Fiddly Things
Tags: G1 Transformers, Aerialbots, Writing Prompt
Published: 20 November 2007
Word Count: 1066
Summary
Writing meme! The one where someone gives you a couple of characters and a phrase, and you write a little scene involving those characters and said phrase. Anyway, here's the first lot I was given - enjoy!
Characters: Slingshot, Air Raid
Phrase: "Hey, that's mine!"
It was late, sometime after midnight, and the Ark was almost eerily quiet. Slingshot suppressed a faint shiver at the silence as he made his way through the halls - he was used to the Ark being full of movement and talk and life, but at this hour most of those who weren't on duty or out on guard shifts were in their own quarters, resting and recharging. There wasn't even the presence of any of his brothers with him to stave off the silence; Silverbolt and Skydive were still in medbay, and would be for a little while longer according to Ratchet, who'd kicked Slingshot out only minutes before. He guessed Air Raid and Fireflight, who'd been summarily ejected even earlier, were back in the Aerialbots' own common room, and tried not to worry about the two still in Medbay. Ratchet had said they'd be fine, and so far the hot-tempered medic hadn't given Slingshot any reason to doubt him.
Still...
The white Harrier-mech shook his head in a futile attempt to dispel the worry, not that he'd ever openly admit to such an emotion, then quietly entered his team's common room. The blue-painted walls were a soothing change to the glaring orange of the rest of the Ark, and he felt some of the tension drain off at the familiar surroundings. Fireflight was sacked out in the depths of his usual giant beanbag, curled up half on his side and half on his stomach, and Air Raid was slouched deep in their battered couch with his legs splayed, fiddling with some tiny object between his hands. They both looked up as Slingshot entered, and Fireflight offered him a sleepy smile before settling back again, half-dozing. Air Raid grinned faintly with a murmured, "Amazing, still in one piece..." then raised one browplate at the Harrier-mech. "Dive and Bolt?"
"Hatchet said they're fine, should be out as well pretty soon," Slingshot replied with a grin of his own, heading over with his usual swagger and shoving Air Raid's legs out of the way before dropping down into the other half of the couch.
Air Raid grumbled at the shoving but didn't bother to retaliate, instead just shifting slightly to better accommodate the other body now occupying the couch as well. "Mmph. Better not let the doc or 'Bolt hear you call him that. Good to hear it ain't too bad, then."
Slingshot snickered, then let out a snort. "'Course it ain't too bad! They had me there to save their tails," he retorted cockily, grinning again. "Crackerjack and Skywart fled from my very pres-"
"Ah, give it a rest, Sling," Air Raid interrupted wearily with a roll of his optics, then turned his attention back to the small object he'd been fiddling with. Slingshot glowered at the interruption and sulkily fell silent, sinking a little deeper into the couch.
After several minutes of silence though, he spared Air Raid a reluctantly curious glance. The black Aerialbot had barely shifted in all that time, save for the movement of his hands as he fiddled with whatever it was that had his attention. It was a little disconcerting, really - normally, even when he was at his most tired, Air Raid couldn't sit still for more than a couple of minutes before he'd get up and start pacing, or try and pick a fight with one of his brothers.
Slingshot shifted a little and tried to make out what it was that Air Raid was carefully, almost delicately manipulating, but it was too small to see past the other mech's fingers. Finally, he couldn't stand not knowing any longer, and asked with carefully-feigned indifference, "Whatchya got there, 'Raid?"
"Hm?" Air Raid paused and glanced over at his brother, then rested the object flat on one hand to give Slingshot a clear look at it. It was a tiny cube, each side divided into nine squares of varying colours. "Oh, this? Ratchet gave it to me, said he got it from Spike." He frowned thoughtfully for a second. "Think they called it a Rubix cube, or something. Y'gotta move the bits around and try t'get the squares on each side all the same colour." It would probably be a safe bet that Ratchet had given the thing to Air Raid in an attempt to keep the fidgety Aerialbot distracted and still for long enough to get his repairs done.
Slingshot eyed the cube for a moment, then quickly leaned in to pluck it out of Air Raid's palm before the taller mech could react. "Hey, that's mine!" Air Raid objected with a scowl, but was kept from grabbing it back by Slingshot quickly leaning back against the couch arm and raising one knee to block him, his foot planted solidly on Air Raid's thigh.
"Relax, Raid, I just wanna get a better look at it," the white Aerialbot airily reassured him, holding the cube between thumb and forefinger as he held it up to the light and scrutinised it carefully. He wasn't even sure how Air Raid was able to move the minuscule parts, but apparently he managed somehow. "It's so slaggin' tiny...!"
"It's a human thing, of course it's tiny," Air Raid replied scathingly, resting one arm on Slingshot's raised knee and leaning against the attached shin as he glared at his brother. "You better not break it...!"
"I ain't gonna break it," Slingshot huffed, giving Air Raid an indignant look. He kicked out a little to get Air Raid off his leg before he dropped his foot back to the floor and sat up again, holding the cube out to his brother. "Dunno what you see in it, really."
"You wouldn't," Air Raid replied loftily as Slingshot dropped the cube back into his palm and he settled back into his corner of the couch. "It requires intelligence to appreciate."
"... Oi, shuddup!" Slingshot gave Air Raid a dark look and half-heartedly kicked the black and white mech's foot, both of which Air Raid happily ignored as he returned his attention to the Rubix cube. With no reaction forthcoming, Slingshot just sighed and settled back again, outwardly miffed but inwardly a little amused. It looked like they'd finally found something to keep the fidgety Aerialbot occupied, and Slingshot idly wondered how long the attraction would last.
Long enough, hopefully, for Silverbolt and Skydive to get back from the medbay at least.