Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.

However, the plot is mine. So no touchy.

And here we have the longest chapter I've written yet!

Yay!

Thanks for the reviews on the first chapter, glad to see you guys are sticking with me.

Anyway, second chapter of the second part of Bumblebee's story . . . and he's not even in it. For some reason I find that funny.

It's time for the Sunny and Sides to come clean, and for the first dark truth to come out.

Enjoy!


Chapter 2

"I only have one thing to say to the pair of you. Why?"

There had never been moment before that one that either twin wished Optimus would just throw them to Ironhide and leave them to what was to come.

That was what they had figured was going happen. That was what they prepared themselves for. They had not prepared themselves for that question.

Nor did they know how to answer it.

However, both knew as they stood with bowed heads they would have to give the towering commander some reason behind what they had done other than sheer stupidity. Which might be the real cause behind all this, but each knew that not Optimus nor Ironhide or Ratchet thought they were stupid. Maybe not the brightest bots out there, but not stupid.

Sideswipe let out a deep sigh as his brother kept his optics low. It wasn't like either twin to be at a loss for words. Which bothered Optimus more than any of what had happened. When Ironhide came barreling into his quarters this morning about ready to kill something he had known what kind of orn he was going to have. Just why did it have to be Bee's spark-orn? The tiny mech's surprise party had been postponed for later that night because of the search that had to take place. That alone annoyed Prowl beyond comprehension. The loss of his schedule was not something the black and white mech took kindly too, but Prime knew he'd get over it.

Ironhide however, wasn't going to get over this that easily.

He'd only stopped cursing when he had Bumblebee back in his arms and after Ratchet did a quick scan to make sure that the freshly considered youngling was alright. It wasn't that any of them thought the twins would let him get hurt. They all knew both mechs cared about Bee too much to let that happen, and yet they took him out of the safety of the ship into the dangers that lay outside.

What in the name of Primus were the two of them thinking? That was all Optimus wanted to know at the moment.

Ironhide and Ratchet on the other hand wanted to take the two apart piece by piece, and Optimus just might let them, but that would have to wait until he got his answer.

Bee was safely with Red Alert in the medical bay, where the only help Ratchet had at the moment since First Aid was still on Ultra Magnus's ship was making sure he really was fine. The apprentice medic had promised to keep the youngling busy while this little meeting went down. He knew that room was no place for the youngling, just as well as Optimus did.

Prime didn't know how he was going to do it yet, but he was going to find out just what these two had been thinking before Ironhide and the rest of the ship tried to offline them. He had too.

"Because we could." Every bot in the room knew it was a lie the nano-klick Sunstreaker said it. Which was why Optimus leveled the warrior in a harsh gaze as Ironhide glared and Ratchet just crossed his arms over his chest shaking his head.

"Sunstreaker," Optimus warned, his optics narrowing, but the mech wouldn't look at him. The proud bot just stared down at his feet as if the whole universe was weighing on his shoulders. It was his twin that decided to speak.

"We were trying to give him what we never had alright!" Sides raised his tortured optics to his commander that flinched ever so slightly at the way those words were hissed. "We've done the whole locked-away-your-whole-sparklinghood-thing. It's not fair, Prime!"

"Good intentions or not, it isn't right." Sunstreaker added.

"We were just postponing the inevitable. Sooner or later he was going to sneak off. He's two curios for his own good. So we took a little field trip in a place we know better than any mech aboard this vessel and damped his curiosity for a while."

"We were trying to give him what he wanted." Sunny crossed his arms defensively over his chest. "It is his spark-orn after all."

"Yes!" Ironhide hissed. "Which you've pretty much managed to ruin!"

"It's only ruined because you went glitchy when ya couldn't find him." Sunstreaker waved him off with a roll of his dark blue optics. "You should have known we wouldn't let him get hurt."

"Do you even realize how stupid you sound?" Ratchet stared at the golden twin in disbelief, trying to get the mech to think. "Every mech in the universe knows you're cocky Sunstreaker, but are you truly vein enough to believe you can best every Decepticon out there? Are you seriously going to tell me you think you could keep Bumblebee away from Megatron if he had attacked you?"

"Megatron ain't anywhere around here!" Sunstreaker snapped, fuming from being criticized. "Old nasty is too busy tryin' to find the allspark to care about two mechs running around ruins. Besides—" He cut himself off with a flash of terror in his optics knowing he couldn't finish that sentence.

Sideswipe glanced at his brother a little afraid he might actually go there just to prove himself right, but was relieved when his twin looked away from the medic with his optics narrowing and his spark pulsing with pain and anger.

"Besides what?" Optimus questioned, his Gift allowing him to feel the walls around the twins' sparks. He had made an oath with his crew many, many, vorns ago, that his powers would not be used against them unless it was absolutely necessary. The commander wasn't sure if now was one of those times or not. The twins had deliberately disobeyed orders and in doing so risked Bumblebee's precious life.

Optimus just wanted to know why before he had to decide what to do with them.

What could have possibly made the pair do something so foolish, and what were they hiding?

"You—" The word flew form Sunny before he even processed he was talking making the warrior bite his lip whirling around to cross his arms over his chest as he tremble with rage trying to keep himself from doing something stupid. The golden mech felt Sides place a reassuring hand on his shoulder trying to calm him, but he knew it would do no good. He was way past his level of control now. Not even Sideswipe was going to be able to keep him from blowing up for much longer.

"You wouldn't understand." Sideswipe finished for his brother with his optics low. "I'm sorry Prime, but you just wouldn't."

"Why wouldn't I?!" Optimus challenged, slamming his hands down on the large table that separated him from the pair.

He was well aware that he was backing the twins in a corner, but the past had proved that sometimes that was the only way to get them to come clean about what they didn't want to talk about. He'd learned that from Ratchet many vorns ago. Since the medic was the only one that they really made a habit of talking to without snarky remarks and witty comebacks, though there was still plenty of that. Ratchet was the one that should probably be questioning them, he was the one they were more likely to answer, but this time it had to be Optimus.

They all knew it.

The secrets had to end.

For as long as he'd known them the Prime had always respected their wishes of keeping their past a secret. He never questioned their scars, or anything else. He let the loyal soldiers do their jobs without too much intervention in their antics. Now though, the more they fought answering the more he wondered if there was more to all this than met the optic.

And he wasn't the only one that was curios.

Ironhide and Ratchet had gone silent, knowing something was going on. The twins might annoy the Pit out of them just like they did most of the ship, but they were treasured comrades epically to the medic, and despite all the name calling, tools upside the head, and blasting with massive cannons they truly were friends. The close nit crew had been through too much together to not be. It was Ironhide that spoke up for the pair in the first place many, many vorns ago when he realized what good allies they would make. It had been Ratchet that patched up the two new comers when they found them in the burning ruble. It had been Jazz that first befriended them when they were forcibly brought back to base by the medic. In the end though it had been Optimus that was the reason they stayed. Now each of the three present just wanted to know what would drive the pair to be so foolish.

And well, they got it.

"You with your perfect little life!" Sunstreaker blew up slamming his brother away as he spun around to practically hiss up at the leader of the Autobots who recoiled slightly at his words and the venom behind them. "The great Optimus Prime! Chosen heir to the mighty Sentinel Prime! What would you ever know about what it's like to be held prisoner!? What would you know about being looked down upon because of your family and your rank!? What would you know about being ripped apart from your creators on the very orn you turned nine vorns old and being sold into the Rings!? What would you know about a stolen youngling-hood!? What would you know of looking through prison bars to the big open universe out there wishing for nothing more than to be free so you could explore it!? How would you know what it feels like to be helpless and left for dead!? How could you possibly understand what it's like!? You can't! So don't ask us why! Because you can't understand! We did it because we needed too! Not for him, but for us!"

Suddenly Sunstreaker broke off realizing what he'd just done.

Curling his hands into fist he tried to cool his systems as he recoiled his blades and calmed his blasters. Sideswipe had stood at his side though the whole outburst knowing that it needed to be said. Only once his twin, still shaking with fury, lowered his head in shame refusing to lift them again did he take a step closer to his brother allowing him to have the physical support as well as the reassurance he sent via his siblingbond.

Then he spoke.

"You don't know what it's like for us watching him stare out of windows wondering why he can't do this, can't go here, can't come and see that. It's not the same as it was for us, thank Primus he isn't where we once stood, but it just hits to close to home. He doesn't understand all of this war and anger or why he has to stay in one place, it's wrong to wish he could. We were just trying to give him what we never had. A chance to be a real youngling . . . to make his ninth spark-orn far better than ours was."

With that Sideswipe lowered his own optics knowing the truth had finally come out after all these vorns. He would accept whatever came from here. At the truth of where he and Sunny had come from.

Though, there was only one thing that hung in the silent air to Optimus. The Rings? The very place his brother had turned into the monster that he was. The vain of Cybertron.

The twins had been sold into The Rings when they where younglings?

How was that even possible?

Ironhide however, who knew all about the workings of that Pit, had always had a hunch that was where the two came from. He hadn't been raised in the shelter and pride of Sentinel's palace. He'd seen the darker side of Cybertron before the war had broken out. The mirror scars that marked both twins above their sparks had always made him wonder. Now he had his proof. It also explained a lot about their attitudes and their antics. Two younglings who had life stolen from them. It was understandable. He pitied every bot that was unlucky enough to end up in that Pit.

The twins might not be his favorite bots, but he did care for the younger mechs. He hated the influence they were on Bumblebee, but he knew how much they adored him. If he really did hate them he'd never let them anywhere near his charge. Not that he'd ever tell either what he really thought about them. He was much happier just dealing with their stunts, much like Ratchet and Optimus, now though even his outer wall cracked at this new found knowledge.

As the silence hung in the air memoires of the past and of the orn the twins joined the Autobot cause flowed into the processors of every mech in the room.


The War was still in its early vorns when Altihex fell. Neither twin had been two attached to the city, but it had been the place they finally stopped running. When the 'Cons descended every instinct in Sunstreaker wanted to fight. He'd been fighting, killing, surviving, his whole life.

He was good at it.

He lived for it.

It was the only way he knew how to make himself feel whole again. It probably didn't help that he had also had a death wish since his ninth spark-orn though.

With that in the back of his processor he figured what better way to go out than by the hands of that blasted Mega-idiot's hired guns.

Sideswipe had other idea though.

He'd just gotten the two of them, alive, out of the Rings. He wasn't going to lose his brother because he wanted to die some horrible death. So when the first bombs fell, he grabbed his older brother by the scruff-bar and ran.

Might not be the most heroic moment of his life, but at least he figured they'd survive the orn to tell about it. Besides, it wasn't their war nor was it their city. Why should they care?

Well, it ended up they cared.

They didn't even know how it happened. One klick they were running from the carnage the next they watched a femme get brutally murdered and they were tearing into the slaggin' 'Cons like nothing that had ever been seen. Somehow—how to this orn they didn't know—they managed to survive the battle even as the city fell. The twins were left standing, leaking energon badly, battered, scrapped, torn, and defeated before a fallen statue of the supposed great Prime that hadn't come to save the innocents of this city because he got his stupid aft offlined by his temper tantrum throwing son. They were too lost in hating the world around them that they didn't even notice the nearing bots. Their shock could be understood when from the burning ruble around them a small battalion of Autobots appeared.

The first reaction of the pair at hearing someone come up behind them was to spin around blades draw only to lower their weapons at the sight they found. The new comers where no Deceptions. They were none other than Sentinel Prime's heir Optimus Prime, his weapons specialist, his CMO, and his second in command, along with Ultra Magnus one of his commanders.

Optimus blinked in surprise at the sight of the gold mech and red mech that lowered their weapons at the sight of them. All he could think was that survivors stood before him. Survivors! Not all had been lost!

However, the greeting he was granted was physically painful.

"Well, well, well," The gold mech narrowed his optics not seeming to even notice the amount of energon that was leaking from a deep gash in his mid-section. "The great Optimus Prime decided to come and save the city did he? Well sorry mech, but you're a little late."

A low growl rose from the chest of the massive black mech to Optimus's side at the insult to his best friend, but it didn't make either brother twitch. They'd fought far worse than him. They had the matching scars to prove it. Even though the only real thing noticeable about the two of them at the moment was how much energon they were covered in.

To this orn Ratchet blames that for his actions. His medic instinct cut over every over thought in his processor. As disrespectful as they seemed they still needed his attention. With one glance at Optimus for permission he received a nod and he went into fixit mode. Taking a step forward Ratchet was Pit bent on getting to work until a pair of matching blades raised in unison to meet him.

"Oh no medic," The red one shook his head as the two of them stepped back from the Autobot search party. The seasoned medic could have sworn he saw fear dance in those narrowed optics, but it was quickly covered by an anger he hadn't figured out. "We don't do med-bays. Take your efforts elsewhere."

"Look, whoever you two are," Ratchet's gaze narrowed at the threat. "You'll offline in a matter of breems at the rate you're losing energon."

The brothers glanced at each other before shrugging.

"Hasn't really bothered us before." The gold one snapped. "Besides it's about time anyway."

The conversation never went further than that though, because Ratchet had had enough of their smart mouths. One strong electron burst later and the survivors lay knocked clean out on the ground. Ratchet sighed, knowing in some way he'd eventfully pay for that choice, and went to retrieve his knew patients.

"It is logical to assume neither will be pleased when they come too." Prowl protested the action, but he soon fell silent at the look the medic shot him.

Instead of arguing further he went against his better judgment and helped Ironhide and Ratchet haul the ingrates back to the ship.

Several more search and rescue missions went out that orn, but Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were the only online bots to be found. That added to Optimus's need for them to be patched up and questionable. He had let the painful comment go as soon as it was said. It wasn't his place to hold grudges against bots pulled into a war that was his fault. He knew such things would never help him. So he stood patiently in the hallway of the med-bay with Ironhide, Magnus, and Prowl as Ratchet tried to repair the two that were still knocked clean out.

It was safe to say neither Prowl nor Ironhide were all that happy about the happenings, but neither voiced it. Both knew the information the two possessed would be valuable. In the end it was Ultra Magnus that finally questioned his friend and leader.

"You do realize you brought two innocent bots here against their will, right Optimus?" He sat in a waiting chair leaned against the wall with his massive arms crossed over his chest with his battle staff, still dripping energon from the few 'Cons they had managed to try and stop, laying across his lap.

"We cannot afford to lose the information they might have." Prowl was the one to respond.

"And what if they were just two innocents caught in the crossfire?" Magnus questioned. "What if they know nothing?"

"That is unlikely." Prowl assured.

"Have to agree with stick-in-the-mud on this one." Ironhide rumbled. Ignoring the harsh glare that came his way he went on. "I know warriors when I see them, and those two know how to fight. They leveled swords with Hatchet for crying out loud. Not even a 'Con would get in that slaggers way when he's in fixit mode."

"Their audacity is not why they should be questioned." Prowl shook his head.

"If they claim to know nothing they will be free to go their own way." Optimus finally spoke up.

That got him three very confused glances.

"You will just let them leave?" Prowl seemed awe struck, his optics twitching a little bit at the course of action that made no sense to him. "But they have seen our base?"

"They will see a med-bay." Optimus assured him. "Nothing more. Besides Magnus is right. We brought them here against their will. They are not warriors of Megatron so therefore they are not prisoners. They will not be treated as such. They are two brave sparks trying to defend themselves, and an innocent city. If they wish to leave they will be allowed to go without a fight."

"That's if they don't start blasting stuff." Ironhide cast a glance to the door that separated them from their guest. "I have a feeling they're not going to be too happy with all this."

"Mechs!" A optimistic boom rang out down the hallway making each bot turn to find Jazz running toward them.

"What's wrong Jazz?" Optimus and Ironhide were quick to ready themselves while Prowl rolled his optics and Magnus sat back quietly observing like he so often did.

"Oh nothing's wrong, boss bot!" Jazz waved them off before he slide to a stop staring hopefully at the med-bay doors. "Inferno just said, that Red Alert said, you mechs found survivors!"

"They're not femmes if that's what's got you running down here so fast." Prowl deadpanned.

It earned him a heated glare. "I didn't think they were femmes, ya fragger."

"It's a logical assumption in account of you being you."

"Say that again, buddy!"

"Enough," Optimus pulled the two ninjas apart before he had something out of hand to deal with and seriously thought about sending them both to their separate offices to do paperwork. He knew they were close friends, but they were so different sometimes they were more likely to offline each other than anything else.

Jazz huffed, turning away from Prowl while the other simply pulled out a data pad and went to busying himself with work.

"So did ya?"Jazz asked after a few nano-kliks of silence. He never was one to be quiet for very long.

"Yes, Jazz." Optimus nodded. "Ratchet is trying to repair them."

"Busted up pretty bad, huh?"

"They should be offline." Ironhide commented. "That was what Megatron was after. He didn't want any survivors. That's not really his style at the moment."

"Doubt it will ever be." Magnus voiced quietly.

"They seemed knowledgeable in the art of war." Prowl pointed out. "Quick to draw weapons. Quick to insult."

That got Jazz grinning. "Oh, bots after my own spark?"

"They smarted off to Prime if that's what you mean." Ironhide nodded. "Don't really seem to like our leader."

A sudden crash snapped all the mechs' focus as a feral yell rose up from the other side of the door.

"LET ME OUT OF THIS FRAGGIN' MED-BAY YOU PIT-SPAWNED SLAGGIN' FRAGGER!"

"That don't sound good." Jazz comment before every mech rushed forward forcing the bay doors open just in time to watch the golden twin slam his drawn blade down in the spot Ratchet had been standing two nano-klicks ago as the red twin spun off the berth he lay on pointing a rocket blaster at the medic and then his entering companions.

However, no further actions were taken by the pair.

They weighed their options in nano-klick silently between them. They were outnumbered, out-gunned, and they had no idea where in Pit they were. Attacking was not in their best interest. Though that had never stopped Sunstreaker before so his brother was quick to shoot him a glare when he drew his sword from the metal floor leveling it with the yellow and red medic who they had cut off from his companions. The harsh growl of Ironhide's charged cannons leveling with the back of Sunstreaker's head along Optimus's blaster, Jazz's rocket gun, Prowl's own dueling blades, and Magnus's staff made Sideswipe growl under his breath at his brother. Optimus caught the quick exchange of glares and growls before the gold mech lowered his blade ever so slightly quickly stepping away from Ratchet to the other mech's side as they stood where they could keep their optics on all their competition.

"Weapons down!" Ironhide growled.

"Hide," Prowl warned.

"NOW!"No one threatened the mech's friends. No one! Especially not in their own base! Ratchet was trying the help the ingrates and they tried to run him through. This did not please Ironhide one fragging bit.

The red mech lowered his blaster slightly as his companion hiss out a curse to the pulsing cannons. Did that fool have a death wish? Ironhide wasn't sure. Ratchet on the other hand was pretty much convinced.

When the blade came down he knew it wouldn't hit him, if the mech had been trying to he never would have yelled first. Besides, Ratchet knew when a bot wanted to do harm and when they just wanted to be left alone. There was no explaining that to Hide though. His friends were the only family Ironhide had left, and it had been a bot with dueling swords that took away his family to begin with. He would not be forgiving of the action so easily.

"Easy Ironhide." Ratchet spoke up from where he stood carefully observing his patients.

"Easy Ironhide!?" Hide snarled, looking at his friend in disbelief. "He tried to shish kabob you!"

"If he'd been meaning to hit him he'd be offline."The red mech said fully lowering his blaster and putting an arm on his companion's wrist making him lower his blades. With a harsh hiss and a clang of metal the golden mech retracted his swords, but his glare stayed level on the bots that stood between him and his way out of this fraggin' room.

"Got that right, fragger." The golden one grumbled. "I don't miss."

"Threatening the medic trying to save your life, yeah that looks good." Jazz raised an optics ridge. "Not really into this whole being helped out thing are ya?"

"We didn't ask for help!" The gold one snarled. "In fact we declined it! And if you don't let me out of this fraggin' med-bay I'll—"

"Oh, mute it!" The red one shoved the other hard in the shoulder turning his glare on his own companion.

That action shocked the Autobots. Ironhide even lowered his cannons.

"What?" The other yelled.

"You heard me."

"Since when do you tell me what to do!?"

"Since when do you think you can take on Optimus Prime!?"

"Oh please," The gold one laughed. "We've faced worse. This orn actually!"

"You know you ain't helping none!"

"Who said I was trying to help!?"

"Listen here you—"

"Yo!" Both mechs had ended up in each other faceplates looking about ready to try and take each other apart when Jazz's snap pulled them apart to turn their glares on him. "Aren't ya like supposed to be—"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" They snarled in unison.

Jazz threw his hands up in surrender as the two turned back to glare at each other.

"Don't tell me what to do!" The gold one ground out.

"Stop trying to get yourself killed!"

"You're one to talk!"

"Yeah I am!"

"Oh that's rich!"

"Look I'm the older brother, you listen to me!"

"Oh yeah, like that's ever worked! Besides you're like two klicks older!"

"That counts!"

"You been trying to get your stupid aft killed for vorns!"

"Like you're not!"

"I'm not ready to let you die!"

"That ain't your choice!"

"I'm your twin you fraggin' idiot I have a little bit of choice in the matter!"

"My life!"

"My brother!"

Jazz sighed, leaning over to whisper to Prowl as the argument went on. "I'm confused."

"Me too." Prowl admitted.

"That's a feat."

"Sure is."

"WILL THE TWO OF YOU JUST MUTE IT!?" Ratchet had finally had enough. Grabbing the first thing in his range he launched two wrenches at both their heads waking them hard earning him two rather loud yelps followed by a sling of curses that would make his Sire turn in his grave, though the medic paid them no mind.

"Hey watch the paint you slaggin' Wrench!" The gold one snarled.

"Mute it!" Ratchet warned rising another wrench. The pair shrank back slightly rubbing the dents in their heads. Though they did go silent. Ratchet let out a sigh. "Now, how about we all lower the weapons, stop screaming at each other, and talk this out like civilized mechs?"

"Sounds reasonable." Optimus lowered his blaster. He still wasn't quite sure what to make of this pair, though now he did know they were twins. Which he had thought might be the case before.

"Will you two comply?" Prowl glared over at the pair. Sideswipe glanced at Sunstreaker who glanced back. Their argument was already long forgotten, both were just trying to figure out how to get out of here now.

"And what if we said we just wanted out of your stupid med-bay and away from where ever it is you took us?" Sideswipe raised an optic ridge.

Optimus stepped aside from the doors holding out a hand to offer them the way out. Sunstreaker took one look at the door and bolted, dragging a grumbling Sideswipe along behind him until they reached the end of the hallway outside the medical bay and came to a stop. Once they were free of the too clean walls, and the too clean smell, and the too clean berths, and the too clean tools, and the too much of everything that made Sunstreaker want to pull his own wires out and made Sideswipe want to blast things to pieces they each let out a breath. Casting each other a nod they turned back to face the mechs who leaned out the door staring at them.

"Out here." Sunstreaker snapped. "Not in there."

Optimus complied. Walking from the med-bay he didn't stop until he stood a few feet in front of the shorter bots who glanced up at him wearily and with a bit of anger. The leader's companions followed spreading out behind him to watch the strange pair.

"Got a thing against medical bays?" Jazz questioned.

He was granted glares.

"Take that as a yes." He nodded.

Optimus figured the best place to start was to gain their trust, so he began with names. "I assume judging by all you've said you already know who I am?"

"Is there a living organism in the universe that doesn't know you?" Sideswipe pointed out.

"Fair point." Jazz nodded. This time the glares came from his team mates. "Sorry."

"I imagine there are." Optimus answered.

"Lucky them." Sunstreaker mumbled. Sideswipe chuckled at that. Optimus merely let it roll off.

"This is Ratchet my CMO," Prime motioned over to the medic that had patched up the pair before they decided to try and stab him. The twins observed the medic with caution, their distrust for anything medical becoming more and more clear to the seasoned medic. All he did was nod to them not trusting them to allow anything else. "My second in command Prowl." Prowl's judging gaze ran over them making their optics narrow in unison before he let the judgment go and nodded as well. "My first lieutenant Jazz."

"Sup new-bees?"

He received two lifted optic ridges.

"Ignore him." Prowl rolled his optics.

"Hey! No bot asked you!"

The twins shared a smile as the two bots glared at each other until Magnus shoved them apart.

"Really?" He snorted. "Jazz is a loose cannon we all know that, but Prowl what's up with you lately?"

Prowl grumbled looking away harshly insulted and refusing to take part in such a conversation.

"Anyway," Optimus said. "This is Ironhide, my weapons specialist."

"Punks." Ironhide grunted.

"Cannons." Sideswipe snorted.

"And this is Ultra Magnus one of my commanders." Optimus finished.

"Pleasure." Magnus nodded. All he got in return though was two tilted heads.

Silence followed the interdiction as the brothers looked them all over before they glanced at each other. Optimus waited patiently for them to decide what their next move would be. He was in no rush to scare them off before he even knew anything about them. Especially with the potential Ironhide seemed to sense in them and the knowledge they might have.

"Sideswipe," The red mech said. "He's Sunstreaker."

Sunstreaker shrugged. "Can we go now oh high and mighty commander of the Autobots, heir to Sentinel Prime?"

"You are free to leave if you wish," Optimus took a deep breath trying not to let the annoyed mech bother him. "Though I have a few questions I'd like to ask you."

"We don't know anything."Sunstreaker cut in with a glare. "Wasn't our city. Weren't our bots. Just got a problem with bots killing cuz they can. That's the only reason we fought."

"So sorry," Sideswipe finished. "But what Mega-idiot is trying to accomplish by leveling that place, besides you know being a Pit-Spawned bastard—no offence—we've got no idea."

"Can't help you more than that." Sunstreaker added.

"Just a pair of vagabonds."

"Can't be much more than that."

"Well you could be soldiers."Jazz pointed out.

Sunstreaker snorted waving an amused hand their way. "And take orders from you lot?"

"Don't think so."Sideswipe shook his head. "We don't do orders."

"Well what do you do?" Ironhide snapped. "Run around trying to get your stupid afts killed?"

They glanced at each other before answering in unison. "Something like that."

"Well that's a pitiful waste of talent." The weapons specialist ground out.

"Talent?"Sideswipe raised an optic ridge. "Thought you wanted to blast us?"

"Don't get him wrong he does." Jazz patted Ironhide on the arm earning him a growl before he went on. "But you two can fight. Anybot can see that. Believe me, we need a few more good fighters. Mega-idiot don't really fight all that fair."

"Gee figure that out all on your own did you?" Sunstreaker snorted. "None like him ever do."

"You don't really fight all that fair either." Sideswipe pointed out.

"Not my fault. Bad influences." His twin shrugged.

"Sure." The other shook his head.

"Oh like you're any better." Sunstreaker shot back.

"Never claimed to be."

"Then don't lecture."

"Hey now, don't start that again." Jazz cut in trying to keep the two glaring bots on topic. He earned both their attention in return, but he could have lived without the glares that made his armor crawl.

"So what, you want to draft us or something?" Sideswipe finally held gazes with Prime as he stood a little taller before the commander. Deep down inside he was shocked, but he refused to let it show. The possibility of a home. Of a life. Of a purpose. It called to his spark like nothing ever had and he didn't need to ask his twin to know the same feelings were bouncing around in his spark.

"Whether or not you know what Megatron wanted in Altihex you still seem to be capable warriors. You survived after all. I'm always looking for another brave spark to help set this all right." Optimus answered.

"Join the Autobots?" Sunstreaker turned to his brother who shrugged in return.

"We've done crazier, and after all you do have a death wish."

"True that." The gold twin nodded. One more shared glance of silent conversation and it was decided.

"We're in."

"Great!" Jazz grinned.

"You do realize that requires taking orders?" Prowl questioned.

"Oh stop ruining the moment, Prowler!" Jazz snapped.

"We've done stupider things believe us." Sideswipe chuckled.

"And just try finding any other bots as good as us." Sunstreaker challenged. "Unfortunately surviving is kind of our specialty."

"Don't know how that is though." Sideswipe shook his head.

"Well then," Magnus finally spoke up again shooting Prime a short look to which he nodded. "Welcome to the Autobot army."


"You never said anything." Unsurprisingly it was Ratchet that finally spoke up with his emotions for the pair in his optics. He not-so-secretly had grown to care about the pair more than he wanted to admit over the vorns that he had known them. He liked having them around. They were a good distraction. Granted sometimes he would rather take them apart and use them for salvage for all the stupid stuff they got themselves into. Though through all these vorns he never imagined the reasons behind their ways was because they'd been sold into the Rings.

Into that Pit of a sport of slavery and gladiators.

"Oh yeah," Sideswipe snorted. "Like we were just gonna come up one orn and say 'hey mechs guess what, we got snatched as runts and sold into slavery to battle to the death ever orn of our miserable little lives.' yeah that makes since, Wrench."

"It doesn't make what we did right." Sunstreaker sighed. "And it better not have anything to do with what punishment we get! Here that, Prime!"

Optimus was still personally in shock as he slowly raised his optics to stare at two of his most loyal warriors. "Your punishment will be left to Prowl. It's his schedule you ruined."

Both mechs tensed at that for a moment before nodding slowly lowering their optics again. Silence fell over the meeting room after that until Sideswipe quietly spoke.

"I know we are in no place to be making request, Prime, but can this . . . ." He didn't know how to finish so he looked to his brother for support.

"Not leave this room?" Sunstreaker whispered out.

The words shocked Optimus almost as much as the earlier ones. Did they really think that he'd tell their guarded past? He understood why neither wanted it known. He did not fault them for their secret. If anything he now held them in an even more respected light. The horrors he'd witnessed the orn he found out what his brother was really doing when he snuck away had never left him. It had been that Pit that changed Megatron forever. It was that place that made him into the monster he was.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had been affected, he could clearly see that now, but they hadn't let it ruin them. Part of him wondered if joining his army had something to do with that.

"Your stories are yours to tell." Optimus nodded. "Though Prowl will have to know for it to be taken into account to what punishment he give you."

"Tell him it was one of our stupid pranks." Sides said.

"Tell him we finally went glitchy." Sun added.

"He'll believe it."

"We'll take whatever he gives us."

Optimus was dumbfounded. "But—"

"Just because we fear our past doesn't mean we should have taken Half Pint of the ship." Sides cut Prime off. "We knew that when we did it. Which makes it insubordination no matter the tragic backstory."

"We shouldn't of, but we did." Sunny nodded. "We'll pay the price. We agreed to fight your war a long time ago, Prime. In doing so it has become our war. Neither of us regret that. So disobeying was wrong."

"No if, ands, or buts." Sides finished.

Optimus let out a sigh. How could he punish the pair for trying to give Bumblebee what he was to scared too? Sure they hadn't gone about it the best way, but with the information he now had he couldn't fault them. And he knew what Prowl's punishment would be for their actions. It was not a fair price to be paid for trying to help.

"He'll send you to the brig." Ironhide spoke up. "He won't let you go to Bee's party."

Both sets of optics widened ever so slightly before the mechs sighed and nodded.

"We've already given him what we could." Sides shrugged, his upbeat air having faded by now. "No sense in being there anyway."

"He'll want you there." Ratchet crossed his arms still shocked by all of this, and these much more mature level headed twins.

"He knows what we did was wrong." Sunny wouldn't look up. "We made sure of that. Half Pint's smart enough to understand."

"Why didn't you just express your thoughts?" Optimus finally made himself ask.

"Because we're very aware that your right." Sideswipe snorted. "Two klicks out there in the wrong spot and he'd be offline like this." With a snap he shook his head. "He's fraggin' tiny! If Megatron does get a hold of him he's finished. But that doesn't make a life behind prison bars right, Prime. Even if the prison bars are built out of love."

"Ours weren't." Sunstreaker sighed. "So maybe our judgment is a little clouded, but honestly can any of you claim to know what it's like?"

"You think we keep him prisoner?" Ironhide wanted to know. Was he keeping his precious little Bumblebee trapped? He didn't know any other way to keep him online.

"I think he's old enough to be allowed to see some of what lies beyond this ship in more than just pictures and stories." Sides answered.

"Maybe you're right." Optimus breathed out. "But it won't change the universe. It won't change the war. And it certainly won't change what has to be done."

"You can't protect him from what he must become you know that right, Prime?" Sunstreaker bluntly stated. "Sooner or later he will be soldier."

Optimus nodded solemnly. "Which is a sad fact in and of itself."


I'm mean.

Just cutting it off like that. Sorry guys, but it was the perfect way to end it.

Now, how about that? The two most dangerous killing machines in the Autobot army are the way they are because they got sold into slavery at nine-vorns old. Dang that explains a lot.

Sunny's attitude, Sides' pranks, both of them being lethal death machines. Just kind of all adds up now.

The backstory of how the twins ended up with the Autobots was actually supposed to be, at most, maybe a page long . . . no it was ten. I just stared writing and suddenly this thing happened. I have no idea where it came from. Apparently, Sunny and Sides have their own story to tell. Just like so many other characters in this crazy mess inside my head. I love it!

And I hope you liked it. Hope any Sunny and Sides fans out there approve of my version of them. Because I love them. They are just so much fun to write.

It only gets better from here guys! At least in my opinion . . . I might be a tad bit bias . . . maybe. :)

Please let me know what you think because reviews are how you get the chapters faster!

Read and Review!

Chat with ya later.

-Jay