One (you guessed it) Seeker Bunny

[katsuko]

...and this comes when I should be studying for my Latin quiz. Joy of joys.

Seekers have four stages of development, although most Cybertronians aren't aware of this fact:

Stage 1: the sparkling stage, which is very much like that of other Cybertronians, although seeker sparklings are incapable of flight and need to rely on their creators to feed their need for the sky.
Stage 2: the youngling stage; seekers are still incapable of flight but begin learning to activate flight protocols for when they reach maturity. Creators still take them on short flights to keep the sky-hunger at bay.
Stage 3: the proto-adult stage; seeker remain flightless but are equipped with jet packs or similar modifications to learn how to use their flight protocols safely. Creators often accompany their creations, as at this stage a seeker is approximately 3/4 of their full height.
Stage 4: the mature adult stage; just prior to maturity proto-adult seekers slip into a modified stasis, during which their bodies incorporate the surrounding metals to finish forming their winged frame and activate the various sensors necessary for the flight protocols to activate in full.

The Decepticon seekers are at the mature stage of development, but suspect that there are a few proto-adult seekers hidden unknowingly amongst the Autobots and begin casually patrolling the skies around the Ark (and sending Red Alert into panic attacks in spite of them not attacking). Their efforts prove to be valid when nearly every minibot on the Ark's crew abruptly slips into stasis for no apparent reason.

Needless to say, there are a hell of a lot of questions and a bit of annoyance that Starscream and his trine are the ones with the answers.

Ahh, crack, why do you torment me when I need to study?!

Comments

[xaefryl.livejournal.com]

Stage three immediately made me think of Sideswipe, rather than the minibots, but I could totally see Bumblebee and Cliffjumper as Seekers. I'm just wondering about how Stage four would work. Would their bodies take the bulk of their vehicle-mode and reform them completely into the typical Seeker look or would they, because of their previous alt modes, have completely different Seeker frames? Turning from a Volkwagen Beetle to a F-15 seems just a little out there.

[katsuko]

My mind pulls this crap on me when I need to be studying scansion and grammar. It wants me to fail so much D:

As for Stage 4, the process is pretty much a full-on reformat. With the Earth alt-modes, the process would take a bit longer, because the Cybertronian frames are a bit more similar. Also, the younger stages have more bulk for the specific purpose of the Stage 4 upgrade.

Seriously, my mind is twisted. Now off to study more Catullus and hope that his early death was due to a fire, because "diaf" is how I'm feeling on this quiz right about now.

[mimi-sardinia.livejournal.com]

I can't help think of Sideswipe too as being a Stage 3 - maybe a large one.

But anyway, great idea, and may be open to a set-up not unlike Nine Rings of Vos where Seeker sparklings had been taken from Vos by the Council.

[katsuko]

What's funny is that now I'm picturing that, too... and also envisioning Skyfire getting smacked upside the head by an irritated trine for neglecting to mention to the Bots that he's a shuttle because that's the only alt mode suitable for larger-than-average seekers XD

Oooooh, too true, too true. Apparently twin and I are still working the shared brain!

[mimi-sardinia.livejournal.com]

That suits well!

And yes, that shared brain helps, as does telepathy.

[(Anonymous)]

I read a fic before that implied that Cliffjumper's name was actually a nickname he was given after attempting suicide, and it just stuck. But what if the sky-hunger, driving him to get closer to the sky and attempt flying?

This is interesting. I think I'll refer this to my sister (the writer/ Minibot fangirl)