#sentient sg/lost light

[soundcrusher]

I MISSED PHOENIX'S BIRTHDAY!

My boy turned one year old on September the 5th! God, I feel so stupid for missing that!

Which also means that the first part of "A Bird's Tale", featuring @cuppajj's SG!Sentient Lost Light is also one year old.

I don't know how to feel about that, but it makes me so happy to know that this series is a year old. X3

[cuppajj]

Got another little thingy for you.

With some added bonus.

(Last two are transparent for when you could need them. 💙🌻)

omg sdjhfskjdf i love these thank you so much!!

[cyber-streak-2]

SG! Light-Lost barging into SG Rodimus’s habsuite: Oh, Captain! I’m respecting your privacy by knocking but asserting my authority as your ship by coming in anyway!~

//AU by @cuppajj

[ut-girl666]

Ch.2 of Birds of a Feather!

This is a whopping 5k words. Whoo!

And thank you to @soundcrusher for the assistance, while I was writing it!

Lightlost by @cuppajj, and the Phoenixes (SG|Snow, & Reg|Rose) by @soundcrusher. Enjoy!

[soundcrusher]

All my stories in one place

Alright, new master list containing ALL of my stories so far. Just a small thing before you hit that 'Read More', okay??

Sentient Lost Light AU, Shattered Glass Lost Light AU, Mecha!Pilot AU, as well as the character Morphia and this particular version of Lord Imperious were made by @cuppajj.

SG!Starhawk is @dimorphodon-x's character

Eda of Unicron is @tachyon-omlette's character

This should be enough for now. There's more info and stuff once you hit one of the links.

If you're looking for my "A Bird's Tale" series, here's the masterpost for that. No way I'm I going to copy all the links again.

Here's the "Meanwhile, in Another Universe" series (Plays in the normal sentient Lost Light Au from cuppa)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

-:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:-

And here's the list for the story involving cuppa's Lord Imperious and my Quick Search:

Of computers and mechs

2. Of Plants and Freedom

3. Something's going on

4. A Message in a Bottle often finds its Way

5. Of research and programming

6. This Changes Everything

7. Changes aren't always wanted, but sometimes needed

8. A new friend? Maybe.

-:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:-

Stories involving Eda

You admire me?

-:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:-

Tales from the Neutral Zone:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

-:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:-

AU where Hot Rod is the new leader of the Autobots:

How Hot Rod accidentally took over the Decepticons and became Rodimus

The Struggles of a Young Leader

-:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:-

Starhopper's Logbooks

Starhopper's Logbook Entries Part 1

Starhopper's Logbook Entries Part 2

Starhopper's Logbooks Entries Part 3

Starhopper's Logbook Entries Part 4

Icarus

-:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:-

Bird's of a Feather AU

Part 1

Part 2

-:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:-

Others

That super secre thing (Hot Rod x Overlord)

Somethig cursed (like, really cursed)

Processor aches are no fun (Apprentice and Danny)

Strawberry's Adventures (Part 1)

A story set in Cuppa's Mecha!Pilot AU

The small special involving Dino's SG!Starhawk

Strawberry meets Morphia

[badlydrawntransformers]

SHIP’S HAUNTED!

Still thinking about @cuppajj‘s Shattered Glass!Sentient Lost Light AU, so I wrote a part 2 to my first little drabble! Enjoy my second ever attempt at writing horror!

(also ft. a little nod to @dimorphodon-x‘s fic with SG!Starhawk!)

You feel the terror that had been gripping your frame ease up as you realize that there’s absolutely nothing in the bridge. Not to say that the place wasn’t a wreck, because of course it was. It almost looked like someone had been digging their servos into the walls and ripping out wires. It was suddenly comforting to know you were completely alone, if anything.

(Later, you would chastise yourself for jumping to that conclusion so quickly.)

You approach the seat of the former captain, noticing what looks to be energon dried on and around the chair. Unsettling as it is, it doesn’t really mean much to you. Perhaps there had been a scuffle in some time past. Pirates did happen to be a problem out here in space, after all. Maybe the Prime had been killed, or even kidnapped. There was no way to say for sure just based on some old stains on the floor. If anything, you could safely say the Lost Light was definitively not haunted.

…was it just you, or had the ship suddenly gone silent?

…

The feeling of a pair of optics boring into the back of your helm overcame you in the blink of an optic.

Holding down a shudder, you very slowly turn around and come face to face with a mech you didn’t hear approach. They look disheveled; their visor is cracked and they’re covered in dents and scrapes, but you can very clearly make out the Autobot symbol on their shoulder, the first of many signs that they were not to be trusted.

They seem almost… surprised to see you.

“You came back…” the bot says, their expression gradually shifting to one of delight. “Captain, you came back!”

You laugh nervously, but you’re barely able to get the words “I’m not” out of your mouth before the mystery mech interrupts you, getting closer.

“I was so worried, what with you being taken by that awful monster, but you’ve come back to me!” At this point, they were uncomfortably close to you, and you start moving backward to try and get some space between you and the stranger. “I knew you would, Captain. I kept you safe, after all.”

You manage to ask the mech who they are. Their expression falls.

“Captain, what do you mean?” They look you over for a few moments, then let out a sigh. “Of course. You’re not him. But you look so much like him, I was almost certain he had come back to me.” They reach out their servo towards your face. “I suppose I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up.”

You stumble as you continue to try and distance yourself from the stranger, but you find yourself pressed against the captain’s chair. As they take your chin in their hand, a twisted smile crosses their face, making your energon run cold.

“I think you’ll do quite nicely in his place, however.”

You hear something shift above you, and as you look up, you’re suddenly ensnared by the cables that had emerged from the ceiling. You struggle to break free, cursing out the strange mech in front of you. They give you a sickeningly sweet smile.

“Hush now, Captain. I can’t let you leave me again.” they say, their form glitching ever so slightly. “I’ve been waiting for so long to have some company again.”

“W-Who are you?!” you manage to choke out through the cables strangling you, as well as the tears that you couldn’t stop from welling up in your optics. 

“You’ll learn in due time. After all, we have all of eternity to get to know one another.” they chuckle, vanishing. 

The cables drag you up into the internal workings of the ship, and as everything goes dark, you hear the Lost Light’s voice echo from all around you.

“Welcome home, Rodimus~”

[cyber-streak-2]

Rodimus, to the Sentient SG Lost Light: Ah, you again! What do I have to do, get a restraining order?

//AU by @cuppajj

[ut-girl666]

Birds of a Feather - Chapter 1

The little guests wake up, and meet some of the crew. Perhaps this situation of theirs won’t be too bad, after all.

Birds of a Feather AU & the Phoenixes originally by @soundcrusher, Sentient Lost Light AU & ‘Lightlost’ originally by @cuppajj.

Enjoy!

[soundcrusher]

Ah, yes, the two nickel problem.

(click on the pictures for better quality.)

Thrice, if I count Second Fiddle, but I was only thinking about Sg/Sentient Lost Light and IDW Lord Imperious from @cuppajj when doodling this.

I'm definitely developing some brainrot for LID and Psychokahn, thanks to you cuppa...

Bonus:

Just a close-up of this.

[soundcrusher]

Well, Starhopper and Icarus cheered you all on yesterday. Today it's reg/Phoenix and sg/Phoenix who will do the cheering.

Also, bonus sketch of Rodimus, sg/Rodimus and sg/Dominus.

And Lightlost and sg/Lightlost from @cuppajj

[soundcrusher]

A kind of continuation of this

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. It was funnier in my head though...

Sentient Lot Light and Sentient SG/Lost Light are from @cuppajj

[soundcrusher]

This can be considered a prevew for part three of my Phoenix's story on board the sentien SG/Lost Light from @cuppajj

It's not going to happen like this, but I wanted to draw something light hearted after writing so much dark stuff.

Also, have this sketch I did during work yesterday.

The calm before the storm are the times we love the most. But they pain us, when we remember them.

[soundcrusher]

Sometimes, a family consist out of a ship and their two kids they forcefully adopted.

Sentient SG/Lost Light is from @cuppajj

Without them, Phoenix and his story wouldn't even exist.

[soundcrusher]

My emotions have been drained by today. So, I don't know if I'll be able to get part 9 of season 3 out today.

I will work on it, but, I can't promise anything. If it's not out later, than maybe tomorrow. If tomorrow isn't as bad as today that is.

Either way, have a small preview doodle of a short moment in p9s3.

It's not much, but it's something.

---

Sentient SG/Lost Light and their au by @cuppajj

Story and Phoenix by me

[soundcrusher]

A turning point

I hope all of you are ready for part 10 of Phoenix's story on board he sentent SG/Lost Light from @cuppajj because it's going to be a wild ride.

Trigger Warning: Mentions of Death and Manipulation

.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._

It was a normal day on the ship. Phoenix was sitting next to Rodimus’ captain’s chair. Singing some human songs his mother taught him, while the captain softly swayed his head from one side to the other. 

Rodimus has always liked the intricate music those little organics could produce, even if Optimus Prime disliked it. There just was something in the way humans sang with all their spark that caused Rodimus to take a step back and enjoy the moment. 

It’s also why he commissioned Brainstorm to build a radio able to pick up on human radio waves from wherever they were. He just wanted to listen to a radio station and jam out to the music or have something fitting to play when he was fighting or hunting Decepticons. 

It made the job at hand better, when some kind of music was playing. 

Sadly, with Rodimus no longer being able to walk, he couldn’t use his radio anymore. So, he was appreciating Phoenix singing more than the young spark will ever know. Even if the kid was sometimes singing wrong or forgetting words. It was still appreciated and, maybe, adding to the growing affection Rodimus had for the little bird. He always wanted someone he could call a brother. It’s why he always felt a small jealousy directed towards Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. 

Both of them had someone they could rely on, no matter what. Rodimus, despite everything, never had something like that. Mostly because most Autobots were only looking out for themselves, no matter how much you fought together. In the end, everyone was trying to keep themselves safe. 

Maybe that’s why his crew died when the Lost Light decided that they would never let them go again. Maybe if they fought together, they could have managed to survive. But instead, everyone tried to survive on their own, or, at least, in a small group, while others decided to die with the ones they love. 

That’s probably why Phoenix found Drift and Ratchet, or Cyclonus and Tailgate together. They knew that their time was up and they wanted to, at least, enjoy their last moments together. 

Maybe Rodimus should have worked harder to lead his crew. Make sure they would survive together and not-

“Roddy?”

Rodimus was pulled out of his mind as he heard Phoenix’s soft and scared voice. And only then did he notice that the lights were out and the ship quiet. 

This wasn’t normal. Not at all. Something was going on. He could feel it. Something bad was going on and he knew that he needed to do something, before Phoenix started to panic. But what could he do? What was he SUPPOSED to do? He couldn’t do anything. 

“Roddy? The whispers are coming back…” Muttered Phoenix quietly, before getting up. He still hated the dark. Who wouldn’t? With the dark come the whispers and with the whispers comes the Stranger. The Stranger who would hurt them. The Stranger who would probably not stop from attacking them just because he was a youngspark and Rodimus couldn’t move all that well. 

Maybe that’s why Phoenix picked up his sword and a small lamp he found in one of the workshops, before making his way over to the door. “D-Don’t worry Roddy. I’ll make sure the Stranger won’t get to you.” Whispered the youngling, while sheathing the sword in the scabbard he took from the sword mech and sliding open the door. Taking first, careful steps into the darkness of the halls, before pushing the door closed again. 

And as the bird was engulfed by the darkness, the captain could do nothing but to worry about his light leaving to face the unknown.

On the other side of the ship, a crew of Decepticons, who haven’t been together for a while, was boarding the ship. All of them knew what had happened here the last time they were on the Autobot ghostship, but as they turned on the lights of their headlights and lamps, they were confused at the cleaness of the ship. They only knew the halls dirty and littered with corpses, not cleaned and spotless. Was this even the right ship?

“Captain?” Asked one of the crew members. “Why exactly are we here again?”

“Is it just because of the youngling?” Asked another one, which caused the captain, Fools Shot, to let out a long sigh. “Yes,” he said, “ this is because of Phoenix. But not because of the reason you might think. Remember the last time we were on here? We all decided to never come back afterwards. But now, something has changed. Megatron, after a few years of keeping this exploration a secret, found my report and read it himself. And he was not happy with the deal I struck as a captain. This is why we were sent on this mission. He wants us to bring back Phoenix and, in the process, find out what happened to Runningway.”

Fools Shot could see that his crew didn’t want to be here. He knew how much everyone disliked the thought of getting Phoenix back, but at least their curiosity on what happened to Runningway was outweighing their disdain towards the youngling. Well, at least everyone else except for one. 

Ever since Old Man found out about this mission, his old friend was adamant on joining their forced rescue mission. But he couldn’t stop him. After all, Fools Shot knew how much he loved that cursed mech.

“Okay, now, everyone, please, split up in groups of three and start searching. Should you find something, our comm frequency is set to four. And please, don’t get into trouble and, for the love of Primus, do not engage with anyone calling themselve Lightlost or who has a dark purple to black color scheme. They are not to be trusted. Should anyone see them, run. Don’t look back and just run. Run as fast as you can, because if they catch you, there is no-one who can help you. Especially speedster frames. Don’t try to fight them. Come back here and try to flee to our ship.” 

Fools Shot could see that some of his crew didn’t take the warning seriously. Why would they? To them, he must sound crazy, and sometimes, the captain thinks that they were right, but what else could he say? Run around and have fun? No, that was wrong. As a captain, he needed to warn them, even though he might sound crazy doing so.

After the captain’s speech, every Decepticon, and the few former Autobots, formed groups of three, before leaving to explore the ship and try to find either Phoenix or Runningway. Although, many of them were hoping to find either Runningway or no-one. Because they didn’t want Phoenix back.

“We should have come back earlier.” Said Old Man, after the last group has left the starting point. “We shouldn’t even have left him behind to start with.” Fools Shot knew that his friend was right. He knew it, but at the same time, what else should he have done? Abandoning Phoenix on a ghostship was still better than seeing his crew throw the youngspark overboard and being arrested for that after their return to Cybertron. 

“You’re forgetting that I did that for the safety of everyone. They would have abandoned him either way, and leaving Phoenix here was better than them leaving him to the emptiness of space.”

“And yet, I have a feeling that you doomed us all…” Muttered Old Man, as he left his old friend alone at the starting point. After all, if one was able to find Phoenix, it was him. And he couldn’t risk being followed by mechs and femmes who wanted his kid dead. 

It felt like an eternity since Old Man started walking. If it wasn’t for his determination to find Phoenix, he would have probably turned around and went back to his captain. But he didn’t, because he knew that he was on the right path. The way the halls were cleaned, or the little self-written arrows with descriptions of where was what on the walls, or those small paintings on the doors depicting what they were there for, it all screamed of Phoenix. It all was a sign that the kid was still here and alive! 

By Primus, his Phoenix, his little sunshine was still alive and running around this cursed ship! 

He needed to find him. Old Man needed to find Phoenix! 

That’s why, for the first time since the war, Old Man transformed into his alt-mode and raced down the hallway. Dodging suddenly appearing cables or pipes coming out of the walls. Nothing could stop him from getting to his kid. No matter how much the ship tried to stop him, Old Man was determined to bring Phoenix home.

While Old Man was driving down halls, Fools Shot was frantically searching for his crew. He knew something was off the second he heard some of the chatter over their comms die down. And as he found the first group dead, their bodies taken apart, as if someone was seeking for specific organs, he knew that the ship was already playing their dangerous game.

“Everyone! This is your captain speaking! Return to the ship immediately. Forget about the mission, return to the ship!” Yelled Fools Shot, while passing another group of dead mechs. This time, the corpses looked more mutelated than the group before them and showed clear signs of a fight. A fight they could have never won, no matter how hard they fought. “And leave behind anyone wounded or dead. They will only drag you down with them!”

“Leaving behind more of your crew, captain?” 

Fools Shot froze as he heard that voice. 

No. No. Nononononononono! Not them. Everything but them! 

The captain tried to start running again, but Lightlost used the moment and wrapped a rather thick cable around the captain’s neck, hoisting him up high in the air. Watching the struggling mech in front of them with an eerily calm expression. “Oh captain, captain, captain,” everytime Lightlost mentioned the title of captain towards Fools Shot, their voice was taking on a mocking tone. Maybe even sardonic, mixed with a serenity only someone like Lightlost could manage to do. “Have you forgotten our deal? You promised. No, you swore on the life of your crew and yours that you would leave my captain and me alone.  And to make sure you were true, you even left behind a mech of my choosing. And yet, here you are again. Walking my halls with your crew of murderers.” Lightlost chuckled, as they saw the struggling captain desperately clawing at the cable. “But alas, you weren’t the first one to break the promise. Runningway was the first to board me again. And as he saw my little bird, Phoenix, he tried to kill him. Can you imagine that? A brute like him trying to kill someone my captain has taken a liking to. Luckily, our little bird ended him, before he could have done any more da-”

Lightlost got interrupted by a group of mechs who tried to save their captain, but they were no match for them. Quickly, with one strike of a cable and a hallway that crushed them, the interruption was no more. 

“Tch. I tell you, captain, some of those young mechs are so disrespectful. Interrupting a conversation without even asking if they were allowed to. Now…. where were we?”

While Lightlost was having a small ‘chat’ with Fools Shot, Phoenix was slowly walking along the dark hallways. 

He didn’t like how quiet everything was. Normally, there would be some kind of whisper or humming of an engine, but today? It was too quiet and the youngling wasn’t sure if he liked that, or not. It almost made him wish that the whispers were back or the Stranger would appear. 

“Phoenix?”

Phoenix’s stabilizing wings moved upwards as he heard that familiar voice of one of the mechanics who tended to pick on him for their own amusement. But, why would they be here out of all places? Haven’t the left him behind on this ship? Haven’t they forgotten him?

The youngspark was about to say something, but stopped as he felt a blaster being pressed to the back of his helmet. Of course, of course they would do this. They were an outside mech now, and Phoenix was no-longer part of their crew. Is that why they were hostile towards him? But he was still a Decepticon too! And Decepticons don’t pull their weapons on each other, if there is no reason!

“Do you know how long I wanted to do this? How long all of us waited to be able to point a gun at you and pull the trigger? I bet you didn’t even know about that.” They chuckled, as the other two of their group stepped out of the darkness and quickly grabbed Phoenix’s arms. Forcing the struggling youngling to his knees, as he stared up in horror at those he called his crew members once. 

“But the captain took that from us. He took our chance of revenge from us!” 

Phoenix was about to protest or scream at them, maybe both, but a punch to his face shut him up. But the punch wasn’t the only thing the young spark had to endure. No. Because, apparently, the other two saw the first punch as an invitation to start beating on him too. Making sure that Phoenix couldn’t utter a single word, or, at least, wouldn’t dare to, before letting go of him. 

“Of course, our revenge really should go against Rodimus Prime, but that mech has been declared dead ever since his disappearance. So, no-one of us got their well deserved revenge. But then you showed up. You, Phoenix, the only sparkling born after the war who resembled the monster like no-one else.” They said calmly, kneeling down before the youngling. Roughly nudging his face with their gun, so that they could stare into his fearful optics. “Many of us, as you became part of our crew, thought that you might have even been the Prime reborn. And that’s when we started planning. After all, if we couldn’t get our revenge on Rodimus Prime, why not settle for his replacement?” They said and aimed. 

And he was ready. With his optics shut tightly and his mind anticipating the pain that would soon come, Phoenix made himself ready for the final moment of his life. 

But as he heard a shot being fired, it wasn’t him who died. No, it was the one who tried to kill him. He heard their body fall, before two more shots were fired and two more bodies fell. After that, Phoenix only heard the exhausted rattling of plating, before a rough but soft voice uttered his name. Followed by a curse he only heard one mech ever use.

“R-ro… Roddy?

And to his shock, it really was the captain himself leaning against the wall and holding a rifle. 

“Roddy!” 

Phoenix was quick to get up, despite his body protesting from the quick movement, and rushed over to the other. Wrapping his arms tightly around Rodimus, before starting to cry. Both from fear and the realization that he was never truly part of his crew. Despite everything he’s done for them, they never wanted him. And Rodimus, understanding the pain and anguish of the kid he came to see as a brother, slowly wrapped his arms around Phoenix, before gliding down to sit down on the floor. Resting his back against the wall, as he clutched the crying youngling close to his spark. 

“Shhhhh…. shhhhhhh….  I’m here…… I’m here…. big brother got you…..”

Old Man could feel something was wrong as he entered the room labeled ‘Captain’s Room’, but he didn’t know  what. Maybe it was the fact that there was no-one sitting on the captain’s chair when he entered, or the clear signs that someone lived in here. Whatever it was, it was wrong. Very wrong, but he couldn’t investigate long, before he felt another presence in the room. One that felt even more wrong than the room itself.

“Ah, you must be Old Man. The mech Fools Shot tried to contact, while I slowly wringed the life out of him.” 

The old mech was quick to pull his gun out and turn around, pointing it at the mech in front of him. The one, who Fools Shot warned him about, and the one who was holding the decapitated head of his captain and old friend in their servos.

“Honestly, I didn’t imagine our meeting going like this, but who am I to complain?” 

They were sounding too cheerful for Old Man’s liking. Especially when they were holding a head.

“Where’s Phoenix!? What did you do to him!? I swear to Primus, if you laid your servos on him then… then…”

“Then what? Hm? May I remind you, that it was your crew who tried to kill him, not me? All I ever did was protect him. Keep him safe with my captain, while your crew tried to kill him on multiple occasions. And only because he looked like my beloved captain.” 

Old Man felt like he was being chastised. As if this stranger was blaming him for what happened to Phoenix, while he was the only one protecting the kid. “That’s a lot of slag coming from a murderer.” He said, which only earned him a laugh from the Stranger named Lightlost.

“You call me murderer, while I only defended my captain and little bird from intruders. You Decepticons truly have a strange way of seeing things. Am I right Thrillchaser?”

“Thrillchaser? What would a missing Decepticon have to do with-�� Old Man couldn’t finish his question, as he dropped down to the floor. Someone had shot him in the head from behind. Something only a hunter would do. Someone like…

“Thrillchaser…” Muttered the dying mech, as Thrillchaser stepped over his body and walked towards Lightlost. Taking position to their right. 

“Yes, Thrillchaser. Quite the useful side project. Especially when there are many intruders running around and I myself do not have enough time to hunt them down. It took me quite some time to break him. Time I couldn’t spend with my captain or little bird, but it paid off in the end. Wouldn’t you agree Old Man?”

Old Man spit out one last curse towards Lightlost, before dying in a puddle of his own energon. To which Lightlost could only laugh. 

“Bring this corpse to the rest of them Thrillchaser, I will look after my captain and little bird.” And with that said, Lightlost walked down the dark halls littered in corpses of mechs and femmes alike. 

All the while thinking about the last time their captain stood up and walked along their halls.

[soundcrusher]

When the bird bathed in blood

Fourth part of my little series of my Phoenix and the sentient SG/Lost Light from @cuppajj

And boy, what can I say except for, it's all going uphill from here, right? Right?

Well, we will find that out in the next part.

Trigger warnings for death, manipulation and blood (not sure about the last one, but I'm adding it).

-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-

It was supposed to be a normal day. Wake up, clean what has to be cleaned, talk with Rodimus and go explore a little bit more. Maybe find some spare energon for some refueling, before reading a data-pad, playing some more with the model ships he found, before laying back down for recharge in his self-made bed. 

Like most of the days on board the Lost Light. Maybe even Lightlost could have joined and read a story to him. He kind of enjoys listening to the older mech’s voice. It’s soothing, just like his mothers whenever she had to calm him down from a nightmare. Although, there always seems to be a certain edge whenever Phoenix brings up leaving the ship and exploring something. Sometimes, Lightlost even scares the young mech so much that he quietly apologizes and drops the conversation, before going to sit next to the captain’s chair. Seeking comfort in the captain’s presence, even though he never talks back. At least he’s looking at him. That’s something… right?

Phoenix doesn’t know anymore what he should think, honestly. At one servo, he likes Lightlost. Not in a way two partners would like each other. No, that would be gross. Like, really, really, really gross. No, Phoenix likes Lightlost as much as he likes Old Man, maybe he even likes them as much as his mother… Yes, that seemed like a better comparison. Old Man was someone Phoenix likes, because he’s like a grandfather? He doesn’t know, but he knows that Lightlost, with how they treat him, is on the same like-level as his mother.

Does that mean Lightlost is his parent now? Phoenix isn’t sure. Maybe he should ask them the next time he sees them. If they aren’t mad about him asking if they could go explore a planet together. 

Phoenix was ripped from his thoughts, as the open door to the ‘Captain’s Room’ shut without any warning and the lights went out. No. Not the lights! Was the young sparks first thought as he rushed over to the door and tried to pry it open. He can’t stand the darkness! He can’t! Because he knows that when the darkness comes, the whispers will soon enough join. And as soon as the whispers started, the stranger wasn't far. The stranger who took his wings. The stranger who… who… “No… NO!” Cried the young spark, as he started to bang against the closed doors. “Please! Please! Let me out! Let me out! Lightlost! Please! Help me!”

Somewhere, on the other side of the ship, a small group of Decepticons were walking through the halls of the Lost Light. Flinching, as they heard the banging and something sounding like screaming. “Are you sure this ship isn’t haunted?” Asked one of the group members. “I mean, don’t you all find it a little weird that there are cleaned halls, but no-one seems to be here? Honestly, Runningway, I know that you have been here before, but didn’t you say the halls were littered with corpses, or, at least, smeared with the spilled energon of dead mechs? Where’s that now?”

“I don’t know.” Answered Runningway, who rolled his optics in annoyance, or, at least, he pretended he did. As if he knew where all the corpses and energon went. “And how should I even know where they went? Last time I was on this cursed ship was… a while ago. You know, when we lost that cursed mech who only seemed to attract trouble? Kid was only good to serve as bait, when we had to deal with rough Autobots who didn’t abandon their ways and joined us after the war. It’s kinda funny to think that he survived for so long.” Runningway said, before stopping mid step. 

Why couldn’t he hear his new crew members chatting behind him anymore? And why did he have a feeling that someone was watching him? 

“...Slag…” Was all the mech could utter, before dodging a body being thrown at him and… yep, that body was missing his head. What a shame, really, he kind of liked that mech. He might have been a stick in the mud, but at least he was fun to mess with. “And I  told them that we shouldn’t be sent here.” Muttered Runningway, as he made a mad dash down the halls. This is already going like the last time he was here. Or, at least the way he remembers. After all, losing some of your organs, even if they aren’t that important, can mess with your memories. 

“W-wait!” Runningway heard one of his crew members cry out, but he didn’t stop. For he knew what could happen if he did, and frankly, this mech enjoyed living far more than anything else in life. And he wouldn’t risk that just to help one insignificant Con, whose fate was already sealed by the ship. He didn’t help Phoenix, and he sure wouldn’t help that femme getting squished between the slowly closing walls down the corridor to his left. 

No, Runningway just kept on running down the halls, taking twists and turns while avoiding whatever was thrown at him, before coming to a stop in front of a closed door which read ‘Captain’s Room’. “Strange…” Muttered the mech. “This looks like Phoenix could have written that…”

The doors opened and all Phoenix could see was the dark silhouette of a mech taller than him. Or at least he looked taller from where the young spark was sitting on the floor. Cowering in fear because, in his optics, the stranger has just returned. The stranger who hunted him. Who took his wings. Who… who was responsible for… for…

"Heh, you're still alive, you little glitch?" Asked Runningway, as he took a few steps closer to Phoenix. Laughing as he saw the youngling scramble backwards. "Hah! You're still that scared of me? Or are you scared of the dark? Tch, that fear of yours was always so stupidly irrational." He sneered, as he took another few steps forward. Following Phoenix to his self-made bed. "How can you be scared of something like this!? Don't you know what the Autobots did? You should fear them instead!" 

Runningway knew. He knew that he shouldn't get angry at the young spark. He knew that he should take him and find a way off the ship. His mother did give out a handsome reward for anyone who could bring her son back afterall. But right now, he remembered why he hated that kid. Why he was happy to have him off their ship. Why he hoped he had died like his new crew mates had died today. 

It was that face. 

That stupid face that looked up at him with an innocent smile whenever he would enter a room. That face shouldn't be so innocent. Not when there was a second one feared across the galaxy. It shouldn’t be allowed to smile, not when the other one gleefully watched others get killed. And it shouldn’t be allowed to  continue haunting innocent mechs in the form of this disgrace of a Decepticon.

So, Runningway did the only logical thing in his eyes. He lunged, in the hopes of destroying that face once and for all.

Everything was happening too fast for Phoenix. In one moment, he was cowering on the floor out of fear the stranger would come and take his stabilizer wings too, the next he was being attacked by the stranger. So, he did the only thing his panicking mind could think of. He closed his eyes, grabbed the sword and held it out in front of himself. Waiting for the pain, any pain, to come, but nothing happened. Nothing, but why? Phoenix was hesitant to  open his optics, but when he did, he noticed three things.

First, the lights were back on.

Second, there was something sticky on his face.

And third, he didn’t impale the stranger. No. This wasn’t the stranger. This was Runningway. Runningway had the sword through his spark and his energon was dripping down onto him. That was the sticky stuff. That was… that was…

Phoenix let out a blood curdling scream. Before letting go of the sword’s hilt. Watching the whole body sack in on itself and fall to the side. 

He just…. he didn’t mean to. He didn’t mean to kill him! He didn’t mean to do it! Runningway was… had attacked him! That’s right! He has a right to protect himself! But… but he just killed someone from his crew. If the others find out. If they find out, they will kill him. Even if he tells them what happened. They would still kill him. They would… 

Phoenix was hugging himself, while slowly rocking back and forth. This was too much for him. Too much for his innocent mind, that tried to come up with a good explanation as to why this would have happened. But as it couldn’t find an answer, the young spark started to cry. Whaling his confusion and anguish out into the open, before collapsing in on himself. He didn’t mean to. He couldn’t do anything else. 

“Oh sweet spark.” Came the soft whisper of Lightlost, as they sat down next to the little bird. Opening their arms and watching, as the young spark slowly uncurled himself and climbed into their lap. Seeking comfort and protection by the only other being he knew could provide it at this moment. “I… I didn’t… I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry…” Was all he could choke out, before being hushed by Lightlost. “I know. You could never hurt anyone intentionally. You’re too good to do something like that, but sadly, there are bad mechs and femmes out there, who would gladly hurt someone like you. Do you see now why I don’t want you to leave the ship? Imagen something would happen to you, if you went outside.” Phoenix nodded. Maybe Lightlost was right, when they told him that the galaxy outside was bad. “M-maybe… maybe you’re right.”

“I am always right, little bird.”

They stayed like this for a while. Phoenix safely held in Lightlost’s arms, as they watched the young spark slowly slip into recharge. After that, they turned their helm to look at Rodimus, who was, much to Lightlost’s delight, glaring at them. “Oh, don’t look at me like that captain. We both knew this would have happened. We should be glad that it didn’t end with our little bird getting hurt. Imagine if that brute actually managed to harm him, or worse, kill him!” At the word ‘kill’, Lightlost’s grip on the youngling resting in their embrace grew tighter. No, they would never let anyone harm the little spark. He was part of their crew after all. Never would they let the little bird leave, even if it meant locking him up in a room or taking away his legs. Maybe they could even get a second chair and place it next to Rrodimus’. That way they could have an optic on both of them and their captain wouldn’t be so alone. 

There was also the option of putting Phoenix into a coma or memory loop, but that was only an option for drastic times. 

However, that was a concern for another time. Now, they had to make sure that Runningway’s corpse was gone, before Phoenix would wake up. And then there was the matter of all the other corpses they now had. Maybe they should harvest what they can and then put them to the others. That way they would have enough spare parts for quite some time. 

Either way, Lightlost knew that Phoenix’s thirst for exploration was gone for a while. 

And they would make sure that it stayed that way.