Chapter Text
The sound of claws making a clacking sound could be heard on the metallic flooring. A young Sparkling wandered around, before taking to trotting on four legs. This brought up the ‘click-clack’ sound. This young Sparkling appeared to be a Sweep, much like Scourge, but much smaller and lacking the facial hair they all had. The wings were much smaller. Well, it would look weird on a Sparkling. Upon the young one’s head was a pair of “ears”, like Cyclonus’. One of the “ears” had a small notch in it. On one side of the face was an X shaped scar over the optic. Who would hurt a Sparkling? The “click-clack” sound came to a half when the Sparking sat in front of a storage unit… which stored Engeron Rations. The tiny wings on his back waved a bit.
“Gurrf…” He murmured. His ear like structures wiggled a bit as he could smell that Energon behind that door. Two other footsteps, well one metallic and one a similar “clack noise. This was followed by a frustrated grunt and grumbles.
“Looks like his tracking senses are up and running…” A gruff voice rang.
“To our Engergon Rations…” Another voice called out.
Upon hearing the two voices, the Sparkling Sweep twitched his ears, knowing who was there.
“Papa, Dad!”
One of the figures gave a light laugh and scooped up the Sparkling. This was Cyclonus. It was rare for him to smile, but this was his and Scourge’s child no less. Scourge, the other bot placed a servo paw on the little one’s head, rubbing it gently. It was rare to see two Deceptions happy, mainly ones to have a Sparkling. Even if said Sparkling was their son. A Sweep with Cyclonus’ “ears”. The young Sparkling gazed up at Cylonus, blinking his pink coloured optic.
“Dearg tracker!” That was the Sparkling’s name. Scourge couldn’t help but to give a small smile, showing his fangs.
“That you did… but…” He eyed Dearg, whom was “panting” like an Earth like dog, to the Engeron Storage bin and back at Dearg. That face the Sparkling gave was cute in a way. Eyeing Cyclonus and then back at the Sparkling, he placed a servo under Dearg’s chin.
“At least you be able to find us extra Energon…”
His tone was neutral. He wasn’t angry at the Sparkling. It couldn’t be helped. At least a Sparkling did better than most of the Sweeps. Dearg gave his maw lick and started to hum a bit, flexing his pink claws on Cyclonus’ arm. That was the sound of a growling Fuel Tank was heard. Scourge gave Dearg’s nose a ‘boop’ with his pink claw.
“From one sound to another…” The Sweep leader coyly said. He was talking about the fuel tank of the Sparkling and his talons clacking on the floor from earlier. Dearg reached out his servo paw towards Scourge. Making a chuff sound, Dearg wanted to be held by his other father. Then there was another sound. Foot steps. Same one that any Decepticon would quiver at. Both Cyclonus and Scourge went silent. Dearg continued on making huffy noises.
“For Aft’s sake…” Scourge muttered. “Him… what in the bloody hell does he want?!”
Cyclonus raised an eye brow and pulled Dearg close to his chest. Typical Galvatron. This would be the first time that they would face him with their Sparkling. He glanced down at the Sweep Child. Giving a sigh, he closed his optics. Dearg was oblivious on what was going on. He sniffed the air and flickered his ears.
“If he lays one servo on him…”
Both bots murmured amongst each other as the footsteps came closer and closer. A single ear flicker came from Dearg as he started to snarl. His ears pinned against his helm. Both bots’ attention was fixed on their child.
“Dearg?” Scourge questioned, feeling concerned. The young Sweep continued on snarling, baring his fangs. Sweeps in general as Sparklings behaved more feral at their young ages. Glancing up, he realised what the baby Sweep was growling at.
“Lord Galvatron!” He called out. He watched as Cyclonus gripped Dearg even tighter. Giving Dearg a pet on his helm, he tried to calm the Sweep.
“Dearg… shh.. Dad’s here…”
“Grrr…”
Hearing the snarls, Galvtaron trudged over to the pair. Scourge wanted to intervene, but knowing Galvatron it wouldn’t be a great idea.
“He’s just a Sparkling… He’s just a Sparkling…” He lightly whispered. He closed his optics, shaking a bit. This was Galvatron’s first time seeing the Sparkling. He only heard about the child from others. Scourge and Cyclonus mainly kept Dearg away from their leader… Most was from that ‘incident’ that happened on the planet Dread and whatever happened costed Dearg’s optic. The Sweep child continued on growling, now snapping his jaws towards Galvatron. Dearg’s seen Galvatron, but from a distance. Mainly how he treated his two top commanders.
“Grr…”
Galvatron gave one of his ‘un phased’ expressions. He folded his arms over his chest, eyeing Dearg and standing four inches from the child. Cyclonus placed a servo on Dearg’s maw. He glared coldly at Galvatron.
“What in the hell do you want?” He asked. He refused to address him as “Lord”. He didn’t care if Galvatron attempted to strike him… He just wanted Dearg away from him.
“I beg your pardon!?”
“You heard me…” Cyclonus replied in a cheeky manner. He kept a tight servo on his son. “What do you want?!”
Galvatron was trying to hold himself back. His optics went back to the snarling Sweep.
“Is this the “thing” that was kept from me for many Stellar Cycles?!” Galvatron was resisting to loose his composure. His optics still fixed on the Sweep Baby. Cyclonus tried his best to remain cool and more so in front of his son. Cyclonus and Scourge have mentioned their son before to Galvatron, but keeping him safe for his younger years was one good idea.
“He has a name…”
“I don’t care! I knew of the thing…”
“Grrruu… Mrff..”
Dearg was getting restless in Cyclonus arms. He wanted calm the kid down while standing up to Galvatron. He felt something in his fuel tank that something may go wrong. Tightening his grip, Cyclonus whispered to Dearg.
“Dearg… calm.. down for Primus’ Sake!”
A sly grin came across Galvatron’s face. He stared at the child, optics meeting optics. He first glanced at Dearg’s optic injury. Then his ear like structures. Giving a laugh, he gave a point at Dearg.
“How is this thing a Sweep?”
Scourge over heard that. Cyclonus, now holding Dearg the best way he could with one arm held up a servo. His glaze turned back to Galvatron. He now was loosing his grip on his own son. The Sweep Sparkling freed himself from his father’s grasp and lunged towards Galvatron. Galvatron didn’t have the time to react. Instead, Dearg sank his razor sharp denta into Galvatron’s arm, followed by his servo claws digging into his arm.
“Get this thing off! Get it off of me, Cyclonus, Scourge! I command you!”
Both bots remained silent for a bit, watching Dearg sink his fangs and claws into the leader’s arm. If he flailed, this would cause the Sparkling to dig deeper into his metallic arm. Clenching his own dental, Galvatron rose his arm with his fusion cannon. He aimed it at the Sparkling! Both Cyclonus and Scourge’s optics widen in fear. Cyclonus swiftly yanked off Dearg from Galvatron’s arm and held him close to his chest. His optics now felt as if they were going to burst in flames.
“Lord Galvatron! He is just a Sparkling!”
Galvatron wanted not only to blast that child, but Cyclonus and Scourge. Trying to calm his temper, Galvatron held onto his arm where the Sparkling attacked him. Energon dripped onto the ground.
“Dammit…” He hissed. He glared at Cyclonus and the Sweep Leader.
“Make that thing useful… Or I will get rid of it myself.” Turning his back, he was going to the repair bay. “We have a mission within a Solar Cycle…”
One could tell by his tone that he was trying to control his actions and around a Sparkling. Galvatron muttered some more to himself. Something along the lines of “Disgusting Scraplet” and “Mutant”. As soon as Galvatron wasn’t in optics view, Cylonus gave a rather long sigh. Letting Scourge hold their son. Taking a servo, he placed it under Dearg’s chin. The young Sweep’s maw was covered in Engergon from where he bit Galvatron. Looking up at Cyclonus, Dearg’s ears pinned down. It was obvious he was shaken up by the leader of the Decepitcons.
“Dearg’s not a thing…” He softly muttered. He felt Cyclonus cleaning his maw. He manged a smile, even if it was a small one.
“You’re you, kid.” Cyclonus responded in a gentle manner. The only time he uses that tone was around Scourge when they became closer and now their own Sparkling. “Let’s try to get you cleaned up and Energon! Not from him though…” Laughing a bit, he was poking fun at Galvatron.
After a fill of Energon, Cyclonus and Scourge returned to their quarters. Dearg sat on one of the berths with a squeaky toy that he loved to chew on when he was under stressed. For a Sparkling that lost their optic, to first encountering Galvatron, Dearg kept himself jovial. With each squeak from his toy that he gnawed on, his ear like structures on his helm perked up. Both Cyclonus and Scourge were at their own desks, planning the route for this mission. Feeling a bit board and curious, the Sparkling licked his muzzle. Was something on his mind? Or did he just want to talk to his dads.
“Is Dearg…”
Scourge’s attention zoned in on his son. Raising an optical ridge, he rested a servo paw on top of his desk.
“What’s up, Deargy?”
Raising one ear up, he tried to think what he was about to say. He was still very young. “Is Dearg bad? Galby call Dearg names. Dearg also bad tracker cause…” He pointed at his talons at the end of his toes. All Sweeps sported two claw like toes on their feet. Whenever it was for defence of aesthetic is up to the said Sweep. “Dearg only sniff tasty Engergon…”
The other bot overheard his son and faced him, optic to optic.
“You’re the Sparkling I know who speaks just as much as a certain blue robot…” the lavender coloured bot snickered. Dearg gave a rather befuddled look. Tilting his head, he wiggled his wings a bit.
“Not what Galby said?”
Both bots shook their heads. Scourge scooped up his son and gave him a pat on his helm.
“We do need to work on one thing…”
Dearg blinked an optic. He gave the most curious look. Sticking out his glossa(tongue), he panted. Sweeps, mainly their baby stage behave in a feral like way. Dearg, would be babysat by Razor Claw and the Predacons, which ignited his behaviour more. Who knew. Sparklings behave in their own ways.
“What papa?”
“To be a tracker, one must be quiet. Rely on the pads, not the claws. Keep talons up.. a mere inch or two..”
The conversation on how Dearg should hone his tracking skills went on for a while… or a while in Dearg’s mind. The young Sweep gave his maw a lick. His ears perked up slowly.
“No claws.. just softies…” He kept repeating that tiny processor. He hummed to himself. Focusing his optic over at Scourge, Dearg stuck out his glossa. Not in a rude way, but a small “blep”. “Nyrrhh!”
For the rest of the day, Dearg went back on practising his tracking skills. A couple of attempts still had him click his talons on the ground. The other was lopping around on fours. Hours later, the Sweep Sparkling collapsed on the floor. He wasn’t hurt. He would of let them know if he was. Instead, he stretched out his limbs and folded his wings in.
“Dearg pretend t’be road kill!”
Cyclonus hid a small snicker and knelt down towards his son. Dearg loved to pull that act. His parents would play along in his 'game',
“Road Kill don’t talk…”
Dearg closed his optic.
“Nuh I dead!”
Rolling his optics, Cyclonus scooped up “dead” son. He, Scourge and their son returned to their Berths to recharge. Placing Dearg down first and giving him a plush toy in shape of a certain Chaos Bringer, Cyclonus still had that Galvatron encounter from earlier embedded in his mind. The way he said such things about their son. Leaning back in his seat, Cyclonus tapped his digits on top of his desk. Such a sound caught Scourge’s attention. After he made sure the Sparkling was in recharge mode and not pretending to be. No need for cheeky Dearg Games at this time. Cyclonus hearing that he and Scourge are forced to go a sudden mission. For what? Energon? A Raid? The Decepitcon gritted his denta, enough to grind them down.
“We can’t leave Dearg here! Nor can we…” His optics shifted onto the slumbering Sparkling. That other day still lingers in the one ‘Con’s mind. “Or take him… That mission on Dread. Us.. telling him..” His voice was very shaking now. Scourge placed a servo on Cyclonus’ shoulder.
“Only thing we can tell him that he has to stay here, but not leave within certain parts of the base. Dearg can listen well.”
“We should firmly tell him to let us know if something bad happens to him!” Cyclonus added.
“Dearg knows better never to cross the red line area. C’mon Cy, let’s recharge.”
Scourge seemed to be the more calm father of the pair while Cyclonus was more of a serious parent and dedicated in protecting their son. Walking over Dearg, whom now was on his back. His wing kibble sprawled out and his ear structures flopped to one side. His left and right servo paws would flex their claw digits unison. Seemed like he was having a good dream.
"Night Scourge. Night Kiddo…” He softly told the two. The lavender coloured Decepitcon now retired to his Berth
CON