Woohoo! I finally updated this! Haha Sorry for the long wait guys! I would give you the whole rant about how much life has caught up with me, and I lost my muse for a bit, but I know you want to get right to the story, so let us not delay!
Disclaimer: As much as I adore the twins, I don't own them or Transformers in general. I make no profit from this.
NOTE
::Indicates communication (comm) lines and intercom::
~Indicates speech over the twins' bond~
Indicates thoughts and emphasis
*Edit June 12, 2012* Fixed up some grammar and spelling mistakes.
Overemotional
Chapter 2
"Sunstreaker!"
Sideswipe's cry was lost in the chaos of the battlefield. The Decepticons had taken advantage of the Autobot's shock and engaged their distracted counterparts with renewed vigor.
Picking himself up quickly, he stumbled slightly, swaying on his feet. The world around him spun in dizzying circles, making it impossible to focus. Tanks lurched aggressively and the crimson mech found himself on his hands and knees, purging under processed energon from his systems.
Shuffling backwards, Sideswipe fought back several dry heaves, taking deep breaths through his vents. Frag Thundercracker! Those slagging sonic blasts fried his equilibrium circuits! Sideswipe grasped a nearby boulder, using it to pull himself to his feet at a much slower pace.
The disorientated Lamborghini took a careful step, then another. He held his arms out to the sides in an effort to keep his balance. Moving at an awkward stumble, Sideswipe finally stopped next to the unmoving golden frame.
He dropped to his knees, causing a small splash in the glowing energon pool surrounding Sunstreaker's body. Shuffling nearer to the obsidian helm, the scarlet twin hesitantly reached towards shattered cheek plates. His trembling hands froze, hovering just above Sunstreaker's face.
There was so much energon; staining everything it touched a sickening shade of pink. It was leaking heavily from underneath the yellow mech, likely the nasty result of Starscream's null rays. Visibly worse were Sunstreaker's helm fins. The sensory appendages were nothing more than mangled circuitry. Sparking wires poured outwards to fuse with the twisted yellow metal that formed the vents. The interior workings had shut off, unable to cycle air through the butchered mess.
Energon still trickled out, carving miniscule rivers across Sunstreaker's once handsome face plates. The pale gray features had been warped and crumpled, and the golden chest plates ripped open by the cliff face. The spark chamber was torn along the side, an iridescent blue glow from the frontliner's spark peering through. A major energon line had been compromised and the fluorescent liquid was flooding Sunstreaker's vital components. Amazingly, the levels hadn't raised high enough to reach the tear in the SHU.
Sideswipe began to panic.
"Ratchet!" he screamed over the public comm. line, voice hoarse, "Ratchet! Sunny's hurt! Get over here now!"
Cutting the comm. line, Sideswipe reached down and cupped the crushed faceplates in his palms. Moving slowly, he didn't want to cause more pain for his unconscious twin, he placed Sunstreaker's helm in his lap. The kneeling warrior distraughtly noted the irregular drip of energon now coating his thighs.
He rubbed careful circles across the twisted planes of Sunstreaker's cheek plating and shuttered his optics. Sideswipe reached out with his spark, searching for his other half through their bond. Sunstreaker's side was faint, a weak pulse that was fading fast. The red twin latched onto it, feeding strength to his comatose brother. He called out over the bond, pleading with the golden warrior.
~Sunny…Sunny! Come on Sunstreaker, you're stronger than this! Don't do this to me bro, don't leave me. Sunny keep fighting, please, I don't want to lose you!~
Sideswipe repeated the mantra, using it as a lifeline. It didn't register in his processor when he began hysterically shouting the words aloud.
A sharp pain in his chest cut Sideswipe off mid-cry. His optics snapped open, gaze vacant and unseeing. He released Sunstreaker's face with one hand, keeping the other firmly in place, and grasped the plating directly over his spark chamber. A second, stronger, pulse had him clawing at his own armor. A high pitched keen forced its way past parted lips.
Sideswipe stared down in horror as Sunstreaker's armor began to gray in patches. He released his brother's face, grabbing his chest with both hands. Shuttering his optics again, he gasped in pain as their twin sparks began to fade.
Strong arms were suddenly around Sideswipe's waist, pulling the red mech flush against a broad chassis. He locked his hip and knee joints, keeping Sunstreaker's helm in place, and twisted his upper body. His fingers scrabbled uselessly against the other's arm plating. Sideswipe's struggle ended abruptly when another spark pulse left him weak and gasping.
Finally opening his optics, the crimson Autobot was surprised to see Ratchet with his hands buried in Sunstreaker's chest. The medic looked up at the conscious twin. Sideswipe shook his head, beginning to hyperventilate. Ratchet's mouth was moving, but he wasn't saying anything. There was no sound.
The CMO cursed and turned his gaze to the mech behind the frontliner.
"Wheeljack, keep him calm and close to Sunstreaker, their sparks are too weak to handle any more stress. Frag it to the Pits, I am not losing them!"
Not waiting for a response, Ratchet returned his focus to the golden Lamborghini. He had sealed the torn fuel line, and any similar lacerations to the smaller surrounding tubes. Transforming his right arm into a medical vacuum, Ratchet bent closer to his patient. He worked quickly, but carefully, moving cables and wires to reach the buried corners in Sunstreaker's chest. The holding tank in Ratchet's limb was heavy when he finally pulled away.
Retracting an IV line from his wrist, he directly infused his own energon into Sunstreaker's tanks.
With the danger of bleeding out now eliminated, the medic turned his ministrations to the damaged spark chamber. The white mech delicately welded a spare field patch pulled from subspace over the breach, hiding the fragile orb from the outside world once more.
Ratchet growled as he ran another scan over his patient's body. Sunstreaker was stable, the gray slowly receding from the golden frame, but he needed the highly tuned equipment in the med bay if he wanted to avoid irreparable damage to the warrior's core processor.
Ratchet glanced to Wheeljack and Sideswipe. The Lancia kept his grip tight around the Lamborghini, soothingly stroking the trembling warrior's upper arm plating and murmuring words of comfort. As the twins' sparks stabilized, Sideswipe slowly began to renew his struggles, his optics locked on Sunstreaker.
"'Jack."
Wheeljack looked up at the sound of his nickname. A silent conversation passed between the two long time friends, before the engineer carefully released the distressed twin.
Sideswipe stilled for a moment, as if surprised he was no longer being restrained. He leaned forward slowly and reached for his brother. One golden hand was grasped between matching ebony and held reverently against a pale cheek plate.
"Ratch."
Ratchet paused his field repairs, shooting a glance at Sideswipe. It broke the medic's spark to hear the boisterous mech sound so quiet and fragile.
"Yes?" His tone, while still gruff, was softer than usual.
"Is Sunny gonna be OK?"
Ratchet didn't respond. He finished welding the final patch over the helm crests and stood, transforming into his ambulance alt mode.
"Jack, help Sideswipe load up Sunstreaker, then stay here. You have medical command." It was left unspoken that Sideswipe would accompany the medic back to the Ark.
Sideswipe tore his gaze away from his twin to scan the desert around the power plant. He hadn't realized the battle was over. The Decepticons were retreating specks in the sky and the Autobot's were regrouping around Prime.
The crimson warrior nodded his head in consent, though Ratchet could not see him from his position kneeling behind the ambulance.
Sideswipe cradled Sunstreaker's helm in the crook of his arm, wrapping the other gently around the golden body. Wheeljack grabbed the lanky legs at the knee. The engineer's indicators flashed as he spoke.
"On three then. One…two..."
They easily lifted the unconscious warrior into the air. Energon dripped from the scorched back, meeting the still puddle below.
Sideswipe leaned over his brother's frame once he had been carefully maneuvered into the medic. He grasped Sunstreaker's hand once more and gave it a brief squeeze.
"You're gonna be OK Sunny," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the torn knuckles.
Backing away, Sideswipe closed the white doors. Ratchet honked once, before speeding into the desert, towards the Ark.
Sideswipe was about to follow when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked at Wheeljack and the other's optics crinkled slightly at the corners, indicating his small smile for the frontliner.
"Hey," the engineer patted the plating beneath his hand, helm fins glowing a soft periwinkle, "Sunstreaker will be just fine. Ratchet's the best there is."
Sideswipe released a weary sigh from his vents. "I know that 'Jack, it's just..." I'm scared. ". . . I can't help but be worried." I'm terrified of losing him. "He's my brother," My other half. "We're always there for each other." What if I can't help him this time?
Stepping away, Sideswipe shrugged off the black hand. He transformed quickly to hide his stumble. He didn't want Wheeljack to know there was a problem with his equilibrium circuits or the medic-trained engineer wouldn't let him drive after Sunstreaker until he was repaired.
The Lamborghini gunned his engine, rear end swerving side to side, spraying a gritty dust cloud at the mech behind him. His tires finally found traction and he raced to catch up with his injured twin and the medic carrying him.
