned his way for a moment, and then did a double take. The two younglings stared at each other, before the visored one slowly started to make his way over to Prowl. Prowl visibly tensed as the other approached, but didn't move away from the blue and white colored youngling that was still dragging the large mesh turbocat.

The other youngling stopped in front of Prowl, and just looked at him. Prowl's felt his doorwings twitched a bit at the blatant staring, but stared back coolly. He couldn't tell what the other youngling was thinking with the visor on and a mask covering the lower half of his (?) faceplates. After what felt like joors, but what was probably less than a few astroseconds, the visored youngling held out the mesh turbocat.

"Query: New Youngling? Designation: Soundwave. Query: Designation: New Youngling? Observation: Scared. Query: New Youngling – borrow Ravage?"

Prowl startled a bit at the youngling's vocal tones, and his doorwings flicked as his processor worked to decode what the other youngling was trying to communicate.

"Your designation is Soundwave?" Prowl waited for a confirming nod before continuing, "I am Prowl. Yes, my Carrier and I are new to Iacon… And are you … offering to let me hold your turbocat? Ravage?"

Soundwave nodded again, and pressed Ravage into Prowl's servos.

"Ravage: helps Soundwave. Ravage: will help Prowl."

Prowl blinked as he registered the explanation. He looked down at the turbocat in his servos, confusion causing him to frown slightly. Could something that wasn't even alive really do that?

"Query: Prowl: does not like Ravage?" Prowl looked up at Soundwave when he heard the slight waver in tone.

"Hm? Oh, no, I do like him. It is just— I did not know… well, I did not think, um… how are inanimate creatures helpful?" Prowl asked, and then shifted uncomfortably in front of the other youngling when his question was met with more staring.

"Answer: Ravage: calms and protects. Query: Prowl – borrow Ravage?" Soundwave finally replied as he more firmly pushed Ravage into Prowl's arms.

"I… um, okay. If it is okay with you…" Prowl hugged the turbocat close to him at Soundwave's nod. He almost jumped as a voice interrupted them in the corner.

"I see you've met Prowl, Soundwave." Hyperdrive smiled at the two younglings. The smile widened as he took in the fact Prowl was holding Soundwave's prized toy, the mesh turbocat he carried with him everywhere. "And look at that, already friends! Fantastic! Would you like to meet the others now, Prowl? I'm sure Soundwave will be happy to stand with you as you introduce yourself if you're nervous…" Soundwave nodded when Prowl glanced at him to show it was true.

"No, I think I will be fine on my own…" Prowl said, tone even, but Hyperdrive could sense the little doorwinger's unease nonetheless.

Soundwave shook his helm a bit as Prowl went to give him Ravage.

"Prowl: needs Ravage more than Soundwave." He said, pushing the mesh turbocat back into Prowl arms.

"…Thank you, Soundwave," the little doorwinger whispered as he hugged the toy in a small display of nervousness.

"Come on, after this you can sit down with Soundwave if you like. I'm sure his other friends won't mind." Hyperdrive held out his servo to Prowl and led him away from the corner as Soundwave went to sit with a group of Seekerlets. Hyperdrive had Prowl stand in front of the holo-board as he spoke to the rest of the younglings.

"Class, as you know, there will be a new student joining us this orn. He just moved to Iacon, so I want you all to be nice to him and get to know him. Would you like to introduce yourself?" The last bit was spoken softly to Prowl, who nodded slightly and held Ravage a bit tighter.

"My designation is Prowl. My Carrier and I recently moved here from Nova Cornum. I do not know Iacon very well, but I hope to learn quickly. It is nice to meet you all." A little half-bow and a fluttering of mini doorwings ended the brief speech.

"Very good," Hyperdrive grinned, "Any questions for Prowl?"

A multitude of servos shot up into the air, including those of the other black and white youngling and the red and black youngling who were still standing in their corners.

"Jazz. Sideswipe. You're still in timeout for running in the halls. Put your servos down and get back in your corners…"

The two younglings sighed mournfully and turned back to face the walls.

"Bluestreak, how 'bout you?" Hyperdrive pointed to a grey and red youngling who was waving his servo back and forth enthusiastically, doorwings fluttering crazily on his back.

"Where were you created at? My brother and I are from Praxius, but we had to move 'cause of Creator's new job. What's your Carrier do? My Carriers are both secretaries where they work and Creator's a solicitor. Do you like Iacon so far? How long have you been here? What was Nova Cornum like? Was it interesting? Have you met anybot famous from there? I once saw—" another Praxian, this one blue and red with bits of white, cut off the rambling youngling by covering his lip-plating with a servo.

"Sorry 'bout that. He tends to ramble… though, I don't think that's quite what our Carriers thought when they gave him the designation Bluestreak…" a charming smile was directed at Prowl, "I'm called Smokescreen, his unfortunate older brother—"

"By four astroseconds!" Bluestreak pulled the servo off long enough to protest the older brother comment before it was forced back onto his faceplating. Smokescreen just continued to smile at Prowl.

"You can ignore most of what he says. I know I do. Feel free to answer whatever you feel like!"

Prowl blinked at two brothers, Bluestreak still struggling to free himself from Smokescreen's hold, and twitched his doorwings in amusement.

"I was also originally created in Praxius, but I have been to several other city-states other than that. We came to Iacon because of my Carrier's work as well. She is a Runner for a corporation that just expanded to Iacon and she was assigned here. I think Iacon is so far one of the prettier places I have lived, but I still wish to know more. I have only been in the city for three orns, but I like it better than Nova Cornum. There is nothing too special about it. I do not believe I have ever met anybot famous…" Prowl faintly smiled at the two brothers as he spoke, and was grinned at by Bluestreak when he answered all the questions the rambling youngling had asked.

One of the Seekerlets Soundwave was sitting with raised his servo. Prowl tilted his helm towards the violet and black youngling.

"How many places have you been to?"

"I have lived in six city-states including Iacon, Nova Cronum, and Praxius."

"That. Is. So. COOL!" the Seekerlet shouted, red optics glinting with excitement.

"I think that's enough for now. If you want to talk more, there is always after class. You can sit down now, Prowl." Hyperdrive smiled down at the little Praxian. Prowl nodded and walked away from the front of the classroom. He carried Ravage with him over to an empty seat next to Soundwave and sat down.

"Thank you for letting me borrow him. You were right, Ravage did help a lot." Prowl smiled faintly at Soundwave as he gave back the mesh toy.

"Prowl: is welcome. Soundwave: happy Prowl feels better."

Prowl had the impression Soundwave was smiling at him. He turned his attention to Hyperdrive, little doorwings flicking happily, as the Caretaker started the lesson. It was nice to make a friend for once.

_Cute Little LINE BREAK_

Flareup sighed as she finished unpacking the last item from the storage bin. It had taken most of the orn from the time she dropped off Prowl to finish filling out all the paperwork to start in her new position in Iacon. She had finished with enough time to begin unpacking all their possessions and set up their living space. The first two orns, the little family of two had slept in a cheap inn, but now they had their own small apartment to call their own. It was more than they ever had back—Flareup quickly ignore that line of thought and went back to straightening all the story-pads she had collected for her creation.

Prowl had always loved when she read to him at night. She smiled fondly as she onlined one. This particular one had been his favorite, and she had lost count of how many times she had read it to him. They could both practically recite it from spark now.

Flareup jumped slightly as the internal alarm she'd set alerted her to the fact Prowl was almost done with school. Setting the story-pad down gently, Flareup made her way out of the apartment, locking the door with the new code on the way out, and headed towards the Iacon Youngling Center. Things were finally looking brighter…

_Ending LINE BREAK_

A/N: -Dear Reader, I am currently in hiding with my Muse. I really don't feel like facing Prowler at the moment. Don't worry, I have Muse tied up so it won't get away easily this time. I don't plan on waiting that long again to continue with this story! Please review and don't be hesitant to point out any mistakes you see~ One can never go wrong with constructive criticism! Just no flaming, please! I have a trine of Seekers who are a bit too trigger happy to deal with flamers and I don't need you lovely bitlets to get hurt! And if you're curious, I also posted a new chappie to my WoMD story. You should check it out! Till all are one (or the next time I write~)! –Reclusive Owl~-