Sideswipe hated monitor duty. He hated being away from Sunstreaker more. Right now, he was dealing with both. Sunstreaker had gotten angry earlier, and landed himself in the brig. To keep his brother from trying to get him out, Prowl had placed him on monitor duty.
So now, Sideswipe was stuck watching the screen for new landings. Since the battle at Mission City, several more Autobots had landed. Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Prowl, Bluestreak, and Wheeljack had landed almost directly after Optimus had sent out his message. Recently, no one had landed. Sideswipe saw no use in his job, none at all. Months and months had passed, with no sing of any new Autobots or Decepticons.
Things had settled after the Mission City battle. Barricade had been spotted several times, but he had quickly driven off before the glimpse could be verified. Starscream had disappeared, but the common rumor was that he was gathering Decepticons on Cybertron. Although nobody wanted to believe that, it was still a possibility.
A sudden warning pulse shocked Sideswipe out of his reverie, and he quickly turned his attention to the screen. A single blip was moving quickly through the Earth's atmosphere, but the computer couldn't tag them. He quickly got Prowl on the comm link.
"Prowl, this is Sideswipe."
Prowl's voice came on the link. "This is Prowl, did you find something, Sideswipe?" he asked.
Sideswipe chuckled, "Would I call otherwise?"
There was a pause, then Prowl said, "I think you might."
"I'm insulted. But yes, I did find something. It's a Cybertronian, but the computer can't tag the sneaky slagger. They're hiding their signal."
Prowl didn't respond. Sideswipe cursed, because the link had cut off. He jumped when the doors hissed open, and the tactician came in. "Sideswipe, I want you to go to the site."
The red Lamborghini shot Prowl a glare. "I'm not going without Sunny." He stood up, and gave him his sharpest glare. He'd learned it from his brother, and it worked surprisingly well.
Prowl sighed, and said, "You won't give up, will you?"
Sideswipe's reply was a cold glare.
"Alright, I officially release him," Prowl said. He had been planning on it anyway; Sideswipe had just beaten him to it.
Sideswipe dashed out of the room before the tactician could finish his sentence. He ran down the halls, eager to see his brother again. He subconsciously reminded himself not to be too clingy, and continued on a little slower. The doors to the brig came into his vision, and he pushed past Bluestreak to get to Sunstreaker.
"Sunny! Come on, there's a landing, and Prowler released you!" he cried, hitting the button on the wall. Sunstreaker stood up, and shot Bluestreak a glare.
"Blue, ask Prowl, he's free," Sideswipe said defensively. He and his brother hurried out of the base, and eagerly transformed.
Sideswipe waited a moment, then decided to break the silence. "Sunny, why do you do it?" he asked.
"Do what?"
"Land yourself in the brig. I hate it. I hate being separated." Sideswipe fought to not let too much emotion into his voice, but he failed miserably. He stopped, and transformed when his brother did.
Sunstreaker pulled Sideswipe into a hug, and said, "Bro, it's ok. Look, I'll try and stay outta the brig for a while." He felt mildly surprised when Sideswipe leaned his head into the yellow bot's chest, but Sunstreaker gave in. He stroked his brother's head gently, and let his mind wander. He knew Sideswipe was clingy, but he hadn't known he was this clingy. He realized that all the times Sideswipe got bullied because he tried to stand up for his brother must have really gotten to the red Lamborghini.
"Ok, Sides. Let's go, alright?" He let go of his brother, and held him at arm's length. Sunstreaker could see remnants of Energon tears under Sideswipe's optics, and it hurt him deeply. He gently wiped them away, and Sideswipe smiled sheepishly.
"It's ok, Sides, really it is," Sunstreaker told the distraught mech gently.
"Promise?"
"Promise. Now come on, I'll race ya!" Sunstreaker transformed, and watched the happy smile play across Sideswipe's features. The red twin transformed, and sped off, following his brother closely. Both Lamborghinis reveled in the race, and it let off a lot of tension.
Even with the high speeds, it took around an hour for the two to reach the site. The crash site was deserted, but a quick scan revealed the same signature from before in the near vicinity. The two carefully walked to a copse of trees. Behind the trees was, unfortunately, a highway. The highway was deserted, but a dark reddish-pink Lamborghini Superleggera came speeding by the twins, and they hurriedly gave chase. Their Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder alt modes were matches for the Superleggera, but the Cybertronian Lambo had other ideas. It sped up, using some modified boost the twins didn't possess.
In a desperate move, Sideswipe sent a frantic transmission, letting the Superleggera know the two on its tail were Autobots. It slowed down, and quickly swerved off-road. The other Lamborghinis followed, until they reached a clearing. The car stopped, and transformed.
Standing there was a femme. Her bright blue optics shone clearly in the dark. The moonlight reflected prettily off her dark color. She bore a dark, reddish-pink color, and stood with an air of regality.
"Autobots, eh?" she said. Her voice was quite nice as well, with a certain undertone of mischievousness. "Well then, show me your insignias."
The twins immediately showed her, and her closed personality dropped.
"Oh thank Primus, after all that time in space, I was not in the mood for a fight!" she chuckled, and stepped closer. "I'm Skywriter, and you two are?"
"Sunstreaker and…"
"Sideswipe," he finished, shooting his brother a playful look.
Skywriter giggled, "I'd hazard a guess that you two are brothers." She circled them slowly, looking them over with a critical optic. "Interesting, interesting," she muttered, much to the twins' chagrin. "Twins, right?" she continued, a playful look in her twinkling optics.
"Yup," said Sideswipe cheerfully. "Let's get back to the base, the others'll be wondering where we go to."
Skywriter nodded, then said, "D'ya want me to go ahead?"
"Ya, like you could beat us by much, even with that boost," Sunstreaker scoffed. Sideswipe nodded his agreement, and chuckled quietly. He knew whatever was coming next he'd enjoy.
"I was actually thinking of flying, but if you'd prefer not to…" Skywriter winked at the two, and proceeded to transform into an F-18 Hornet. She giggled again when Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's mouths dropped open in shock.
"You're a triple-changer?" they cried in unison.
In response, Skywriter did a flip in the air, coming down to fly over their heads. She came back down, and transformed, landing with a somersault at their feet. "Ta-da!" she cried, and bowed elaborately. "Yes, I am, to answer your question. Part Lamborghini Superleggera and part F-18 Hornet! My two favorite human vehicles. Luckily I had access to their World Wide Web, or I might be stuck with something sub-standard."
"Ya, nothing sub-standard about those two," Sideswipe murmured.
Skywriter transformed into her Lamborghini, and revved the powerful engine. "Coming, or do I have to fly you two slackers there?" she called.
In unison, the twins transformed, and sped off. Skywriter followed, gently using her boost to get up to where they were. Any police officers patrolling the highways then would have seen three blurs go past them, and think they were crazy.
The base was buzzing with activity when the threesome arrived. Apparently Skywriter's jet antics had drawn attention, and the Autobots were worried about Decepticon Seeker jets. The three Lamborghinis were met by Prowl and Bluestreak, who looked thoroughly surprised to see the vehicles.
"Er…Sideswipe, Sunstreaker? Who's your new friend?" Bluestreak asked nervously, aiming carefully at the dark reddish-pink Lambo.
She transformed, and smiled politely at the two. "I'm Skywriter," she said brightly.
Prowl held out his hand, and the stunningly beautiful femme shook it. "My name's Prowl, I'm the Autobots' resident tactician."
Bluestreak did the same, and said, "I'm Bluestreak, the Autobots' gunner." He was surprisingly short-winded.
"Nice to meet you both. I assume Optimus Prime is inside?" Met with their nods, Skywriter motioned for the twins to go with her. The three made their way to Optimus's office, with several rooms being pointed out on the way.
"We'll be in the rec room when you need us, Sky," said Sideswipe as he and Sunstreaker left. The golden yellow twin elbowed his brother who yelped, "What was that for, Sunny?"
"You called her 'Sky,' bro! Awww…Sides likes Sky!" he taunted. The two began to wrestle, but Sideswipe only did so because he wanted his twin to be quiet.
Skywriter giggled at her new nickname. It was only a matter of time before I had a nickname. And I'm glad it was the right one, she thought. She rapped on the door, and a deep voice called, "Come in." She cautiously slipped in, and a large Autobot looked up from a data pad.
"Hi…I'm Skywriter. I just arrived," she said quietly. In the presence of this powerful mech, she felt oddly small, and weak. He seemed to sense this, and behind his mouth guard, smiled. The smile reached his optics, and the smaller femme was relieved.
"My name is Optimus Prime," he said, standing to shake her hand.
"So I figured," Skywriter said, before she could think about it. She quickly took her hand away, and looked down, embarrassed.
But Optimus just chuckled. "You'll fit right in."
"Thank you, sir," she said, relieved. "So, um…could I ask what the outcome of the Mission City battle was? I haven't gotten a chance, and, since I don't know exactly who was in it, I wouldn't want an…incorrect version of it." Skywriter smiled, happy with her phrasing.
"Of course," Optimus said. He told the dark reddish-pink femme the entire story, from when Bumblebee summoned the Autobots down to Earth. She knew about the Allspark, or at least a little bit, and was shocked to hear that it had been destroyed.
"All of it, Optimus?" Skywriter asked.
The Autobot leader looked distant, suddenly. "No. There is a small shard left, but I have not had the opportunity to see if it still has power." His face was emotionless, so Skywriter asked, "Was there…something you wanted to do with it?"
He looked at her, slight amusement in his optics. "Indeed. But for right now, you should go and meet the other Autobots."
"Of course!" she said. I wonder why he doesn't want me to know what the plan to use it is. The femme shrugged off her confusion, and quickly took her leave. She retraced her steps, back to the rec room, and slipped inside, hoping not to draw too much attention.
Skywriter's wishes were not to be granted, for as soon as she entered, she was assaulted by the twins.
"Hey! Come on over, everyone's dying to meet you!" Sideswipe called, grinning. Sunstreaker elbowed him again, shooting his twin a sharp look. The two led Skywriter over to one of the tables, and she was suddenly caught up in a whirlwind of names, introductions, and the like. She was dizzy by the end, and collapsed into a chair. She tiredly rested her head in her hands, and shut her audio receptors to the clamor of noise around her. The femme barely noticed when a gentle pair of hands helped her stand up, and half pulled, half supported her out of the rec room.
"Hey, Skywriter? Are you ok?" a voice asked her.
Skywriter opened her optics, and saw, to her surprise, Sideswipe at her side. He was firmly holding her arm, and she realized she was leaning quite heavily on him. "Oh, erm…yes, I'm fine. Little too much for me right now, I guess. I don't remember a single name anymore…I'll have to relearn them later." She sighed deeply, and leaned a little heavier on the red twin. Perhaps a little heavier than she should have.
Skywriter felt Sideswipe lower a little with the new weight, and she quickly righted herself. "Oh, Sides! I'm so sorry!" She immediately felt bad.
He chuckled softly. "It's ok. Just wasn't prepared, that's all!" He watched Skywriter wobble a little, and took her arm again. "Come on, there's a room all ready for you," he said kindly. The femme smiled gratefully at him, and was about to start walking when a loud warning alarm pulsed overhead.
"Attention, this's Ahrnhide! Ever' one ta their battle station, Decepticons r' attackin'!"
Skywriter looked around frantically, unsure as to where to go. Sideswipe seemed to have an idea, as he grabbed her hand, and yanked her down the hall. "They're coming in from behind us; we need to find a place to hide! They came in through the rec room!" he cried. Skywriter could sense the fear in his voice, in his stance.
She spotted a small alcove, and jerked him in with her. "They're coming too close, I heard them!" she hissed in his audio receptor. "We need to hide until they pass us, then get back to the rec room, ok?"
Sideswipe nodded, and pulled Skywriter further back. He pushed her behind himself, determined to protect the over-exhausted femme. He tensed as the Decepticons came nearer, and Sky gripped his shoulders fearfully. She knew she was far too tired to be any help in battle.
Suddenly, she had a thought. "Sideswipe, get behind me!" Her spark had a little jump, and she knew what was coming. Before her new friend had a chance to object, the forced him behind her.
A Decepticon looked down the alcove. It was Starscream. Skywriter shot him a look, and he stiffened, and looked pointedly away. The Decepticon squad moved on, leaving the two Autobots to themselves.
"What was that?" Sideswipe asked, not aiming the question at anything in particular.
"I-I can't explain. But we gotta het back to the rec room, see if anyone was hurt," Skywriter told him, determinedly striding towards the room. Sideswipe followed her for a moment, then suddenly clutched at his side, and crashed to the ground. A small whimper escaped him.
"Sideswipe! Primus, what happened?" Skywriter asked. She frantically removed his hands, but, to her astonishment, saw no wound.
"It's Sunny…he's hurt…" Sideswipe moaned. He tried to stand, but failed miserably. Skywriter pulled his arm around his shoulders, and, forgetting her earlier exhaustion, hauled him up. "Come on, Sides. I'll get you to the medbay-" she started.
"No-get to Sunny first…I'll get there myself," he replied determinedly.
Ratchet miraculously appeared, and helped the red twin up. "Skywriter, go get Sunstreaker, and bring him to the medbay. I'll take Sideswipe." He strode off, seeming to drag a weakly protesting Sideswipe with him.
That's when Skywriter realized how badly hurt Sunstreaker must be, for Sideswipe to feel that bad. She knew about something humans called 'twin telepathy,' and understood that Sideswipe was feeling his brother's pain, through their bond. She had a surprising amount of knowledge on matters such as that.
The rec room was close by, and Skywriter clapped a hand over her mouth to stop a gasp from escaping. The once clean room was a mess. There were bits of broken and jagged metal around a hole in the wall, where the Decepticons had no doubt blasted through. Energon was splattered on the floor, and bits of colored metal decorated the floor as well. It was almost pretty, except for a horribly battered Sunstreaker lying on the floor.
Skywriter dashed over to him, easily spotting the large wound on his side. Right where Sideswipe was hurting, she thought. She hooked an arm gently around his waist, and tried to pull him up, but he proved to be off-line, and therefore too heavy for her. She was just too weak to do anything, after trying to lift both Lamborghini twins, and after her very long day. All the femme had the energy to do was call weakly for help.
A large blue-and-red shape filled the doorway, and Skywriter dimly recognized Optimus Prime. "Optimus…help Sunny," she whispered, just before off-lining.
Why I bother cranking out new stories I just don't know. I'm sulking because nobody has reviewed my new story, Fresh Start, yet! Yes, I am very pathetic, but I LOVE the start, despite the length, and I want to see if I should continue! ...And I don't know yet! I also want to know about this one...maybe the length will persuade you all to R&R!
Ok, that's my little rant. R&R, and enjoy this! I'm having Transformers: The Secret writer's block, so any ideas for that are MUCH appreciated! Just message me, pweeze? I'll give you all Energon e-cookies if you do!