of lessons and missteps

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Skyquake was trying to get around him and shove him to safety behind his bulk. Dreadwing might have felt touched at the thought were he not bodily holding his brother back from throwing himself into a fight he would not walk away from. He snarled right back at his twin, unimpressed by Skyquake’s attempt to intimidate him. ‘You stupid fool,’ he thought to himself as they did an awkward dance of scuffling and bumping into each other, ‘It is my job to protect you, not the other way around.’

“I said stand down,” Dreadwing hissed back, and pushed back even harder, determined to force his brother into submission. He could, if it came down to it, though it would not be easy, but he would do it if it meant keeping Skyquake from committing suicide by Predacon. “Do not disobey a direct order!” 

It was then that he remembered that there was another present that risked injury, and he followed Skyquake’s gaze to the silver and blue figure that stood like a shield between the two warring parties. Dreadwing had completely forgotten about their young student, but by the looks of things, she… had stopped Predaking in his tracks. The elder seeker blinked, his own anger momentarily waning as he took in the sight before him: Moonwing, standing between a furious beast and her mentors, her hand outstretched to calm the raging beast, and the Predacon conceding to her will as if he were a tamed turbofox.

A prickle went up his spinal strut then. No bot had ever commanded such control over Predaking, not even Lord Megatron! It did not bode well at all, for Lord Megatron did not need yet another reason to disdain of Moonwing.

“Predaking,” Dreadwing said sternly, looking to the Predacon then with a strict face. He was unsurprised to find Predaking glaring back reproachfully, as if this had somehow been his doing. “Release her. Now.”

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Predaking was a sentimental beast. If you know how he is, how are his feelings, you know how to calm him. This exclusivity was taken by Moonwing, yes, because she was the only one who really care about him. Predaking like a lot Shockwave too, respect Megatron, and like a little Dreadwing. He show him the beautiful island where he led Moony. So, if the big blue and yellow do something, if it's a correct order, he will do it. The beast is not that difficult. If in addition his friend say to stop, he will dot it! But… Now… he totally hate Skyquake. This guy is just mad for him. Just… rude. Really rude with stupid training technique for younlings.

She was front of Sky'. Moonwing said to stop, to calm down, but he was really angry. Predaking growled, felt the rage in him. One day, he will kill him. Moony was safe, but only for now. He will continue to train her, and that's the problem for him. Hopefully, Dread' was here. He trusted him.

- …

He stopped to growl, look at his friend. She seemed worry about all of this. What the hell was he doing? His hunger was stronger than him, every time, but today… He was different. He was in rage to protect, and he felt good about it. Usually he regretted, being silly, but today he felt that it was really justified. He looked down. He felt guilty. He went too far. However he didn't leave that way. He transformed himself, releasing Moonwing. He walked up to the two other. He was cold and neutral.

- Sorry... but the next time I see you do something like this to any one on this ship, I will come, and crush your head so strong in my mouth that even your own brother will not recognize you again.

He bent over him, staring into his eyes. The king was very serious. He don't approached too close. The girl was right. He don't have to be the monster that they want. He's not only an animal. He's someone like any other. He isn't stupid.

- I hope this is understood and will not happen again, for me and you.

He stepped back, and returns to his friend. He was back to the brothers. He pats her head and makes a slight friendly smile as he passed next to her.

- Thank you… to show me the right path, Moonwing.

And he went after. He seemed to go inside the ship. He maybe have something to do?


[HRP: I suppose that is a last post for me? Go reply one more time and I'll see if I'll post again.]

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Skyquake went rigid, spark whirling in white-hot anger within its casing. He stayed very still in his brother’s arms as Predaking delivered his threat. It would be his pleasure to bring out his scatter blaster and shoot the beast, but he refrained. He wasn’t sure it would actually be of any help, especially considering that the Predacon was alert and battle-ready despite having been pacified by Moonwing.

Once Predaking was out of sight, Skyquake shoved Dreadwing off. He was mad at his twin—mad and hurt over how he had behaved. They were supposed to be a team, back each other up, have each other’s backs. They could have taken the beast together, Skyquake was sure of it! They had brought bigger foes to their knees in the past. Had Dreadwing forgotten? Or did he not trust Skyquake to be as good a fighter after his time in stasis? The mere thought of it was preposterous. Skyquake was a warrior down to his struts. He wouldn’t just forget how to hold his own during a fight.

“What is the matter with you? You should be ashamed of what you’ve done here today!” Skyquake snapped. He wanted to hit his brother, rake his claws down his frame, smash his cockpit. “Yielding to that oaf! Turning against me!”

In truth, that was what hurt Skyquake the most. The fact that Dreadwing had not only told him but ordered him to stand down stung. More than he wanted to admit. Rank had never got between them before. Whatever titles they held, those weren’t supposed to affect how they behaved with each other. They were brothers first; everything else came second place. All the choices they had made through the centuries had been made based on the knowledge that what one did would affect the other.

They had disagreed more than once. Of course they had. But Dreadwing had never had to resort to something as impersonal as giving him an order to get him to listen. It felt like betrayal. Well, maybe not betrayal. Dreadwing would never betray him. But his spark still spun in his chest, a whirlwind of hurt and anger and contempt.

“Who are you?” he asked.

It was a valid question. Sometimes Skyquake wasn’t sure that the brother he had left behind all those millennia ago and the brother he had been reunited with were the same person. If it weren’t for the bond, Skyquake was sure that he would have suspected Dreadwing to be a shapeshifter of some sort posing as his twin. But it was Dreadwing. Even if his emotions and overall presence through the bond felt different, older, there was no doubt about his identity.

Which meant that this stranger was his spark-twin. Perhaps calling him a stranger was too rough, but it felt like that some days. It was almost unbearable to see Dreadwing’s blank looks when he made a joke or a comment that should have made his brother laugh. Was this because of all their time apart? Was there a rift between them? And more importantly, was it unsurmountable?

Skyquake took a step back, then another. He glanced to the side, remembering that the young seeker was still there and had just witnessed his outburst. He couldn’t bring himself to care. He turned around and transformed, shooting up into the open sky and heading west, chasing the cool embrace of the night and leaving his doubts behind.

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The beast transformed from his predacon form to root form, but that did not put Dreadwing’s mind at ease in the slightest. Predaking eventually did comply with his orders, releasing his grip on Moonwing -- and, guiltily, for he felt bad for not even thinking of her in the scuffle until just now, the older seeker glanced her over, checking quickly for any injuries that she might have gotten. She looked shaken but ultimately unharmed. A part of him knew that Predaking would not have harmed her.

As Predaking prowled over to loom over his brother, Dreadwing was reminded again of just how powerful and dangerous the Predacon was in either of his forms; he was king for a reason, and not just because he had declared himself one! Dreadwing’s expression was carefully schooled to remain neutral and impassive even as he ensured his shoulder remained solidly in place to keep Skyquake from leaping at Predaking’s face and reigniting the whole conflict again. “Duly noted, Your Majesty,” he acknowledged, his voice sharp and cold, but he tacked on the respectful epithet in hopes it might appease the furious Predacon… though he still keeps one hand ready to draw his sword, for he could not ignore the threat just uttered against his twin.

The tension in Dreadwing’s shoulders did not dissipate until Predaking had stalked away and out of sight. To Skyquake, he hissed, “Do not ever be so stupid again, you utter imbecile! He does not make idle threats, and I would rather you not become his chewtoy!” To his shock, however, his concern and frustration were met with outright hostility from his brother. The blue seeker did not outwardly recoil at the whirlwind of anger-hurt-contempt being directed his way through their bond, but it did take him by surprise, for it was completely unexpected.

“I did no such thing!” Dreadwing spat, his own hurt now tinging their bond. Was that what Skyquake thought this was? The fact that he had pulled rank on his twin and ordered him to stand down was insignificant to him, for he’d only sought to protect him, and if protecting him involved invoking his higher rank to regain control of a situation, he’d do it again in a sparkbeat. Therein laid the problem that he had not realized was a problem until now: after a lifetime of serving and of being in command of a seeker armada, he had no issues with dealing out orders, even to his own twin. Skyquake, it seemed, had issues with receiving them.

“You are being childish,” Dreadwing replied back, his countenance frosty, “I am your brother.” But apparently this was not enough to satisfy his twin’s tantrum, for Skyquake turned and stomped away like a petulant sparkling. The blue seeker watched him go with a scowl bordering on a trademark sneer, left more confused and angry than anything else as he tried to work out just what brought on this outburst.

And then he turned his weary attention to his student, who stood awkwardly to the side as if she had no idea what to do. “Moonwing, come!” He summoned, “We are done training for today. I trust you have learned a very valuable lesson.” He studied her then as she came obediently, remembering how she had put herself between them and Predaking and stopped him in his tracks. ‘Lord Megatron will not be pleased,’ he thought to himself, ‘For not only does his unstoppable weapon now have a brake, that brake happens to be a whimsical youngling with no experience whatsoever.’

It did not bode well, but Dreadwing, in all honesty, did not know what to do about it.

“We are done,” He repeated. “I- am going to go for a flight. Student, I expect you to have completed the work waiting for you in your quarters by the time I return.” Dismissively, he gestured for her to leave, and, bewildered, she did. He knew she would go to her quarters and complete the assigned work as instructed with no further trouble. He turning to step directly off the edge of the flight deck and into the sky - to the East. He had much to think upon.

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Predaking walked away, and Moonwing was left wondering if she had somehow done something wrong. The young seeker remained where she was, rooted to the spot by her anxieties. She tensed in fear as he approached the other two seekers, afraid that she would once more have to put herself between him and a catastrophic mistake, but all he seemed to do was growl out a threat to Skyquake.

She knew in her spark that he meant it. She did not know whether she should be comforted in knowing that Predaking had done this for her to protect her in his own way, or terrified that it had almost gotten someone killed.

His broad taloned hand came up to pat her on the head, so impersonal compared to the protective hold he’d had of her earlier! “You’re welcome,” She replied back, feeling confused and yet not knowing the reason for it. “Predaking, I-” Moonwing’s voice broke then as she struggled to find the words she wanted to use, but ultimately came up blank. “… Please, be safe.” And then, he was gone.

Moonwing stood and wondered if this had somehow been her fault. At the thought, her wings drooped. Could she do nothing right? Was she forever doomed to be inept, bumbling her way through life and bringing embarrassment to herself and to the Decepticon Cause? She was shaken from her miserable musings by the sound of what seemed like a verbal spat between Dreadwing and Skyquake, and looked on fearfully, unsure of what to do. Her mentor and his twin had never quarreled as such before, she began to wonder if this had been her fault, too.

Skyquake stormed away, and Dreadwing wearily called her over. Obediently she came, though her sad mood was obvious by the timid way she crept over.

“Yes, sir,” she mumbled at his orders, her wings drooping even further. Though Dreadwing had not scolded or admonished her, his dismissal felt more like a reprimand. What valuable lesson he meant, however, Moonwing did not know, but for once she was not in the mood to ask. Obediently, when ordered, she turned and left them to their flight. When she passed through the doorway into the ship, a part of her hoped to find Predaking waiting for her, but it seemed that it was not so: she was greeted by a long, empty corridor. With a small, gloomy sigh, Moonwing slunk off to her quarters to begin her studies.