Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, really I don't. I didn't even think up the main part of the plot. Some anon on the tfanonkinkmeme on livejournal did. I'm just the one who ended up writing it.

Quick note: breem = 8 minutes, klick = second, metacycle = 13 months. If I used any other time frames just check tfwiki for the rest.

TC and the Freeze

Part 1

Sparks of electricity danced across their connectors, across their frames. The ceaseless drone of cooling fans had been constant in the small room since before the solar cycle had begun, punctuated by the clang of over eager gropes and the faint rasp of metal sliding across metal.

Thundercracker couldn't think of a more aggravating way to start the solar cycle then an early morning interface. Was a full recharge cycle really that much to ask? Apparently it was if you were a seeker in Heat on a ship full of soldiers with few other options for entertainment. Those on board the Nemesis had gotten too used to having a seeker whenever they felt like it, even some times when they didn't. Tweak an aileron, tell one of the raunchier jokes known to mech kind, just tell a seeker you want to frag, and that was all it took to get their systems running hot.

The blue seeker would've probably hated how easy it was to cross wires with his model type if it wasn't for the burning in his chest. He needed to dispel the electricity firing through his frame and the easiest way was the featureless bulk above him. Apparently it was also to much to ask who his random molester was before they crossed wires. He could safely assume though that the mech had just come off the night shift because he was taking his sweet time building up a charge, showing that he didn't have anywhere else to be for a while.

"Primus," spoke on an ex-vent it was still impossible to identify the mech but the shuttering current was of higher importance then recognition. The mech was faltering, nearing the end of his interface cycle, and Thundercracker had only just passed the point where the charge wouldn't be able to ground itself out.

"Not yet you fragger." Thundercracker cursed reaching up to the port in his chest to grasp the cord that led to the other mech, twisting it painfully with the vague hope of putting off the overload until he was close enough to go over as well.

"Not going to help," the mech managed to say moments before the charge flooded through the connectors. It wasn't nearly enough to trigger Thundercracker's own overload, no matter how he grasped for it, the energy slipping through his hands like water.

"Ah, whoops," the mech laughed nervously as he looked down at the very fragged off seeker. Sure everyone knew how available the seekers were, but everyone also knew just how dangerous it was to leave them on the edge. They were Decepticons after all and if they couldn't get what they wanted, they were liable to go berserk, just like any other Decepticon.

"You…" the seeker said it as if there was no greater insult. It was all his overHeating processor could come up with. The first things to go were the interface cables. He ripped them out of the overheated ports then tore the one from the mech's chassi.

"Slag," the mech yelped before finding himself under the infuriated jet.

The seeker's fist shattered one of the red optics with the first blow. The second blow took care of the other and from there Thundercracker didn't care what he hit as long as he reduced this mech into scrap while the burning energy in his chassi demanded a different kind of release.

Finally it was too much for the seeker, he needed to expel the energy now, and no matter how satisfying it was to feel metal give out under him, it didn't satisfy him that way. With a frustrated rumble of his engines, Thundercracker was up and into the hall, looking for the next warm chassi to plug into. The first mech he saw was talking on his comm. link and didn't notice the seeker until he'd been pushed against the wall. The seeker ignored all sense of foreplay and went straight for the mech's interface panel..

"I'm going to be late for my patrol." The mech protested rather weakly.

"Yes you are," Thundercracker agreed as he linked up to the cold system.

*Scene Change*

It was barely a cycle since the last overload had cooled his system and already the charge was building, driving his mood to the slag heap. He was frag frustrated and just fraggin' frustrated. They were flying to yet another energon raid, it was an even bet whether the Autobots would be there by the time they showed up, and damn if the rest of the army didn't seem to be taking their sweet time getting there. Sure it happened every time and he knew that strapping a pair of anti-gravs on a ground pounder wouldn't make them as fast as a seeker, but damn it all to the pit if they didn't seem to be dawdling today.

Starscream led them through another lap, turning back so they could loop around the whole pit scrap army. The seekers refused to go any slower then they already were and it seemed as if the rest of the army couldn't go any faster.

"Cracker's levelheaded…" it was a snip of conversation pulled from the comm. traffic as they passed by.

"Delete that thought from your data stacks right now Thundercracker," Starscream snapped at the hint of subsonic rumbles from his wing mates engines. "I'm not going to spend the next orn locked in Megaton's office because you're in a slaggin' mood."

It was hard to delete a thought when it had never entered his processor in the first place. There was a reason that Starscream was Air Commander, he had better control than a seeker in Heat had any right to be. And the reason they seemed to think he was the levelheaded on was because he was too frustrated most of the time to bother responding to them.

"How much longer?" Thundercracker asked as he manually shut off his sonic generator. He didn't really care how much longer it would take them to get to the latest battlefield either, no matter how long it took, it would take to long.

"Do we have time for a quick interface? Let's have a quickie. We can have a quick interface over there and I can pop us all to the one place before anyone's the wiser." Skywarp butted in with the same suggestion he had every time they left the Nemesis on a mission.

"You're not popping us anywhere you processor deficient slagger. You nearly warped us into a mountain the last time you wanted a quickie and we ended up crashing." Starscream screeched as he banked out of the way of the grasping seeker.

"But I wanna," Skywarp whimpered as he transformed back into his jet mode and fell into position.

"Mute it, we're there. Let's see what our glorious leader has planned for us this time." Starscream complained as they turned again and saw the rest of the Decepticons landing outside a nuclear power plant.

The Autobots attacked before they'd finished the first cube. It was so painfully routine that Thundercracker didn't bother turning on his targeting systems. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be fraggin' someone. Then again there was no reason that he couldn't be doing both.

"Where are the red and yellow idiots?" Thundercracker asked as he cruised lower, a tempting target for the twins and their jet judo.

"They're not here. Now quit scoping out who you want to frag and scrap the Autodorks already." Starscream ordered.

"Why aren't they here? I want to interface one too." Skywarp whined, not bothering to activate his targeting system either.

"Warp, you came back with one of their interface drives last time and asked if I could make it run again. They're not going to jump us ever again." Starscream explained with the grating edge to his voice that meant he was very close to loosing his temper.

"You broke the Autobot interface toys." The blue jet was very tempted to turn around and shoot his fellow seeker. Instead he turned his targeting system on and scattered a group of Autobots.

"I only broke one of them and he started it. He made some smart aft comment and I said how I didn't need him if he was going to act like scrap about it. Then he said how I did, and I said I didn't, I only wanted his interface drive. So he said prove it and I ripped it out and gave it to Starscream so he could make it work again but he says it won't work without a spark."

"Yes, and now none of us get to enjoy their drives because you've probably scarred them or life." Starscream nagged right back. "Though I am curious about how he explained that injury to their medic."

"Slag this," Thundercracker let off a sonic boom, not caring who he hit, and pulled up, away from the battle.

"And where do you think you're going?" Starscream shrilly demanded.

"I'm crossing wires with something, you're both welcome to join me."

"But…"

"Come on Screamer, Megatron's already grappling with Prime. Let's get a head start on the coneheads." Warp said racing to catch up with his frustrated trine mate.

*Scene Change*

Above the ocean the sun was setting as another night cycle began. Beneath the ocean, the only way to tell the change would be to check your chronometer and compare it to the squishies calculated sunset.

Thundercracker didn't care about the time or the sunset. All he cared about right now was collapsing into his berth and not waking up for a very long time. Normally tumbling into his berth usually involved some other mech and swapping energies. Tonight he just didn't feel like it. The blue jet could feel a dull ache in each of his wires, could feel a painful throb in each microchip.

"Primus," Thundercracker groaned when he realized he hadn't updated the firewalls around his carrying program.

For any ground pounding processor deficient mech in the Decepticon army it was a once a decaorn chore. For the seekers it was a nightly annoyance since Heat cycles degraded the firewalls stupidly fast. Thankfully it wasn't a difficult download. They didn't even need to go down to medical for it. Just plug into your room's terminal, request the firewall, and it was yours. Megatron could care less about most common medical maintenance, birth control wasn't one of them. The last thing the slag maker wanted was a ship filled with sparklings. All Thundercracker had to do was get up, move to his terminal, and wait half a breem for the download to finish.

"Do it in the morning." He shut off his optics and slipped easily into recharge, only vaguely wondering why the static charge of Heat wasn't keeping him from his rest tonight.

END PART 1

A/N: Okay so it looks like this'll break down into 4 parts and I'll be updating on Tuesdays but that doesn't mean you all shouldn't review. Because I love reviews and tis the season of giving after all, so give. Also concrit is welcome and if anyone's willing to beta for me PM me because I've been having difficulties finding one.

Have a happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers.