Sideswipe arrived without twin Sunstreaker. Now Sunstreaker is back, but what trouble came along? The explanation for how Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were separated is taken from Glances into a Spark by Saesama, Chapter 28, used with permission (check out the fanfic, it's good).
This story is related to Download and My face not in the mirror, but it can be read on its own.
Reunion
Samuel James Witwicky, the human holder of the Cube and former CEO to the company that had revolutionized energy use, stood in the door of his small add-on which was in the Autobot section of the base, and wondered just how Optimus had conned him into this little venture.
The courtyard of the add-on he now lived in felt small with three excited sparklings racing around it, chattering away in a mishmash of English and Cybertronian that sometimes baffled their understood them better than anyone else. Due to the ways the sparklings came into being, he understood spoken Cybertronian, something he kept from his Autobot allies as he learned a great deal from what they said when they didn't think any humans understood them.
Optimus promised them a ride to a new place with Sam. If Sam had known that asking for a trip to the meadow would have involved all this mess, he would have kept his mouth shut. Optimus discovered to his dismay that its name was on the list along with all other bots to have a turn at watching the sparklings; being the leader meant giving a good example, Ironhide and Ratchet informed the Prime. Without a moment's hesitation the Prime dragooned Sam into helping.
"Go, Sam? Go soon? Wait long?" one of the little ones begged. They were pretty much his size, but compared to most of the bots, they were tiny. The other two clicked out pretty much the same question in Cybertronian.
"Very good," Sam said to the one who spoke English. "I'll find out." He pulled out his phone. A quick text got him a reply. "Optimus is coming now. All of you get together now. Got your toys? "They held up the balls of tough plastic that were their current favorite toys. "Now, remember, you sit still while we're riding. No fighting over the windows, I get one, " he pointed to the blue sparkling, "and you get one on the way down, and you," he pointed to the red one, "get one on the way back." The green one glowered and complained. "You got to ride with Sideswipe when he was doing inside patrol yesterday," he reminded the pouting sparkling. Then they all started to click and squeal in excitement as Optimus rolled up in alt mode. They dove in, two in the back and Sam with the blue one in the front
The trip down was not quiet. The sparklings asked constant questions on anything they passed, rarely waiting for an answer if it was longer than a yes or no. "Are all children like this?" Optimus wondered aloud once.
"Give them a break, they're really excited," Sam replied, grinning. "No, now get back in that harness!" He turned and scolded until the sparkling sulked and complied. "It's good to get out for a bit," he admitted. Since his return, Sam had left the base only to go to the energon plants, and sometimes to the meadow, and always with a bot escort.
Sam built a company that made solar storage batteries and energon for batteries and for his bot friends. The company had done so well that it supported NEST and the bot's needs without government assistance. Just before he was taken, Sam resigned as CEO of the company, handing the company management over to Annabelle Lennox. His granddaughter, Minnie, now acted a liaison for the Autobots. He acted as advisor and back-up when needed. He told his daughter Poppy that he worked hard for over sixty years and it was about time he got a break. Poppy rolled her eyes.
"You know you're a workaholic," Poppy said, in the manner of a quote, "when you work forty hours a week and call it a break." They were in her kitchen, where Bob was giving Sam a cooking lesson. Sam flicked water at her, but Bob, Poppy's placid husband, stopped them before the matter escalated.
"It's having a bad effect on you," Bob deadpanned. "You're getting some white hair, and you're spoiling your grandchildren. Your house is clean without outside help. Your cooking is getting edible. Sometimes I think we might need to move you in here, you know, just for your own good." Bob and Poppy's youngest child had moved out and they had an extra room in their home on the base, where Bob worked in computer processing.
"When I need a second job as a housekeeper," Sam said, and they all laughed. He was not ready to leave the safety of his add-on yet. They did not push the matter.
"I wish I could say it was completely safe for you to move around as you did before," Optimus admitted. "But Sideswipe came across another 'meteor' today and Prowl came across another infiltration attempt. My brother is not going to give up easily." Sam only sighed. "I know you must feel constricted, Sam. Trips into the town should be safe, with an escort."
The Prime was a little concerned that Sam was not complaining more. When Sam buried his grief for Mikaela in work, he seldom complained and seldom made demands. Then daily downloads into a proto-Cube lifted him from his depression, and he began to get out and live a little. For a time the bots were alarmed, until Sam had a long talk with Optimus and told him plainly that he had the right to a life. Bumblebee had complained and fussed right back, but the arguments had been the friendly bickering they had before Mikaela died. His children and grandchildren were delighted that Daddy/Pops was spending more time with them.
Then of course, Sam was captured. After his rescue, Optimus took Sam away to talk, and the Prime still remembered Sam's tearful, outraged meltdown in this cab. He swore that he would never go back to being treated like an object again, that he would die first. Optimus felt Sam meant exactly that. When Sam became quiet and his voice was strained, everyone around him would change the subject as fast as possible, and distract him.
"Not yet," Sam said, with a small shiver. " I'd just like to see the meadow again. Besides, the youngsters haven't been off the base yet. They could stand to see a little bit of the outside world." He looked ahead and saw the lights of the energon plants. "Not much further, kids. No, you can't play with the balls until you get there, just wait a little longer! Blast it!"
Sam confiscated the balls and Optimus sighed, speeding up. How Sam did survive until his children became adults, the Prime wondered briefly, gratefully turning off onto the driveway that led to the energon storage. The sparklings got quiet as they took in the trees and the large yard. Then Optimus sent the remote signal that opened a doorway in the shield. As they stopped, the shield generator made its whispering sound as it reset. Sam jumped out as the driver disappeared. "Okay, out we get. Go get the balls." He tossed the toys as the sparklings tumbled out, one squalling for a moment as he fell on his face. Sam righted him and he stopped immediately, looking around in wonder at the trees.
"Go explore." The sparklings scattered, running gleefully in the open space. "Sam, I have a communication. They think they have the location of the meteor. I will send someone as soon as I can."
"I should have known you'd run out on me the first chance you got," Sam said, with a long suffering voice. "You just tested the shields, right?"
"Both Prowl and I tested them," Optimus agreed. "They should stop everything but a full blast from me or Megatron."
"Works for me," Sam said. He was in one of the few places he felt safe. "But remember to send someone big enough to hold me and the kids! " He headed for the pond, collecting balls as the sparklings simply ran, having a grand time just being able to move freely. Sam took a walk around the pond, throwing pebbles in the water and watching ripples. Then he settled beside the woods, where he could see the sparklings playing, keeping a watchful eye that they did not get too close to the pond. When the little ones tired of running, they came to him one by one, and he walked them over to the area away from the pond and started a game with the balls. He looked around every once in a while to see if a bot had appeared, but one hour, then another passed, and there was no sign of anyone.
Then he saw a bot backing toward the shield, almost covered in mud and dirt. Sam recognized him from the back. "Kids," he said, "there's Sideswipe. Let's surprise him. Go hide in the woods." They scooted quietly, as their favorite game by far was trying to surprise anyone. He followed them long enough to see that they were hidden, before sliding through the woods to try to see what was wrong.
The bot's body language was screaming threat, but Sam could not see what the threat was. When he got closer he could see a dent in the bot's head, but still he could not see the threat. The bot was leaning against the he ran into the shield. Sam got closer. "Sideswipe," he said quietly, knowing the bot would hear him, "trouble?" The bot shifted, but did not look at him. "I'm going to lift the shield for just a moment, you come in and I'll reset. All right?" The bot nodded. Sam raced to the generator and lifted the shield. The bot fell back and rolled.
Sam immediately reset, and the shield hummed up again- just in time to take the brunt of a heavy blow. Sam moved to see Sideswipe moving backwards toward him, still down. Predator, a Decepticon much like Ravage but with the form and the disposition of a wolverine, slammed angrily at the barrier between him and his prey. Sam texted Sideswipe immediately, not wanting to get close enough that the 'con could see him. That must be the infiltrator Prowl was talking about, Sam thought. Sideswipe made it into the woods and stopped, just as Sam's phone buzzed with a text.
: Sideswipe was here, we are on the way now, we are not far. Why do you think he is there?: from Optimus.
:I think I just found your meteor: he sent back, and looked up. The bot was sitting up and looking at him and the sparklings who came out to stand behind Sam, frightened by the attack on the shield and blinking little clear optics at the strange bot. "Not Sideswipe, " one said, and the others clicked in agreement.
"You helped me," the bot said slowly. "Who are you? How did you get the sparklings? I had a mission. I was attacked by Starscream as soon as I hit the ground, got away, that one found me. Sideswipe is my twin. I'm Sunstreaker. " This one's hurt bad, Sam diagnosed, considering how confused he sounded. Sam understood now why Sideswipe visited or tracked all sightings, and he was afraid he knew why Sunstreaker had been attacked. According to Bluestreak, Sideswipe lead the twins, Jolt, and the motorcycle trine from a Decepticon lab where they were imprisoned. Sunstreaker led the pursuing Decepticon in a different direction. When Optimus sent out the call after Egypt, Sideswipe added a call to its twin.
"More help is coming, and the shield is strong," Sam said, noting with relief the Autobot symbol on the bot. "I work with Optimus Prime. I thought you were someone else." There was another attack on the shield. Sam jumped and shuddered. "How long have you been here and when did you learn English?"
"Today. English is the language, right? I don't remember. "The bot's voice sounded uncertain. Weapons work," he added, drawing them. The swords were impressive. The sparklings clicked behind Sam, startled.
"Put them back for now, you're scaring us." The bot obliged and watched Sam carefully as he looked the bot over. Besides the head injury, there was a leg injury. Despite Sunstreaker's bold claim about his weapons, he stood close to collapsing and Sam felt his spark wavering. "Look, do you want help? "
"What price?" That startled Sam, until he remembered that this bot did not know him. He considered how to word the request, because anyone failing to follow through on an agreement rarely got a chance to regain his reputation. Even the Decepticons would honor an agreement, but you damned well better word it very carefully. Once a leader of a small foreign country made an agreement with Barricade to give the 'con a chance to get to Sam, in return for some kind of weapon to attack a cop Decepticon followed through, giving that leader what he wanted, and proceeded to destroy the leader's home city and kill a substantial amount of that city's population before NEST got there to stop the carnage.
"Protect the sparklings, protect me, until help gets here, and don't try to take them or me from my friends. If I do this, I'm not going to be much good afterward. As in I won't be able to run and I might not be able to walk."
"Agreed," the bot said immediately.
"I'm going to lean on you. Stay still." Pocketing his cell phone, Sam put his hands on the bot, leaned, and concentrated. The presence stirred, and sensing the need, sent the power. Sam caught his breath as it flowed, because it felt like electricity going through him.
When the presence worked on a bot, it used energy a human body was not meant to handle. When he was done, Sam fell to his knees and took deep breaths. His phone buzzed insistently, and he pulled it out of his pocket with effort, every move making his nerves wail. He looked at the text from Sideswipe, asking about the newcomer. Then he heard the sound of a jet. In his panic, he flet power run through his arm, and in the next moment the phone in his hand moved.
The bot watched the human when the jet flew overhead, and saw the sudden glow of power in his hand and saw the little machine he held transform. The sparklings started squealing. The human spoke urgently to them, and they quieted, and once again they hid.
When Sunstreaker came down from space, Starscream attacked as soon as the new bot landed, and in the following fight, Sunstreaker's processor had taken a bad blow. The bot came here for a reason, and could not remember what the reason was. That did not stop the bot from giving Starscream a beating he would not recover from overnight.
Looking for help, the alien swords wielder approached the closest source of powerhe could sense, and found the shield, and help, but not the kind of help expected. The human clearly knew bots and thought for some reason he should help. Sunstreaker did not hesitate to accept his offer as a human was no threat to him. Normally the bot could deal with Predator without thinking twice; damaged as hewas, Predator was a real danger.
Then Sunstreaker saw the sparklings huddling around the human. That made something in his damaged processor stir through the shock. Sparklings? Where could they have come from, when the All-Spark was supposed to be destroyed? The human spoke to them as if he was their caretaker, and they obeyed him as such. That was something of a shock as well.
The human looked at the machine in its hand, and then at the bot. His eyes went to the symbol on its shoulder, and Sunstreaker saw that the human knew what it meant. Then he assured Sunstreaker that help was on the way, assuming now that they were allies, at least against the Decepticons. Sunstreaker did not know what kind of help the human could give, but when he named the price, Sunstreaker did not hesitate. No matter what, the bot would defend the sparklings, and the human was their caretaker. He asked for something Sunstreaker would have done anyway.
Then the human leaned on Sunstreaker. His hands felt odd, the slightly cool flesh against the warmth of its metal. Power flowed. When the power stopped, Sunstreaker felt better since before leaving Cybertron. His processor cleared. He remembered his mission, the debt he incurred to get here and fulfilled it with one databurst. He knew why the human addressed him by another's name. There was no question about defending the human with the sparklings.
So the information everyone out at the station scoffed at was true. The All-Spark was in a human, specifically this one. The healing and the transformation proved it. The transformed device clawed its way from the human's weakened grip and began firing something. Sunstreaker stomped on it and helped the human stand. "Hide with the sparklings," the bot advised, scanning for the jet. The sound of a transformation came before a blow to the shield. The trees rocked, and leaves flew, covering the sparklings. The human stumbled. Then he pushed itself up and moved. Sunstreaker could see the effort in every move the human made, but he made it to the shield generator. Sunstreaker pulled his swords.
"Well, well, well, "Megatron mocked, looking over the trees down at all of them. "My target, my pet and my sparklings are all here together. How convenient. Drop the shield, pet," Sam winced visibly, "and maybe some of the stupid Autobots coming for you will survive. "Target? Sunstreaker thought. Why would I be a target, and who would be the other one? The bot dismissed the thought for now; survive this fight and worry about it later, he decided. Fully healed now, mission behind it, a chance at finding his twin when they had been separated, and a challenging fight ahead of it had his processor screaming for action.
"Don't do it," the bot told Sam quietly.
Sam leaned hard on the generator. "I won't," he said, his voice soft.
"So selfish, to let your friends die for you." The Decepticon leader studied Sam through the shield. " Did you waste your strength healing this one, pet? Sunstreaker can't stand against me. Do you remember what happened to Jazz? " Megatron struck the shield again, hard. Sam went down. Sunstreaker braced itself, but the shield held. "Impressive," Megatron reflected, and stepped back to transform. Sam pushed to his feet.
"When I tell you, drop the shield. Sideswipe's here." Sunstreaker told him, his voice excited.
Sam nodded and reached for the controls. He looked to see where the sparklings were hiding. "Here, kids. Come here by me. "They crept out, and whined, frightened by the tank. "It's okay," he said, lying in his teeth. "Help's coming, Sideswipe and Optimus. Stay by me."
"Now, Sam!" Sam dropped the shield. The shot from Megatron's tank landed on the other side of the pond, missing Sunstreaker who slammed its swords down on the gun with all his considerable strength. It bent. Behind the tank, Sideswipe was firing at the back, trying for the treads. They rained blows, moving as much as possible, as the tank transformed back into Megatron and began to fight back.
It was like they had never been apart. They knew each other's moves so well that working together was automatic, despite the time they had been apart. To be together again was to be whole again. They danced and dodged, distracting Megatron and doing just enough damage to keep his attention and lengthen his distance from the shield.
"Get it back up!" Sideswipe screamed, and Sam fumbled for the controls again. There was the hum; Megatron cursed and flung himself towards Sam and the sparklings, only to slam into the shield. The ground shook as he bounced back. Sunstreaker saw Sam fall and heard terrified sparklings squealing and clicking in Cybertronian. In one swift move the huge Decepticon grabbed the twins and sent them flying, before he turned and fired. A sharp shriek had Sideswipe yelling the human's name, and then Megatron staggered back. Behind them, Sunstreaker heard the roar of the Prime. They attacked again, but the enraged Megatron threw them past the charging Prime.
"I'll finish what I started a year ago," the Prime bellowed, and struck hard. Megatron disengaged as Prowl fired from another side, aiming for the damage on Megatron where his own blast ricocheted onto him. Then, even as Optimus lunged, Megatron transformed, heading for the horizon in jet mode even as Bluestreak and Jolt chased Predator toward them. Sunstreaker growled and raced toward the wolverine-shaped con.
"Let me at that slagging glitch, I'll tear it to pieces!" Sideswipe raced behind him. Bluestreak transformed into alt mode and slammed the Decepticon, throwing it forward. Sunstreaker was on top of it with swords out, getting revenge for the earlier attack. Bluestreak transformed back and waited with the others until Sunstreaker stood and slid his swords away. Sideswipe came to stand beside him.
"It's good to have you back, brother," he said, and the others crowded in, adding their own greetings. On receiving an order to fall in, they returned to the Prime. Optimus waited by the shield while First Aid checked the sparklings and a new human bent over Sam.
"Sunstreaker," the Prime said, "we found where you landed and were looking for you when Sideswipe received a text from Sam and knew that you were here, and left without permission." The last came out sternly, as Sideswipe squirmed. "We believed you badly damaged, but you do not seem to be."
Sunstreaker said, "I got a blow that scambled my processors, so I headed for the energy readings I thought meant a shield. The human thought I was Sideswipe and let me in. He saw Predator and fixed me so I could defend him and the sparklings. "
"We heard Sam scream," Sideswipe added. "but the shield held even through that blast Megatron gave it." They all turned to the party behind the shields. The sparklings lay still by Sam.
"I put them in stasis for now," First Aid said. "They're okay, just scared. Jeremy, how is Sam?"
"Sam will be better when he gets to a decent bed," Sam said from the portable stretcher. Jeremy bent over him, working. "Jeremy, is all this really necessary? I could get to the infirmary faster in Minnie's flar without all this crap." Sunstreaker thought the human looked worse than after the healing.
"Complaining again," Jeremy said cheerfully. "When you can't move without hurting, yes you need all this crap." He finished inserting the IV into Sam's arm and loaded the IV with pain medicine. "I know the pain meds don't last long, but they will help you for the ride and until we can get you to that bed. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to get to sleep. Here comes Minnie." A flying car appeared on the driveway, and then drove past all of them into the meadow. A small young woman with glasses and a concerned expression on her face popped out. Sunstreaker noted that she looked like Sam. "I brought it," she said, blinking up at Optimus, and went over to Sam and Jeremy.
"Sunstreaker, scan that and use it as an alt form. You can choose another one at your leisure. Follow me. First Aid, follow Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe, follow First Aid." Sunstreaker stepped over to the flar and scanned as the female human talked to Sam. The rush of words reminded the new bot of Bluestreak. "Are you coming, Minnie?"
She broke off the stream of words and looked up at Optimus, nodding vigorously. "I'll ride with Sam and Jeremy and call Poppy and everybody. I'll get a ride back to get my flar later. "
"Request an escort when you do. Prowl, Bluestreak, and Jolt, deal with Predator in the usual manner and report when you are finished. Stay alert for any other Decepticon activity and ask for backup if needed. Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, I see some minor damage and Ratchet will want to check Sunstreaker over, so go straight to the infirmary. "They nodded. First Aid transformed, and Sunstreaker stepped over to load the sparklings and Sam's stretcher into the ambulance. Jeremy and Minnie climbed in when the bot returned to his twin. Sunstreaker scanned the flar and transformed with the others.
"Tell me about the humans on this planet," the new arrival sent tohis twin, and Sideswipe began transferring data.
On the way down, Sam asked First Aid to relay a message to Optimus for him. "You up for that?" the bot asked. "Ratchet's going to be on your case for repairing Sunstreaker as it is, you promised you wouldn't."
"I promised unless it was a matter of permanent offline, and it was. His spark was wavering." Minnie gasped. "And this is important," Sam said. Reluctantly the ambulance told him to go ahead. "First off, neither the sparklings nor I were the target this time. Sunstreaker was." Sam repeated what Megatron said to him. "I think the other target is Sideswipe. One more thing, at first Sunstreaker was confused because of the damage. I never got around to introducing myself because all of you know me, but sometime during the fight it called me by name. Last, Sunstreaker had a virus. "
"Why didn't you tell- oh. Had."
"It's stopped, not gone. Ratchet needs to know. "
"Got it. Relaying." First Aid paused. "Optimus got the message and will deal with the matter."
"Thanks," Sam sighed, and gave in to the pain medicines.
"Why did he go to the meadow today anyway?" Jeremy wondered out loud.
"Mikaela," Minnie said sadly. "It's the anniversary of her death."