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Cabling stretched and flexed smoothly, silently. The beast crept around in the shadows, keeping a gleaming optic locked on his prey. This quarry had proven quite elusive in recent encounters despite this turbocat's prowess.
Sharp taloned peds dug deep into the soft flooring made to protect the younglings at play. This orn would be the day the beast claimed his prize. His gleaming optics locked on the twitchy target. Shoulder cables flexed fluidly, armor plating rippled as he stalked closer. The others of the small herd were clueless to his approach. However, the smallest are often the flightiest, lest they become the predator's newest victim.
When the beast crept closer, the soon-to-be victim froze. It had to have somehow known--deep within its processor--that its orns were numbered. It had taken far too long of stalking to get to this point to waste it on a premature attack. The beast locked its joints and stilled every non-vital system.
A klik passed. Neither moved from their frozen positions. After another long klik of stillness, the prey resumed its relaxed yet twitchy stance.
Now was his chance!
The turbocat leapt from his stealth in the shadows, tackled the smallest target in the herd, and locked his dentaless jaw around the now-flailing form. It twitched and bucked desperately, but this turbocat was king! His hindpaws and posterior pinned the writhing form in place while his forepaws batted at the flailing tip.
The tiny Steeljaw hissed as Ravage's tail slipped out from beneath him, knocking the turbokitten on his side. The gold mechanimal righted himself, raised his little aft in the air, and wiggled it as he prepared to pounce on the larger turbocat's taunting tail once more.
A contented purr rumbled deep within Ravage's chassis. His forepaws wrapped loosely around a dozing Wheeljack as his glossa made thorough work of cleaning the previously-filthy sparkling. Someone decided to play with his food instead of eating it. Not that Ravage minded or anything.
"Hey, Cats Meow!" Jazz greeted as he made his way into the sparkling daycare room. He received a glare between licks for the nickname. "What happened t' Jackie?"
Ravage nosed the sleepy Wheeljack, turning him over to reveal a sticky patch on his faceplates. The sparkling fidgeted and giggled when the turbocat's big glossa swept broad, ticklish swipes across his cheek.
"Ah, I see," Jazz crooned sweetly. "Cats Meow is just the best mommybot in the world!" Hackles raising, Ravage sank his claws into the plush carpet on the floor and growled quietly. His crimson optics darted to Jazz's peds, and he tried to shift without jostling the sparkling nuzzled to his chest or the turbokitten nomming on his tail. Ravage's ears laid back in disgruntled defeat.
The saboteur tilted his head, confused, then looked down as small little arms wrapped around his legstrut. He reached down and picked up the sparkling. "Aww, did widdle Sounders miss Jazzy Wazzy while he had ta do gwown up stuff?"
Soundwave made a face as if the adult had lost his processor. Jazz smiled sweetly and hugged the sparkling close. "It's okay, Jazzy Wazzy isn't cwazy wazy."
Ravage tended to disagree.
The Autobots tolerated the turbocat's continued presence at the base just as he tolerated their care of his family. Soundwave and Laserbeak were treated well and looked after as if they were Autobot-sparked. Plus, they gave him two bowls of energon every orn when he kept an optic on the sparklings. As long as things stayed peaceful, he couldn't complain too much.
Soundwave gurgled happily and clapped his little servos on the saboteur's scrunched faceplates. "Muh. Mah."
Jazz gasped. "Mama? Is Jazzy Wazzy yer mama?"
"Ma..." Soundwave squealed and wrapped his arms around Jazz's neck. "Mama!"
Jazz laughed and danced around the room. The Autobot's elation weighed heavily on Ravage's dour mood. His frustratedly flicking tail gaining a renewed fervor from the maul-happy turbokitten. Great. Just what he always wanted. The dolt was going to raise his Soundwave.
Wonderful.