Frostwing - a TFP fanfiction (Complete)

Convoy and Dues Ex Machina

Words: exactly 1000, pretty sure that's a record for shortest chapter I've done so far.

A/N: Yes, you read the title correctly. I combined the two episodes into one chapter. Also, I realized that Wheeljack is a complete softy when it comes to Frostwing. Think of them as brothers who are so close that they are each other's soft spots.

I was awoken from my nap by Agent Fowler's voice.

"Special Agent Fowler? To what do we owe-" Optimus started to ask.

"What else? Cons. I chased them off with some hard ordinance, but not before they blew me out of the sky!"

"Again?" Miko snickered.

"They tried a smash and grab for the D.N.G.S."

I continued to listen to the explanation and once I realized that I wouldn't be much help since they were going to try to transport it using a convoy, I went back to sleep with a "Wake me if you need my help."

My frost core had been acting up lately and it was wasting my energy. I'm pretty sure it was going through an upgrade. I dimly felt Ratchet scan me before saying, "I am not sure he is fit for combat at the moment. His energy levels are extremely low and his frost core is fluctuating."

I didn't hear anything more than that.

When I woke next, I felt a servo on my helm, just underneath my optic. My vents were heavy and fast and I was far too warm to be healthy.

I opened my optic, which refused to focus.

"Hey partner." I caught sight of the blurry outline of Wheeljack. "Upgrade cycle?" He asked.

I whined in acknowledgement. And Wheeljack turned away for a moment.

"He'll be fine Doc. We just need to keep him cool. His frost core is going through an upgrade cycle. He goes through one every couple centuries. Completely normal for a Metacon."

I felt something cold be placed on my side and whined.

"I know, Partner-mine." Jackie soothed. "Just relax. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."

I passed out again.

The next time I woke, I was covered in ice, almost completely frozen solid. My vents were still too fast and my optics weren't focusing. I was still far too hot and the ice was melting quickly.

"You're still in the base." Jackie soothed. "Your frost core activated and encased you in ice in an effort to cool you off. Its not working very well though. Go back to sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

I did as told and didn't fight to stay awake. Partner-mine is here. I'm not in any danger.

For me, an upgrade cycle is more like the flu for a human. Not exactly dangerous, you just feel like scrap during it.

I next awoke to a human in a suit standing over me. Agent Fowler. Not the one I want to see when I wake.

"Hey, big guy. How are you?" He asked in a caring tone. Okay, what did I miss?

"He isn't able to talk right now. His vocal processor is offline and will stay that way until the upgrade is finished, the most he can do is-" I cut him off with a whine.

"-that." Partner-mine finishes.

"Any way I can help? After everything you guys have done for me lately, I feel like I should help if I can." Fowler asks.

"The only thing we can do is keep him as cool as possible, with his frost core mostly offline, he's generating a lot of excess heat. Team Prime just doesn't have what we need to keep him cool. Normal ice just won't cut it."

"How cold are we talking?" Fowler asks, suddenly in business mode again.

"Very cold. I've done some research on substances that may work and liquid nitrogen is the closest to the temperature range needed. Even then it's still slightly too warm. We need something that is exactly ten degrees colder than that."

"I'll see what I can do and in the meantime, I'll have some liquid nitrogen delivered."

I didn't get to hear the rest of the conversation.

The last time I awoke, my systems were back to normal, but I was frozen inside a very large block of ice that wasn't actually melting.

I checked my internal temperature and found the optimum level was 10 degrees colder than it had been before the upgrade cycle.

I shifted and a cracking sound echoed as a crack appeared in the ice. So I can break it, good.

Wheeljack came running into the room, along with Ratchet.

"Hey, you finally with us?" I blinked twice, our code for yes in case one of us couldn't talk for some reason.

"Is your upgrade cycle finally over?" He asked.

Mostly. I need to shed though.

"You got an upgrade and a growth spurt? No wonder you were out of it longer than usual."

Ratchet wisely chose not to comment on the seemingly one-sided conversation.

I started moving in earnest now. I wanted to feel the touch of Partner-mine.

"He's gonna be a bit clingy Doc. I suggest you do your scans now cause he's not gonna let go of me until his instincts calm down again."

I felt Ratchet scan me but the only thing that mattered to me at the moment was reaching Partner-mine.

I finally broke the ice apart and curled around Wheeljack.

I picked him up in a paw when he suggested moving back to my resting area and headed over on three paws.

I laid down and curled around Wheeljack but left enough of him uncovered that he could see and speak to the others.

"What did I miss while I was helping Miko?" Agent Fowler spoke up.

Wheeljack explained how my protective instincts were centered on two Cybertronians at the moment and since only he was there while my instincts were acting up, neither of us were going anywhere anytime soon.

Ratchet came over during the explanation and gave Wheeljack an energon cube. "Will he accept a cube?" He asked Jackie.

"He won't, not until he definitely needs it."

"Then, Frostwing is in luck. We managed to offline a few Vehicons while he was going through his upgrade cycle." Optimus walked in carrying a Vehicon. He placed it near me and I set to work on devouring it.

"Who is the other his instincts latched onto?" Optimus asked.

"If we could find them, it might help his instincts." Arcee added.

"His designation is Smokescreen but neither of us have heard from him since Cybertron went dark." Wheeljack explained.