Disclaimer: The Transformers aren't mine. I just like to write about them.
Authors note: Okay the first thing I've got to say about this story is that it terrifies me, don't get me wrong the story's great I just hope that I'm good enough to write it. The basic idea for it came to me nearly a year ago but it's gone through so many changes since then that I'm tempted to put the original up just to see what kind of reaction it gets but not today.
The other thing is a huge thank you to everyone who has ever reviewed my stories, you've kept me going when it would have been a lot easier to say "oh to hell with it" and you are the reason why I've got this far, it's been a blast and again thank you. As I've said before I'm not very good at answering reviews, my nerves get the better of me but I am going to try harder.
All that's left to say now is that I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have writing it and I can't wait to hear what you think. Feeling Brave.
Sounds Like Hope
Chapter 1
Sirens blared through the base and sent mechs running in all directions as they gathered equipment and found their units. It wasn't the chaos that it looked to be but it took well-trained optics to see the deliberate care that every movement was given.
Optimus Prime swept into the room with Ironhide and Prowl right behind him just as Bluestreak and Sunstreaker took their positions.
"Where's Sideswipe?" Ironhide barked as he noticed the empty space beside the yellow twin.
"He's on his way." Sunstreaker reported.
Bluestreak gave his partner a curious look as Ironhide switched his attention towards the door. "Trust me you don't want to know anymore than that." Sunstreaker whispered.
The red warrior burst in at that moment but stopped dead when he saw the look on Ironhides faceplate. "Sorry sir." He said quickly. "I was in the middle of something."
"No time for that now but you will report to me when this mission is over, understood?"
"Yes Sir." Sideswipe nodded as he took his place.
"Autobots." Prime called for their attention and the whole room fell silent. "The Decepticons are attacking Nova Cronum and the city commander has asked for our assistance, in Jazz' absence his unit will join Ironhides. The shuttles are waiting for us. Move out!"
Few spoke as the ranks marched down to the departure bays but Sunstreaker couldn't resist teasing his brother. "Was it worth it?" He quietly asked with a grin.
"Always is." His twin grinned back.
Cybertrons small sun was starting to set as the shuttles reached their destination giving the battle below them a slightly unreal look, the fortress like city was burning in many places.
"Listen up!" Ironhide ordered. "We're had confirmed reports that the Constructicons are a mega-mile away and heading to join the battle and I don't have to tell you what that means…"
"Devastator." Mirage interrupted with a shudder.
Ironhide glared at him but didn't say anything to him before he continued. Nearly every mech there was well aware that Devastator was the reason why Crystal City, Mirages home no longer stood and the old mech could forgive the spy his worries. "Prime has given us the job of making sure that Devastator doesn't make an appearance in this fight."
"Oh great." Sunstreaker muttered quietly enough so that his commander wouldn't hear him.
"Cheer up Sunny." His brother grinned. "There's one good thing about Devastator that everyone over looks."
"And what would that be?"
"There's only one of him."
Sunstreaker swatted his twin on the back of his helm and turned to see what Bluestreak was doing. "You okay there Blue?"
"It looks like chaos down there." Bluestreak murmured absently.
"No one's pulling any punches that's for sure but we'll even the odds out and save the cycle." He said confidently.
"I can't find anywhere to set the shuttle down 'Hide. You'll have to jump for it." Trailbreaker reported from the helm.
"This just keeps getting better." Sunstreaker scowled. "If I scratch my paint-job I'm gonna…"
"Save it for the 'Cons bro'" Sideswipe told him. "You can scrap as many of them as you like."
"Oh yeah." The yellow warrior said suddenly looking more cheerful. "What are we waiting for?"
"I want three groups." Ironhide bellowed. "Bluestreak, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe are with me, Wheeljack, Hound and Mirage are yours, Smokescreen, you're taking Hoist and Grapple. Autobots move out!"
A breem later the four mechs landed pinning two of the Constructicons down almost immediately, unfortunately though not before Mix-master covered Sunstreaker in something offensive.
"You sparkling of a blender." He roared. "Look what you did to my paint, I'm gonna bend your funnel so that it pours straight down your intake valve and then…" He ranted as he pummelled the unlucky Decepticon.
Ironhide couldn't help being slightly amused by the whole thing. He had never understood vanity in warriors, a job where scrapes, dents, burns and worse could happen at anytime didn't seem to be the right one for someone who took so much pride in their appearance but he would never deny that Sunstreaker was good at it.
"'Hide we got company." Sideswipe reported.
"Ah wing-nuts." He cursed good-humouredly and swung his rifle round to get the first shots at the new targets. Megatrons seekers were inbound but there was no sign of their leader. "Bluestreak see if you can bring a few of them down." He barked at his gunner.
"Sure thing Boss." Bluestreak replied. "I'll do my best to try and…" Ironhide stopped listening before the young mech started to annoy him.
"Where did Rumble come from?" Sunstreaker asked lazily as he continued his private fight with Mix-master.
"There's Ravage too." His twin added.
"Ironhide to Prime." He growled down his internal comm-link.
"Yes Ironhide."
"This isn't panning out how we planned. I'm recommending that we bring our teams together."
"I think y…" The link cut out.
"Ironhide to Prowl. What's going on over there?" He barked but only static answered him. "Can anyone read me?"
"This is Blaster. What's the disaster?" Came the far too upbeat answer but there was a lot of static on the line.
"Where's Prime?"
"Repeat."
"Prime?"
"…Of trouble…Soundwave…everyone's… to party."
"Slag it." Ironhide growled. "Sideswipe! Get your aft in the air and find out what's going on." The red twin nodded and activated his jetpack. "Bluestreak, Sunstreaker, stay close. I want to be ready as soon as he gets back."
Wheeljack fired off a few more rounds and decided that it was time to move again as the pile of rubble he was using as cover was getting a little too small. He pulled a couple of grenades out of subspace and chucked them before he made a dive for it.
The grenades turned out to be slightly more potent than he had expected but he was sure he would be fine once his audios cleared again.
"Hey 'Jack over here." Hound yelled.
"Have you seen any of the others?" He asked as he joined his friend. "I can't believe how spread out we got chasing those Constructicons."
"Don't need to see them. Mirage is that way." He said pointing in one direction. "And Ironhide's somewhere over there." He finished with a gesture to another course.
"Okay we get Mirage then try to find the others. Keep your scanners up, we're going to need them."
"This should not be happening." Prowl stated as he found himself close enough to Blaster to talk. "None of my battle computers simulations predicted anything like this."
"Does it have any suggestions now?" Blaster asked seriously.
"Un-jam the comms, find everyone and make a stand with the mechs from the city." Prowl reeled off.
"For once logic that I can't argue with." Blaster grinned. "Steeljaw I got someone for you to hunt for." His cassette ejected and raced off almost instantly. Prowl and Blaster followed him quickly knowing that the tracker was far better adapted to this than either of them.
"Hey! Soundwave! Your maker was a out dated comms unit." Yelled Blaster when they finally located the offending Decepticon.
"Your insults are not effective Autobot." Soundwave droned just before he toppled forwards with an almighty crash.
"Yeah maybe." Blaster shrugged. "Good thing my friend Prowl is plenty effective for the both of us." He chuckled. "I guess that's pay back for when he attacked the med-bay."
Prowl stopped paying his accomplice any attention. "Prowl to Prime."
"Here Prowl." Prime answered sounding rather vexed.
"Recommend evac to the city as soon as we can get everyone together."
"I agree Prowl but Megatron is keeping me busy."
"Leave it to me Prime. Would you like me to send you some assistance?"
"Negative. You have enough to do."
"Okay but comm if you need anything."
"Will do. Prime out."
"Sounds like Megatron isn't holding anything back."
"Prime won't either." Blaster said confidently. "Ironhide and his team are just over that ridge but a couple of the Constructicons and some of the seekers have them pinned. Wheeljack's reporting that he, Hound and Mirage are keeping two of the others busy and Smokescreens unit have the rest. The minibots are closer to the city, reporting casualties, Ratchet's with them but no one's seen Bumblebee for a while and he's not answering his comm." He reported smoothly.
"He'll be easier to find from the air and for that we need Sideswipe." Prowl said once he could get a word in.
"Ironhides team it is then. I'll send 'Jack the co-ordinates and he can meet up with us once he's had enough fun."
"I almost feel sorry for the poor mechs that those three have gotten hold of." Prowl smiled. "But not quite."
Blaster barked a laugh and the pair raced through the battlefield.
"This is getting to be hard work." Moaned Sunstreaker as he fired off another burst of rounds. Their early success with the Constructicons had turned against them with the arrival of Decepticon re-enforcements, Sideswipe had taken a shoulder injury that meant he was avoiding hand to hand combat so he was having to do most of that and although he still had plenty of fight left in his he wasn't about to wear himself out too early in what promised to be a long battle.
"Tell me somethin' I don't know." Ironhide growled back. "Blaster and Prowl got the comms back up and will be joining us shortly. So there's some good news."
"Best we've had all night." Commented Bluestreak. "I hate fighting in the dark, lasers are murder on the optics and I can't tell if I'm actually hitting anything."
"Blue." Sunstreaker said in the soothing tone he usually reserved for when they were alone. "Best thing we can do is sit tight. Help is on the way."
Bluestreak nodded briefly and set his possessor to the task in hand. The incoming fire seemed diminished to him and he noticed that not all of the enemy lasers were firing in his direction. "I think help is here." He called but no one answered him, a moment later he realised why as a gigantic head and shoulders rose above the horizon to be out-lined against the starry sky. "Devastator." He moaned.
"Aw slag pits." Cursed Blaster. "All teams we need you here now." He yelled down his comm-link. "We got Devastator here."
He was answered by at least three voices chorusing. "Copy that."
Prowl flinched as the monstrous Decepticons laser missed them by inches and only because of some very fancy footwork. "We're out gunned." He observed.
"We got one advantage." Stated Blaster with no trace of his usual good humour. "There's only one o' him."
"You go left, I'll go right and we'll meet at Ironhides position."
"Gotcha." Nodded the communications specialist. "Be careful." He added quickly.
"You too." Prowl replied and the two separated. As they had hoped Devastator seemed confused by the sudden movements of his targets and this was aided considerably by the arrival of the rest of Ironhides unit.
Wheeljack had always felt forced to respect Devastator, the sheer power and engineering involved in him were marvels to him and the destruction he caused a great worry. He watched his fellow Autobots take him on with one optic and looked for targets of his own with the other. He couldn't help but want to join in the fight but a gapping gash to his shin had caused his internal repair systems to cut off energon supplies to the limb, which in turn left him all but immobile but a long way from harmless.
He and Hound had finally managed to shoot Laserbeak out of the sky and his grenades had sent two of the seekers flying backwards into the ground where they were still off-line.
Now fighting with Bluestreak and Sunstreaker at his shoulders Blaster couldn't help feel buoyed up. Devastator had finally been brought down and the Constucticons had taken too much damage to continue and the battle seemed to be drawing to a close. There were still several enemies to mop up but the tide had definitely turned in their favour.
Prowl and Ironhide had gone in the opposite direction toward Wheeljack and Hound after the latter had reported Wheeljacks injuries. The eventual target was to meet up with them again and he hoped that they would soon be returning to Iacon.
"Is it me or is it getting lighter." Bluestreak gasped during a brief respite.
"We've fought all night." Sunstreaker replied. "Pretty soon we'll be able to see what we're shooting." He laughed at that and his friends joined in but Blasters amusement died suddenly as he looked around.
Thanks to the predawn sky he could see Optimus Prime and Megatron, their battered forms visible for the first time. "They've really gone at it this time haven't they?" he murmured.
"We should help him." Bluestreak ventured. "He can't take much more can he?" Both mechs were obviously badly damaged.
"I second that." Blasters agreed but as they started to move to his aid Megatron levelled his canon at their leader and the shot hit him square in the chest.
"Ratchet!" Ironhide bellowed down the comms. "Prime's down. Get your aft over here."
The C.M.O. cursed and looked up from the off-line form of Bumblebee that Sideswipe had brought to him. "Get him aboard the shuttle. I've got to see to Prime."
The red warrior nodded quickly and Ratchet headed in the direction of Ironhides call. To his relief when his friends came into his visual range Prime was sitting up although Ironhide was supporting him.
"We got lucky." Prowl announced as he knelt down beside them. "Megatron was so drained from his fight that his weapons weren't functioning to capacity."
Ratchet ran a scan over his leader. There was a lot of damage but nothing that couldn't be fixed without too much trouble.
"Magnus is reporting that The Decepticons are starting to break off their attack and he's certain that they can take it from here." Blaster told them all cheerfully.
The C.M.O. looked over the rest of the two units, so many of them were damaged that it was easier to make a list of the ones who weren't, Prowl and Wheeljack were pretty much holding each other up as they only had two good legs between them, Smokescreen and Hoist were off-line with Grapple bent over them, Sunstreaker was covered in dents and scraps that he would no doubt start whining about soon, the holographic generator that usually sat on Hounds shoulder was gone and his arm hung limp at his side.
Prowl straightened a little as the medic looked at him, despite his injuries he was still second in command of Optimus' unit and as he started barking orders no one would have questioned that.
The able mechs soon scattered the few remaining Decepticons in the area so that the two shuttles that had brought them could land. Loading the injured took time though because there was so many of them and a few of the Seekers started to gather around, gaining courage as they realised how many casualties the Autobots had taken.
It was Ironhide who grew tired of them first and fired off a few shots that he hoped would scatter them, unfortunately it wasn't enough and sensing weakness the Starscream led them in again.
Finally the mechs ran aboard the shuttle the twins were among the last to step into safety as they had taken it upon themselves to cover the others from the hail of laser fire that still dogged them.
Sunstreaker dropped down onto a bench beside Bluestreak and pulled him close as the shuttle began its hasty take off.
"Sorry about this mechs." Trailbreaker apologised from the helm. "Any and all complaints can be addressed to Megatron care of any cone-head you can catch."
Several members of the unit chuckled at the remark but Bluestreak pushed closer to his lover.
"It's alright Blue. We'll be out of here soon enough." Sunstreaker soothed him.
A stream of curses from Ironhide snapped Bluestreaks attention towards the helm.
"'Breaker bring this ship around. We gotta protect them." Ironhide ordered.
"I'm doing all I can 'Hide but that shuttle can't take much more." Trailbreaker reported.
"Prowl." Bluestreak snapped pushing himself up and heading for the helm.
"Blue no." Sunstreaker called as he and his brother followed him but he was too fast for them to stop him.
The shuttle veered violently, spilling some warriors out of their seats and heightening Bluestreaks anxiety. "Let me take one of the guns. I can take care of a few of them."
"Trailbreaker's using his force-fields right now so we can't shoot back." Sunstreaker said calmly.
"'Breaker please." The younger mech begged. His face and voice were filled with horror as he stared at the shuttle, which was almost directly ahead of them and venting smoke from several places.
"My force-fields aren't strong enough." Trailbreaker growled through gritted lip components.
Another barrage of fire hit both ships the black mech screamed before he went off-line. "He's used up all his energy." Sideswipe reported as he bent over him. More impacts rocked the shuttle, knocking Bluestreak and the twins off their feet.
Sunstreaker tried to snatch his lover to him but couldn't get a grip as they tumbled to the floor. "Blue are you alright?" He asked as he pushed himself up again.
Bluestreak looked at him with optics that seemed far too wide and shook his head.
"Prime answer." Ironhide demanded. "Do you read me?"
The three of them scrambled to their feet just in time to watch a huge blast rip through the other craft. "Prowl!" Bluestreak screamed.
"Don't look Blue." Sunstreaker warned as he forced him to turn away and pulled him close but he couldn't follow his own advice and tear his optics away as the shuttle that was in two pieces by then plummeted towards the planets surface.
"Primus have mercy." His brothers hushed tone close to his audio echoed his own thoughts and he felt Sideswipes firm hands grip his shoulders.
"Hound! Get up here." Ironhide barked.
"Sir?" The green mech answered as he hurried up.
"I need you to scan the wreckage." Ironhide ordered.
"Yes sir." Hound responded grimly and for a moment he was silent as he searched. "I'm sorry." He whispered.
"Do it again." Ironhide snapped taking the shuttle down as low as he dared.
Hounds engine revved with effort as he pushed all of his energy into his scanners. "There's no easy way to say this." He said quietly. "But there's no sign of life down there."
"No." Bluestreak whimpered.
"I'm sorry Blue. I know you and Prowl were close…" Hounds apology was cut off as Bluestreak lunged at him.
"Close!" He yelled. "He raised me! I'd be long dead if it wasn't for him and Jazz, he's one of the best mechs I ever met and you can't even guess how much he means to me so don't you dare tell me that you're sorry." As his fury continued he did his best to pummel the scout but was hindered considerably by the twins. Unfortunately they couldn't restrain him without hurting him and neither of them were willing to do that.
"Stop him or the next time his aft touches the ground it'll be in the brig." Ironhide ordered.
"If you touch him I'll shove your exhaust down your intake valve." Sideswipe snapped rounding on his commander and leaving his brother to deal with Bluestreak.
"Hound." Sunstreaker said over the comm-link. "I need you to back off nice and slow. I can't stop him if I can't get between you."
Fending off as many blows as he could but not all of them Hound did as he was instructed enabling Sunstreaker to get into the right position. He didn't even bother to block most of the shots as he was getting a horrible feeling that once Bluestreaks anger was gone the only thing left would be despair but he did manage to draw the fight away from the helm and Ironhides attention.
He was sure that Bluestreak hadn't even noticed the switch and he was prepared to put up with this all the way back to Iacon if he could but after the cycle they had endured he doubted the younger mech had much energy left in him.
A quick glance for his twin told him that Sideswipe hadn't moved since he'd faced off Ironhide although the older mech had returned his attention to the helm.
"Sides?" He called softly. "You still with me?"
His brother turned his head in his direction but Sunstreaker couldn't say that he actually looked at him; the gaze seemed to slide through him instead. The hesitation caused by the vacant stare cost Sunstreaker a moments warning and Bluestreaks fist connecting with his jaw drove him to the floor.
"Sunny." His twin cried diving for his side.
Bluestreak stood over them both looking utterly confused. "What am I doing?" he asked.
"Doesn't matter." Sunstreaker said dismissively as he hurried to regain his feet.
"What happened?" Bluestreak asked again in a more panicked tone. "Sunny why can't I remember?"
"Blue I need you to calm down." Sunstreaker soothed him. "Don't try to think just keep your systems running okay?"
Bluestreak nodded mutely and let Sunstreaker pull him in to a hug. "You're doing just fine." He whispered. "Sides I need you to find us somewhere quiet."
Sideswipe nodded once and headed towards the rear of the ship.
"I don't understand this." Bluestreak whispered.
"Best you don't right now. Please just trust me."
"I do." Bluestreak nodded and his optics flickered down to a certain point on Sunstreakers chest.
"Sunny." Sideswipe called softly. "I've cleared the aft cabin. It's all yours."
"Thanks Sides. Come with me Blue." He said gently and the pair followed the red twin further into the ship. Several pairs of worried and curious optics looked up at them as they passed through but most of their unit were still too deeply in shock to be able to speak.
Soon they were sat in the otherwise empty cabin. Bluestreak curled himself up on the bench and rested his head on Sunstreakers chest. "Recharge if you can." His lover told him.
The younger mechs workings slowed to a soft purr indicating that he was off-line in less than a bream and only then did Sideswipe speak in a whisper. "Will he be okay now?" He asked.
Sunstreaker shook his head slowly. "He'll remember everything when he wakes up, his processor will have had time to go through it all, if we're lucky Iacon won't be too far away by then and we'll be able to get him to a medic but if we're not I'll have to put him in a stasis lock if he gets too bad."
"You can do that?"
"Ratchet showed me how." Sunstreaker explained and he felt rather than saw the flash of sorrow mentioning the medics name caused in his twins spark. "Sides." He said gently.
"Don't sunny." Sideswipe warned. "You need to focus on Blue. I'll be fine. Call out if you need anything."
The red warrior left the cabin and took up a guard position by the door, he knew that there wasn't much he could do to help but at the same time he would have gone to the pit before he'd let anyone else cause his twin more problems.
He was pretty sure no one would bother them though, most of his friends were either too shocked by what had just happened or too badly injured to know about it. Sideswipe couldn't help feeling slightly envious of the few who were off-line, they for the time being were at peace but he was forced to endure his losses.
Wheeljack limped back from the helm. "Trailbreaker's back on-line. We should be okay now." He said sadly before he slumped down next to Mirage and started trying to patch up the wound just below his knee joint.
"Let me help." Mirage said softly. "I can reach better than you can."
"I can weld better than you can." Wheeljack snapped but he handed over the tools and leant back against the hull. He looked up at Sideswipe and tilted his head in invitation for him to join them and he sat down next to the engineer. "How's Blue?" He asked.
"Slagged if I know." Sideswipe muttered. "But I've seen him glitch up before and it's not an experience I want to repeat."
"I'll be taking over the med-bay once we get back to Iacon and I'll make sure he's a priority."
"Thank you." He said gratefully.
"Done." Mirage announced after a few breems of silence. "I doubt it's up to your standards but it will have to suffice."
"Good. Hand me my tools. Sides let me take a look at your shoulder."
"It's fine."
"I can do this now or later, it makes little difference to me but as we're both here…"
Sideswipe turned slightly to give him better access to his damaged panel but he couldn't see the point. It wasn't often that he felt despair but the loss of his friends felt like a weight crushing his spark and the grief was almost unbearable.
Across from him Mirage caught his optics and nodded understandingly. "The first time I saw Prime was when he came to visit the survivors of Crystal City, he gave a speech that I don't remember a word of because it was his voice that I listened to. He sounded like hope; we heard that and believed that we could carry on and that's what we have to do now. His courage didn't die with him. It'll live on in each of us and every other 'bot that ever heard him."
There was silence when Mirage finished what he was saying, all optics were turned to him but they didn't look defeated. Not one of them felt beaten because they could still hear the rich tones of their leader.
After a breem or so watching them Sideswipe realised that not one of them was sat alone, small groups had pulled together and were doing their best to comfort each other.