Flashback: Skydiver (Before Ep. 0)[Closed]

[velocity]

It was just an average day on the ship. Meaning most people weren't up to much because they were either waiting for orders or recovering from the last fight that they had been in. The last one had been a doozy too, over half the unit had been pretty damaged and were still awaiting repairs while the other half practically tore out their optics with the need for something to do.

Of course Velocity was responsible for most everything as Jettison could be such a lazy glitch. She often complained to him and at him or flipped his desk over and raged at him but to no avail. Her bouts of temper, though very few and far between, were well known by everyone in the unit. Some say she only got away with them because she was 'facing with Jettison, but others knew better. Vel just had no trouble telling people what she thought and getting in their faces if they messed with her job.

She had just in fact left Jettison with his desk flipped over and was grumbling while wandering in the hall, data pad of course in hand. All these things she needed to order and check off and that lazy glitch was just relaxing. Oh she wanted to snap parts of him off! Of course she was not looking where she was going and ended up bumping into someone this time rather hard.

Looking up she was about to give said mech quite the verbal barrage, then saw who it was and merely frowned. “Do you always lounge around in the hallway like this?”

[sunstreaker]

Sunstreaker was one of the mechs who had been damaged in the last skirmish, nothing that he would consider life threatning, but he had been a couple of orns in repair. Now he was suffering through downtime mandated by medical to let the fresh welds set and start to heal, so the warrior had been strolling through the halls of the ship, doing everything he could to muster up as much of his usual swagger as possible. There was no fragging way that he was going to let anyone know that he hurt. They'd just be a bunch of ungrateful bastards about it all anyway, but that still ranked lower in his schema than his own pride.

Everything had been honkey-dorey until Velocity came barrelling toward him, fresh from another bout with Jettison. It took every ounce of self-control to not knock her flat on her aft, at least that's what Sunny told himself anyway. He would never admit that it was perhaps the simple fact that the collision with the solidly built femme had tripped enough error messages to make the frontliner's vents hitch as the junk data of pain spilled through him. Instead, he merely shoved her to the other side of the fairly narrow hall while growling, "I don't remember you asking permission to walk through my hallway." The smile that stretched his mouth was tense and slightly pained as he tried to not sound quite as surly as hung-over miner with rust rash. He liked Velocity enough to not want to kill her every time he looked at her.

[velocity]

Being shoved really didn't make her feel any better and she had half a mind to deck Sunstreaker then and there. The thought did more than cross her mind, even her optics narrowed and flashed for a moment before she got her senses about her and just ex-vented sharply. He had been hurt, he didn't like down time, she should figure he was going to be cranky...then again when wasn't he cranky? Her back had thunked off the wall on the side he pushed her and she leaned against it now while straightening out her emotions and getting her EMF under her control once more.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't get the memo stating that you had ownership over hallways now. Maybe it got lost in all the chaos." With others her tone would have been flippant and her attitude perhaps a bit biting but she was actually somewhat playful with him. Her data pad was still clutched in her one hand and she brought it up to mime checking for her memos.

"Not feeling so hot?" Now her tone was completely normal, the one she gave to the twins in general. She was concerned for him, hated seeing either of them hurt but that was war and things like that happened all the time. Not being so attached to others before it had never been a big deal when her coworkers, or bosses, had been hurt. Having friends was a curse at times but the pros always seemed to outweigh the cons and she wouldn't give either of them up for anything, or without a fight.

[sunstreaker]

Seeing Vel's optics narrow ever so slightly and the way her frame tensed, Sunstreaker responded in kind, his healing frame squaring off and readying for blows that never came. A disappointed chuffing noise escaped the warrior, body loosening and his voice taking on a plaintive tone when the femme didn't attack. "You suck." As scraptastic as he felt, in that moment, Sunny would have welcomed a tussle, or even a full on fight. Pit, he could even go for any of the worthless mini-bots working themselves up enough to push his buttons with their existence. Even if it would have resulted in getting sent back to medbay to get a lecture that wouldn't even register and another round of welds and threats. Instead there was Velocity not giving anything more than attitude and snark. Still.

Even after all of the glaring, the threats, even the physical intimidation Velocity was still there with her flip speech and come-what-may attitude. That in and of itself won her special privileges with the twins. What's more, she had stood up for the pair on more than one occasion, and even better: for all the warnings she'd been given by everyone else in the crew, for all the times that Sunny knew he had unnerved her, and the healthy respect she carried for his well known temper, Velocity wasn't afraid to call him out. Just like she flipped desks and screamed at Jettison, the red and black femme got right in his faceplate as well. That really won her some points, and she became the first real friend either of the twins had had in a long time. An even longer time for Sunny.

Not like those points were going to save her now though. Sunstreaker wasn't going to admit a single fragging thing, and waved off the question with a flippant hand and a roll of the optics. "I'm just fragging smashing, thanks. When are you going to get this piece of junk fixed, huh," he asked, reaching out to snatch the datapad from Vel's servos.

[velocity]

Watching the way Sunny tensed up and shifted position almost had her laughing. It did serve to perk her right back up though. Vel was a smart enough mech to know that tangling with either of the brothers wasn't always a good idea, but that didn't always stop her from some playful sparring with them. Even so she wasn't going to rise up with him right now, that was the last thing he needed. Then he would just make a mess of himself and have to go back to medbay and be cared for again. She wasn't going to do that to him, even if he would probably win. “Stop your whining. Heal up and maybe then I will let you try and take me on.” They both knew how much bluff and bluster her words were but she said them nonetheless and grinned at him the entire time.

Some of the other mechs in their unit kept calling her mad. Why would she hang out with these two, especially Sunstreaker? For the most part she ignored them but once in awhile she had enough of their doubts and insults and went off. They didn't understand what she saw, what she felt. There was no one like the twins. Their dedication, loyalty, the way they worked together, all of it was phenomenal. She had much respect for them and then she was able to make friends of the both of them, even the great beast in front of her currently. Vel was rather proud of herself for that but didn't dwell in ego over it, just enjoyed their company when she could.

Oh she made a great show of rolling her optics at him, making sure he could see. It was obvious something was wrong but she wouldn't push it. If he wanted to suffer in silence so be it, that was his prerogative. “Get what fixed?” Vel's optics now narrowed and her EMF flared out in annoyance. “There is nothing wrong with that and you should give it back to me. I do work with that you know. Just because you are bored does not mean you can play keep away with me you brat!” Velocity griped at him and made a pass for the data pad only to have him move it out of the way of course.

“Sunstreaker you better give it to me and give it to me now. I am not going to wait around forever for it. Now, give it up.” She held out one hand, open and up, fully expecting the impossible. That he would actually give over the data pad just like that. Miracles did happen sometimes.

[sunstreaker]

"I'm not whining," the golden mech grumped, mouth stretching into a slight grin as he continued. "I'm just trying to make you aware of the problems that you are totally oblivious too. Like this datapad. It's an utter piece of scrap." The screen scrolled by rapidly under the deft touch of Sunny's servos, his optics picking out little bits of info here and there. Mostly supply requisitions and endless lists of minutae. Apparently this femme had a kink for note taking because there was some slag in here detailed within a micron of its digital life.

Velocity's annoyance flared hotly against his back, which was turned to the femme. It was the easiest way to keep her from reaching the datapad, particularly since he was still recovering. She was gentle with his frame on a good day, but now Vel would be careful to not bump him too hard just to avoid causing him pain. It was actually kind of nice to be able to think that about someone else besides his brother, who on the other hand, would be an obnoxious dim-watt about the whole thing, teasing him like Sunny was teasing Velocity now.

Turning his head to look back at the femme, Sunstreaker flashed her a razor thin grin. "There's a supply closet, end of the hall." That was all he said. The non-sequitor would probably leave her floundering for a few clicks considering how focused she was solely on the loss of her datapad, but it would still be hilarious to see the look on Vel's face when she finally figured out what he was hinting at.

[velocity]

Velocity muttered under her breath but certain words could be made out. Mostly 'not' and 'scrap' before the rest was lost to her growing ire with the taller bot who seemed insistent on messing with her, again. "You aren't going to find any information on it that you could ever want." Most of that was true, all the special information she had hidden and safeguarded from others. No one knew her data pad like she did, and she was determined to keep it that way. Her private musings were just that...private.

Oh how badly she wanted to just shove him against the wall and play handsy until he gave up the data pad, but she wouldn't. He was still recovering so she would be very gentle with him, more so than usual. This of course gave him a ridiculous advantage over her in this keep away game he was determined on playing. There was no doubt in Vel's mind that he knew this too and would work it for all it was worth, slagging bastard. "You are so hung up over my data pad. If you stroke it the right way maybe it will spill all it's secrets to you." That was actually meant exactly how it sounded and even she was surprised at how dirty she worded it. Being a flirt was one thing, flirting with Sunstreaker was another.

"Supply closet?" It took her a moment to even fathom what he was talking about, she even looked down to the end of the hall before her mouth dropped open and she gaped at him. "Damn you Sunstreaker I told you before, no." she went to swat him, even had her servo up and in position but let it drop at her side. No matter how obnoxious he could get he didn't deserve to hurt more even if that was her usual response to him. "No matter how attractive you are that is not going to happen pretty bot. So you might as well give it up." Holds her servo out once more, flat and curls the claws a few times in a gimme motion.

[sunstreaker]

"No? Not even if I stroke it right and get all the secrets to spill out," Sunny quipped back, parroting Velocity's words back at her with a teasing flash of smile. "I just made you an offer femme, and you turned it down. You need to make up your mind," he replied, Kaonite accent coloring his words and turning them thick as good oil as he placed his hand in the demanding femme's and gave it a little squeeze. The mech's EMF was practically obscene as it crowded with an overexaggeration of every flirtatious wavelength he could think of, and that flash of smile broke into a full grin as Vel dropped her hand. There would be no swatting this round.

The smug cant of Sunstreaker's smile declared this already a victory and he dropped Vel's hand so that both arms could be folded across his chassis, the datapad tucked safely underneath. "So it was nice chatting with you and all that, but I gotta continue my walk. Medic's orders." Tossing off a quick mockery of a salute, the golden mech turned to continue on his way, taking the datapad in question with him. It wasn't like he could wrestle with Velocity this time around, so the game had to be kept interesting in other ways. Like a slow game of "Chase Me." It was either this or go back to the rec room to toss knives at the wall. Again. And clean the other mech's out of credits they were never going to see. Again. On the other hand, acquiring a few more favors sure as slag wouldn't hurt either. So Sunny took a turn toward the rec room as if entirely unaware that Velocity was glaring at him and most definitely gearing up to follow.

[velocity]

Her optics scanned over his face as he repeated her in his own special way. Velocity gave away nothing about how she was thinking or feeling currently but they both knew just how incredibly attracted she really was to him. No matter how much she denied it and him, it was there. Always behind the surface and yes she knew he knew all about it. Vel would tell him and admit to the fact he was good looking, Primus you would have to be blind not to see how gorgeous he was really. That was as far as she would go though, anything else was too much, too far...too dangerous.

Confusion was evident when he squeezed her hand, right on the heels of her making a rude noise at him about making up her mind. Then she went perfectly still, not even a movement of plating or anything. His field was too strong and she almost felt like she was choking with his flirtations and not in a bad way. Her own field flared to life against her will and was having a good old time rubbing up against his very suggestively. Scowling she reigned it back in but barely. When it came down to it even her field was a traitor but it knew what she liked and what she wanted.

Her mouth thinned into a straight line as she watched him fold his arms and hide away her data pad. Slagging bastard. “Stop teasing me like that, it isn't a good idea.” She wasn't referring to the data pad of course but the other parts. One of these days she knew he would wear her down enough that she might give in, but until then she would fight and hope he gave up before then. “What? Wait?!” Vel stood there for a moment, confounded and annoyed as she watched him start to saunter off. “Damn you Sunstreaker you brat!” Her voice was far from quiet but never shrill. He was just taking off with her data pad!

Finally she got over her almost shock and started after him. Her pedes were making obvious speed as she came close to catching up to him before someone else stopped her. 'I need you to take a look at this list of supplies Velocity, I think we are low on grenades.' The smaller mech was thicker built than she was and spoke softly, designation Fastbolt. Her field crackled around her, suddenly furious with being interrupted and that Sunstreaker was going to end up getting away with her data pad. What if he found those certain entries? “This cannot wait? Honestly? I have a desk for things like this! What is with all of you thinking just because I am not out on a mission or on my aft dealing with your issues that you can just approach me with work?” The smaller mech actually cringed back, he knew all about her temper, they all did. Usually slow to anger but one of the most vicious ones when she was fully in a rage. Each word was like a slap, her field a white hot poker of anger. “Am I not allowed any free time whatsoever? Put. It. On. My. Desk!” Her voice was louder and sharper with each word and she slammed a fist, and thankfully not her claws, into the wall near the mech. “Just...just go.”

It was so hard for her to reign it in once it started to get out of control and she didn't think losing her temper on Fastbolt was really worth it. The only explanation was what Sunny had caused with his superior flirtation with her, she was already off balance and a little on edge. Once the smaller mech took off she had to vent hard several times to cool herself down and be able to move, that was assuming she could find Sunny again. Looking up she hoped he had gotten interested and was still down the hall, if not it was hunting time.

[sunstreaker]

Strolling down the hall and ducking around the corner, Sunstreaker continued on a few feet before realizing that Velocity was not following. Turning to look over his shoulder, the melodious sound of her angry screeching rolled down the hallway to touch his audios. A grin on his faceplate for the stupid bastard who was currently getting read the riot act in exacting detail for violating Princess Prim’s policies, Sunny leaned back against the bulkhead to listen.

A soft wheeze brought one hand up to cradle his left side where new neural lines had been strung and fresh mesh laid down over them. Everything was still buzzing with calibration algorithms, nanites scurrying to assimilate the new materials into the existing system, and that made the soft laugh that escaped the golden mech hurt just this side of too much. But it was worth it. That idiot Fastbolt was going to be feeling that lecture for the next few cycles. Velocity was never gentle with her prey. It was one of the things that made Sunny like her.

Ah, and she was done. Fastbolt came walking back, striding as quickly as he could down the other bend in the passage without even a look in Sunstreaker's direction, followed close behind by the angry tread of Velocity’s shiny pedes. That was his cue to continue on his way. So pushing off from the bulkhead with a soft grunt, Sunstreaker picked up where he’d left off, strolling along with a slow, easy stride that was pure swagger, Vel’s datapad tucked safely in a subspace pocket with his own tablet.

[velocity]

Velocity swore if there was another interruption she would really snap. What she had done to Fastbolt had only been a miniscule amount of her temper. She had such little free time that it was a precious thing she did not appreciate being spoiled. Oddly enough her free time really did used to be full of work so this wasn't something foreign. It wasn't until she had met the Twins and became not just friends but something closer to them, that her free time was a hot commodity to be treasured. It was time she got to spend with them, assuming both or either of them was free to be with that is.

Her temper was still there, simmering beneath the surface. She made sure to let it be known too, wearing the heat in her field like a cloak. This way she hoped no one else would stop her as she began to hunt down her prey. Sharp optics stopped at a crossroad in the halls and looked down either of them, just spotting him. Instead of chasing after Sunny she watched him. He walked like he didn't have a care in the world though she knew better. Still, it was with pure enjoyment that she eyed him. She may turn down every single one of his advances but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate something beautiful when it was presented. After a good few moments she started after him, walking at twice his speed and catching up without much trouble.

Quickly she stepped in front of him and placed one of her servos flat against his chassis. The dangerously sharp tips of those claws just barely touching him, enough for pressure and that was all. Vel was damn good with her hands and that was well known, they were also one of the most sensitive things on her. She took meticulous care of them every day, a ritual of sorts.

“Where did you put my data pad pretty bot? You know how I feel about that, I value it more than...well almost more than anything.” Claw tips tapped twice against him and she canted her head just that smallest bit so that their optics could meet. Her frame was close to his and her words lower, it would appear to be a rather intimate moment if one happened upon them, even though that was far from the truth. “How many times are you going to snatch that thing from me anyway? I would figure by now you might even try to break into it. You know there are hidden entries in there after all.” Her field brushed warmly against his, a familiar pattern of affection. “Now stop holding back and just give it to me, immediately.” Impatient tapping of one pede and other hand on a hip.

[sunstreaker]

Drawing up just shy of bowling her over, Sunny leaned forward just enough to press his chassis against the flat of Velocity’s hand, the action lending several more shades of intimacy to their exchange given the placement of said hand, resting so casually over his spark. The indulgent smile on his face as he lifted amused optics from the tips of those wickedly sharp claws didn’t help either. “Took ya long enough, Princess. Never could turn down a good lecture, could ya?”

An insouciant Gallic shrug accompanied the “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sunstreaker replied with. It was one of the breezy, careless gestures both twins shared that made other bots consider the possibility that for once in their miserable lives they weren’t lying about something. “But I do appreciate the compliment. It’s nice to know I’m not entirely surrounded by beauty blind philistines,” he continued on blithely, seemingly ignoring everything Velocity was saying. That was until he leaned forward suddenly so that her claw tips were just starting to dig into golden mesh and their faces were bare centimeters apart. Suddenly, Sunstreaker wasn’t so easy and unconcerned. In fact, every atom of his being was trained on the femme with a predator’s intensity.

“You really should count yourself Primus blessed, Velocity, that I am holding back with you. But I like you. So I’ll give you a heads up just this once. There’s something about me that still scares you, but it’s not my temper or my brutality. Something that I can’t put my finger on just yet but I fully intend to figure it out. That’s your warning. This, is your deal.” A slow smile spread across the frontliner’s mouth as he lifted out her datapad, holding it up with one hand at the very edge of his vision. “Every time you let me take this from you, you’re gonna have to pay me to get it back. And if you don’t square your debt, I’m gonna keep it and start cracking my way into it to find all those little secrets you’re so tetchy about. And I gotta say that talented as I am, my version of hacking tends to leave things in pieces.”

There was something dark lurking behind the mech’s optics, a queer twist to his smile that could be mischief or malice. Sunstreaker obviously wasn’t saying everything and that never boded well for anyone.

[velocity]

She stopped of course the moment he was suddenly there. Optics shuttered a few times as he pressed his own chassis against her hand and she wondered what it was he was up to now. There was no doubt in Velocity's mind that Sunstreaker was up to something, he always was and it usually benefited him and him alone. The heat from his spark permeated his chassis and flowed over her hand and clawed red fingers twitched in place but she refused to remove her servo or even budge. They often went pede to pede on stubbornness and it was rarely obvious who the winner was. Still, physical proximity with this beast was not always a good idea, especially when he had that particular gleam in his optics. Velocity was not backing down, no matter what...even if when it came to him she was out of her league with dastardly deeds. “I always loved a good lecture, really gets the energon flowing.” Her tone turns seductive, a dangerous thing with this one, and she purrs at him like a photovoltaic cat.

Vel flirted with Sunny, often really but she didn't usually get really close and obvious. Mostly she kept it to something playful. Her tone and her words were far from just simply playful and her field pulsed against him as she traced her other hand down his side, claws catching along a seam.

Her sudden bit of over the top, with him at least, flirtatiousness stopped as he kept on talking. A heads up? What was he going on about. Her optics narrowed as she watched him and an 'ah-ha' moment clicked in her neural net. She knew he was up to something and as usual she was right! Her field slammed shut, no touching nothing at all as he got far too close, and not physically, to the truth. He was good but she had known that from the get go. Only hoped he wouldn't care enough to want to know more about her and just leave things as they were. This was obviously not the case.

“My warning?” Her tone was flat, almost cold, all emotion leaked out and gone for just a moment before a quick sparking of fear showed itself finally. Her optics flashed once, her frame stiffened and then it was gone, like it had never been there before. His brutality she could handle, his temper was nothing...but there was something so much worse that she didn't want him to know. It would be folly to deny the fear so instead she ignored it and didn't even comment on his words about it. Just push it away and move on. “I'm about to puncture you Sunny, you might want to be careful.” Pushes just a tad more with her claws, enough so that if he moved anymore forward there would definitely be marks on him.

Velocity made a swipe for the data pad but of course the bigger bot was expecting this and easily kept it out of her way. “Debt? I don't owe you anything. Besides, no matter how good you think you are you cannot crack my data pad. I do have other talents besides just working hard.” Her mouth cracked into a sneer then and she pressed forward more with her frame, making sure her claws weren't harming his lovely one just yet. “Why not just come out and say or do whatever it is you are thinking about pretty bot? Stop beating around the proverbial bush as it were.” The challenge was handed out then and her field loosened once again. Vel was cocky, stubborn and just a bit excited by their closeness. She was also having fun and still was not about to back down.