Megatron's twin

189: Welcome committee

I woke up with Predaking's face in my sight line. "Err?" I asked as slapped him.

"Er?" He asked back.

"You're the one staring at me in my recharge." I grumbled and looked around. I was in the medbay and hungover. "How long was I out?" I asked.

"The rest of the day, and night." He said and I checked my clock, it was rather early.

"Right." I grumbled, "Bucket?"

"Fuck it?" He asked back.

"No, bucket."

"Oh right." He said and picked up a bucket nearby, handing it to me.

"Cheers." I said and started purging.

"Yum." He snorted sarcastically.

"Wanna try it?" I shot back and waved the bucket around. "Where's Oppy?"

"He had to- they're working on schematics for rebuilding Cybertron." Predaking explained.

"Okay." I nodded as my spark started to feel funky. "Where's Knockout?"

"No here- Stop seizing." He started.

"Hrk." I coughed and vibrated. I want to stop it!

"Stop it." He tried again and slapped me. He then proceeded to stare at me untill I was done. "Done?"

I turned over and purged in the bucket. "Ye." I said and got up.

"Should you be getting up?" He asked.

"Probably not." I grumbled and noticed my digits of all things weren't working. I slapped him, at least they're good for something now.

"Nice." He grunted as I opened my chassis.

"Get the sparky stuff out." I said and he reached in.

"Why can't you-"

"Servos are funky." I muttered as he brought out the Megatron clone's helm out. "Ep!"

"Oh that's still there, put it back. I need the sparky stuff." I grumbled.

"I'm not even going to ask. This it?" He asked and brought the sparky stuff out.

"Cheers." I said and opened my intake.

"Er?"

"Well you can't expect me to feed myself!" I argued and flopped my floppy servos around.

"Right..." He paused. "How much?"

"Two gulps?" I suggested and opened my intake like a CyberBird hatchling.

He poured in a fair pit. "That good?"

"Thanks." I said and he put it back in, I shook my servos before heading out.

"Where are you going?" Predaking asked.

"I have no idea?" I said and walked, my digits floppy.

"They look weird." Predaking pointed out. Why's he trailing me? Is he sparkling sitting me again? I turned to look at him. "What?" He asked, I just stared, "Megatron thinks you need to be watched.

I blinked and tried to yell at him through the sparkbond, but alas, I had a spark failure. "Argh, where did 'slut stop' go?" I asked.

"Errr" Predaking started.

"What's a slut?" Bee asked as he came around.

"A smart, lovable bot." I lied, like hell I'd be tainting his innocence.

"Not you then." He beeped.

"Yup." I choked while Predaking just stared.

Then Optimus came round with Jazz. Perfect timing. "You are better?" Optimus asked.

"You're such a slut." Bee started and Jazz choked.

"Yup, slut." I nodded, "Smart, loveable bot." I added, of course I wasn't about to screw Bee over.

Optimus blinked and nodded, "That's a... Interesting translation." He said.

"Soo, how 'bout we 'ave a look at the engine rooms?" Jazz asked and strung Bee along. Then Optimus just glared at me.

"He overheard it and asked for a definition!" I protested.

"How- why?" Optimus started.

"He called someone a slut stop." Predaking started and Optimus frowned further.

"I- I'm the slut stopping at the slut stop- I'm not calling you a-" I argued.

"Right." Optimus muttered and looked over at Predaking.

"Megatron is under the impression I need a sparkling sitter." I explained.

"Well I can agree there." Optimus added while Predaking let out a sleepy smirk.

"Oi!" I yammered and slapped him.

He rolled his optics, "I can take over." He told Predaking.

"Please do." He smirked and wondered off.

"Argh, the audacity-" I started.

"Egg says that the chicks have been abducted." Optimus deadpanned.

"What? How?" I asked.

"Chicken magic." Optimus added.

"Right." I nodded, "If they're doing parkour..." I started.

"They're fire proof but perhaps not lava proof." He pointed out as I felt something on my ped, it was Zinc.

"They've been un-abducted." I informed Optimus as the rest of the chicks tried climbing me.

"What happened?" Optimus asked, shocked at their appearance, they started cheeping. "That makes no sense... I do not understand your colloquial expressions." He added.

Then Ultra Magnus stumbled around the corner. "Optimus!" He started, oooh, this sounded urgent!

I gathered (sloppily) the chicks in my chassis and let Egg know they were with me.

"Yes?" Optimus asked.

"A K-Class ship landed."

"What- where?" Optimus asked, "Do we know affiliation?"

"We're assuming N.A.I.L.s-"

"Nails?" I asked.

"Non Allied Indigenous Life forms, neutrals." Optimus explained as they walked.

"I made sure Megatron sent out null signals from the ship so they know we're not hostile, there's more ships in the atmosphere, smaller-" Magnus continued.

"Why now?" Optimus asked.

"Shockwave and Soundwave have been looking into it, they've found coded signals in the ship, same as mine- Vector Sigma sent out a message, 'come home'."

There was a moment of silence, "There'll be a housing crisis." I pointed out, "And an energon one."

"Not the time." Optimus started.

"You're needed in the brig." Ultra Magnus added.

"Yes, has a channel been opened?"

"One is online but we haven't contacted the ship, it would be best if both parties were present." Ultra Magnus added.

"Can I come?" I asked as they walked into the command unit.

"Ah no." Optimus said, "You can eves drop out here." He added.

"Good enough." I said but as the doors closed I remembered they were sound proof.