Hi there! Could I please request something with a sparkling!reader? Like Ratchet was busy configuring stuff on their base's computer then in Op requesting medical assistance. At first Ratchet got his hackles raised because he assumed someone got injured by doing something stupid but then saw that Op was holding a very injured sparkling in his arms. Ratchet short circuits for a bit before coming to his senses and fixing them up. Eventually the whole team comes along. I'll leave it up to you on how a sparkling made its way to earth. Something angst to fluff maybe? Set in tfp (just recently started binging the series and I'm obsessing over the team π)
TFP Team Prime x Sparkling Reader
Reader is a sparkling, thus, their frame and paint job have yet to be revealed.
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*brrrrrb! brrrrrb! brrrrrb!*
A red alarm shines on Ratchets tired face as he stares into the holo screen, not even reading the warning but looking through it. How many times must his equations be declined? Where is he going wrong? The small alarm rings emptilly around his helm.
Through the light buzz, he hears a comm switch. "Ratchet, prepare the medical bay! It's an emergency!" Optimus roars.
"Copy." Ratchet rushes to get the table and machines up and running, checking if they are in optimal conditions. Who got themselves hurt this time? He grits his denta. Who was careless this time. His pumps flood his fuel lines with fearful energon. He soon hears the teams engines roaring through the tunnel as he turns around they all transform quickly, being careful not to hurt the humans and race to Ratchet at the table. He scans them all as they move but doesn't see anything, "so? Who's hurt? Don't tell me I got set up for nothing but a scratch Optimus." With a frown, Optimus sets something small onto the table.
"No, Ratchet, it's something worse, more frightening." The red bot looks down to see a small, frail, damaged frame. His spark skips a pulse or two, and he immediately starts moving. The sparkling is slowly greying and is leaking energon rapidly.
"You couldn't have been more specific over the comms, Primus Optimus! Why didn't you say anything about this, I wasn't prepared for this!" Ratchet panics.
Sparks and engines rumble and shake, and the panic in the room overwhelms the medic, but he can't afford to make a single mistake. 'Primus help me', he prays repeatedly in his helm. He can hear the children's hearts pounding. He seals cuts and scrapes and cuts fuel lines to reconnect them, too short. They will be stunted, they will be deformed; the thought alone makes his optics well up with coolant. Where did they even come from, how were they created, and why? Who would create a sparkling at a time like this?
"The decepticons wanted them so badly." Optimus says lowly as he takes the sparkling servo in between his digits. "So badly." He clenches his empty servo into a fist. After what seems like ages, Ratchet finishes, and the sparkling is stable. The ugly grey has stopped spreading and is now receding at a pace that makes Ratchet uneasy. Bee and Bulkhead spend time with their humans in base before taking them home at the same time they always do, but Arcee couldn't handle the situation and took Jack home so she could go for a drive.
Optimus hasn't left the sparklings side in hours, and Miko won't stop asking if it's okay. Ratchets servos haven't stopped trembling, mind racing. He looks over at Optimus and weighs if he should ask questions now or later.
"Their carrier?" Optimus looks over his shoulder to see his friend. He looks him up and down, then turns back to look at the sparkling.
"Gone. They were abandoned, left alone in an escape shuttle. Primus only knows where they are or if they're even alive." He says hopelessly.
"The escape pod may have some answers-"
"The decepticons have destroyed it in our battle for the sparkling. And nearly destroyed them with it." He grumbles, nearly growling with scornful distaste. With a hum, Ratchet turns back around and decides he is going to go have a look anyway.
"Bulkhead, Bee, what were the coordinates of the shuttle that had the sparkling." He demands rather than asks. The pair look at each other, then back at Ratchet. His engine roars as he speeds to the location. It was somewhere in a secluded and abandoned camping area. When he arrives, there are dying fires and scorch marks everywhere. Tree debris litters the area. A large mound is towards the east side of the camp site, Ratchet looks up in the opposite direction of where it landed. He stalks closer to the pile of rubble and twisted metal and scans it for any reserve electricity and finds only a small pocket. "Let's hope it's enough." He says to himself as he pulls a small patch connected to the inside of his chassis by a thin cord.
When Ratchet gets back to the base, everything is dim and quiet. The others must be recharging after such a frightening afternoon. The sparklings vitals have all returned completely to normal. Such a fast recovery for one so small, on Cybertron, it would have probably taken several solar cycles for a sparkling this young to even be stable. He examines your tiny frame thoroughly, three digits, one thumb, and two others. The size of your pedes and curvature of your small frame indicate the type of bot you'll be; not only that but also the types of bots your carrier and / or sire were. Not only will you be stunted and deformed from the damage sustained, but your small build indicates you will stay small; you're a minibot.
Ratchet starts examining the fluid samples he's taken. How have you recovered so fast, and why? There are so many questions with little to no answers. Hopefully, some will shine through for your sake.
Optimus' internal clock wakes him up, 6 a.m. human time. He feels for the sparkling, optics still closed but finds nothing, not even warmth from where you were. He stands up so fast that the exhaustion left in his frame makes him slightly dizzy. He looks on to see Ratchet bouncing his left leg, sparkling held softly to his chest as they bounce up and down rapidly. A small energon cube in tiny servos. "How?"
"No idea. But I'm looking." Ratchet muses as he stares at the energon flowing on screen. "Such rapid recovery should be impossible for how small they are, not to mention the lack of nutrition. I'm going to guess that they must have been in stasis somehow. I also tried my best to get readings from the shuttle, but nothing came of it." The doctor rubs his faceplate thoroughly. "Oh, and as a matter of fact, I have been able to use my optics to find out the type of frame they have. They're a minibot Optimus, that's why they're smaller than normal. One or both of their bearers were one. Maybe even both of them were."
The prime nods his head, finally having one piece of the puzzle that's been racking his processor. "I see they are in good spirits." Optimus smiles softly.
"Yes, but they're also terribly clingy. Try it." Ratchet faces Optimus to give him access to the sparkling. Before the prime's hands can even come close, the sparkling lets out a small, high-pitched warble. "Arcee tried it earlier this morning after dropping Jack off at school. I'm surprised it hadn't woken you up." He chuckles softly.
"They've bonded to you, Ratchet. They're not ever going to want to leave your side." Optimus smiles and looks his friend in the optics. "Happy?"
Ratchet shivers and makes a disgusted sound, "Of course not, I'm tired of it, and it's only been a few hours. But, I suppose that means I'll have someone around who actually listens to me." He takes a glance at you, at the same time you look up at him, the back of your helm hitting his chassis, a small clang coming from it. Large optics glow brightly on his face, derma open on an edge of the cube, glossa licking and lapping at the energon coming from the cube. Ratchet shines a smile on you, "I know, you're the only who will listen, right?" You giggle then start wiggling from his arm. He plops you on the floor, and you take off running. Small pedes clacking with each step.
"Fast." Optimus chuckles. The two watch as you explore. After a while, only Optimus watches, Ratchet exploring your blood for more answers. He watches as you run and jump and climb, trying not to interfere too much as it could ruin your curiosity and hunger for answers. A trip here, stumble there, you've yet to scrape anything. You climb onto a large box and start relaxing until you eventually fall into a soft recharge still in your sitting position. Prime decides to leave you there to look for your small cube that you discarded carelessly.
Engines thrum through the tunnel; the children are free from "prison," as they like to call it. The roar of engines and cries of happiness are like the sound of a flash-bang going off, but you don't stir, don't even twitch. Immediately, the children jump away from their companions, "Where are they!?" Miko shouts excitedly, looking around for a sign of the sparkling.
"Are they doing any better? Arcee said they were moving around this morning." Jack points back at Arcee with his thumb as she stands with her arms crossed.
"Yeah, are they okay, Ratchet? Bee told me about how important it is, that they're probably the very last sparkling alive?" Rafael pushes up his glasses, staring holes into the doctor for answers.
"Yes, they're probably the very last one. And they're fine, just fine. They're a little tired, though." Ratchets servo points in the direction of the small one without looking at them. The children and bots all turn their heads in unison to see the little one recharging on a box of supplies. With a gasp Miko coos at the sight, Bulkhead follows her lead and coos, too.
"How cute." The group of onlookers say in a chorus.
"You let them take the sparkling!?" Megatron swings a fist at Starscream, who dodges the blow just in time. The large grey mech is angered beyond belief. They had one shot, one, and Starscream and his dearest doctor blew it. Speaking of the good doctor, he points at him accusing, "And you;" the red mech flinches and stiffens up, standing tall, "you could have snatched them up and gotten out of there faster than any of them could blink, but instead you wanted to dig yourself a pity hole and lay there leaking like a fool!"
"Well, lord Megatron, I-" Knockout stutters.
"Quiet!" Megatrong trembles with frustration, "I don't care what you were or were going to do about it, you've failed. Both of you." He growls. "Soundwave! Do you have any information from that escape pod?" The tall, lanky black figure of his most trusted nods in confirmation. "Perfect." He turns around to stare out the large window, clouds roll beneath the ship.
"What are we going to do with them when we catch them, my lord?" Starscream asks fearfully, unfurling to stand tall.
"That's need to know information, Starscream. I can't risk you exploiting my plans any longer. Your folly has disrupted my trust in you." He turns to look down on his seeker, arms folded behind his back, "When the time comes, I will ask you for your presence, but for now, I want you out of my sight." He warns with a hiss.
Soundwave slowly approaches Megatron, bumping Starscreams shoulder, making the shorter mech frown and make a disgruntled noise. On the blank, smooth surface of Soundwaves faceplate an image of a small bot, their identity, and background information displayed neatly. Megatron stares and thinks, claws scratching at the palms of his servos. "Hmmm, are they alive? Did you find anything else?" Soundwave doesn't move, but the images on his display flash and warble. A devilish smile crawls onto Megatrons faceplate, "Hmmm, too bad, I suppose."
You woke up half an hour ago and started hanging out with the children. You want to stay as close to Ratchet as possible, so that means that's where everyone else has to be. You sit right next to the mechs pedes as he works on the base systems and getting test results from your energon. On occasion, you touch his pede, making sure he hasn't moved from his spot. When you reach up for him this time, though, you pull yourself from the floor, using the red mech as leverage. You stand somewhere around Miko or Rafael's height, too small to have a frame like Bee or Arcee.
"So they're a minibot?" Miko asks for the hundredth time.
"Yes, Miko." Ratchet says plainly.
"And they aren't going to get very big?" She follows up as she takes you servo in her hand and you coo.
"No, Miko. They'll be half of Arcee's height at the most." Ratchet nearly mumbles as he looks at a petri dish.
"Cool. What's their car mode?"
"What?! How come? Is it cause they're too small, or are they deformed? Do they have shaking baby syndrome?"
"Ugh, you have to be around 50 to a hundred years old for your frame to be at least mostly formed. They are only 35 years old, and they still don't have much color other than a midnight blue tint that I'm assuming is from a carrier or sire. But even that is changing. You see the cloudy white and pale blue mixing together, they are changing, still forming, it'll take years for them to develop the part in us that even scans vehicles. They might not even choose a vehicle mode. They are called alt-modes for a reason, Miko, not every bot turns into a vehicle." Ratchet explains forcefully, and for just a moment, it's quiet before Jack pipes in.
"Wait, you guys can turn into other stuff?" He asks.
"Not us. We're too big to pose as something smaller than a vehicle. I mean, there is mass displacement, but it's not very comfortable, not to mention extremely dangerous." Arcee explains kindly to the young man.
"It's a method of transformation that has been abandoned for centuries, too many health issues." Ratchet adds. "Smaller bots like them," He points at you, "though, can. It doesn't cause any problems for minibots surprisingly."
"Mass displacement? Like, using a built-in shrink ray?" Rafael takes a turn asking questions.
"Yes, but it's a faulty organ that we have since evolved without, like how you evolved to the point you no longer have gills." Ratchet chuckles, making Raf shiver. You shiver, too, but it turns into trembling, shaking, and joints locking up. You make an unhappy and uncomfortable noise. Your grip on Miko's hand makes her whine and pull it from you.
"Ow, what's the matter?" She cries.
You race to Ratchets' side and beg for help with your little optics. Your feelings are so loud, you're scared, but why? "What's the matter?" He asks highly concerned as he pulls you up. You just whine and wiggle. Your frame, "Why are you so cold? What's the matter with you?" He starts trying to frantically diagnose you and your symptoms. Cold temperature, shaking, stiffness, and discomfort these are all signs of a growthspurt. He smiles and shushes you calmly.
"Stand up." He puts you down, still holding your servos, "it's okay, stand up." He supports and comforts you. "I know it's painful. Your frame is changing, but you'll be okay."
"Gonna shoot up, huh?" Arcee places a servo on her hip and watches you with a smile.
"Yes," Ratchet grins, "It's about time anyways. They're a bit of a runt, but that's not their fault. Mini's have always been small, and some even smaller than each other. This little one, unfortunately." You stretch and stand on the tips of your pedes as your limbs slowly extend. Your frame grows a bit larger every couple of seconds. "Is definitely smaller than the average minibot."
"Even a midget to their own kind, huh?" Jack asks, getting a couple of confused looks from some of the bots and the other humans.
"Midget?" Ratchets optics narrow.
"Yeah, like a dwarf, I should have said that, actually." He rubs the back of his neck.
"Dwarf?" Bulkhead says the word slowly as if it's uncomfortable to say.
"Yeah, like Raf." Miko points at the smaller teen who shyly waves.
"Oh, well, then yes." Ratchet says, still somewhat confused by what the children are talking about. "They'll be like Rafael." He looks to his screen then back at you, "I have a strong feeling that this is one of their last growth spurts. It's terribly late, but under the circumstances, it is to be expected. Besides, they're old enough." Old enough indeed. Ratchet is excited to see where this little one is going. Hopefully, you can bring the start of a new cybertron when you all get there.
