A Pet Squishy

Discovery

Thundercracker stopped, releasing air from his vents, "He's not going to find out."

"Secrets can only be secrets for so long."

He growled, "He's NOT going to find out."

Lana massaged her right temple, "Great...now he's in denial."

When an uncomfortable silence fell, she decided to strike up a pertinent conversation, "So... were you always a soldier?"

His optics glanced down at her, "Why would you ask that?"

"Just curious."

He continued working and explained, "I was formatted and built for military service, yes. Were YOU always a dancer?" he returned the query.

"No. When I was little I..."

She was interrupted by Thundercracker's ironic laugh.

Rolling her eyes she rephrased, "When I was a CHILD, I wanted to be a nurse and help people."

"Were you formatted to be a 'nurse'?"

Lana tried to translate his techno babble, "Well...I was always good with people if that's what you mean." She watched his hands rip open more oil drums, "Did you always want to be a soldier when you were...a...robot child?"

"When I was a Sparkling I always wanted to be a Seeker."

Lana suppressed a snicker at the cute word. The word sounded funny in his deep rumbling basso.

"Guess you got your wish."

He shrugged.

Without any warning, Skywarp teleported right next to Thundercracker, startling the blue Seeker.

"GEEZ, WARP! Don't DO that!" Thundercracker grated with recovering irritation.

The black and violet Seeker watched his comrade a moment and frowned unpleasantly, "Conversion duty? Did Sound-jerk give you that job?"

Thundercracker stacked another cube and compressed it, "Yeah. I was late coming back."

"Where'd you go anyway? Did ya get your squishy back?"

Tapping his cockpit, Thundercracker nodded.

Skywarp put his hand to his face with reproach, "TC, TC. You REALLY need to get rid of that thing."

"No. I like her." Thundercracker insisted.

"That's my point. That thing is making you soft!" the black Seeker pointed at him.

Thundercracker straightened his posture, "No she isn't."

Suddenly, Skywarp's hand whipped around and struck a panel close to Thundercracker's cockpit, reflexively popping it open. Before the blue Seeker could fend him off, Skywarp snatched Lana right out of his chest and leaped backward. Lana cried out.

"WARP! GIVE HER BACK!" Thundercracker boomed, arching in a pouncing position.

The violet Seeker dangled Lana out in front of him, "Oh! OH! I'm going to drop it!"

"NO! DON'T!" Thundercracker threw up a hand.

Skywarp wrapped his fingers more securely around Lana, shaking his head, "Just LISTEN to yourself TC! You sound like a slaggin' Autobot."

Grinding in his chest, Thundercracker's optics flashed, "What did you SAY?"

The purple and black Decepticon cocked a metal brow and placed Lana on one of the stacks of Energon cubes, "You heard me...Autobot!"