What was is Onslaught used to say? Don't turn you back on your Enemy? Does it count if your Enemy turns out to always be at your back? Or if they were there in the first place and you just didn't notice? Despite being in an open range, with a good view of your surrounding?

Swindle groaned, he could quite clearly tell someone was working on his head mere moments ago, he's been conscious for a good few minutes now, after all. Isn't his fault his body doesn't want to move, his optics don't want to power up. Just like it wasn't his fault he got distracted by a pretty little flower. No, that was. How did that happen exactly? Being pretty much the smartest of your brothers doesn't matter if you have a short attention span for odd things. Like Flowers that have a color resembling that of Energon. That's what you get for sending out a Combaticon who just so happened to of not eaten in the past few days because some annoying flyers keeps stealing his rations...

Though no one quite knew about that either...so...that isn't anyone's fault but his own.

And the flyers.

In fact, that's probably why he's too tired to even move. He's been low on Energon for a day or so now because of that fact. The pain in his head just made him sort of forget...probably. Then again being the smaller, more fuel efficient of his group...he probably got in over his head without realizing. Sense he doesn't need much to stay Energized. So that was his fault too. Thinking he could last a few days without even a single drop of Energon. Perhaps he should have taken up Vortex on his offer the other day, when the Copter-Former offered him some high grade.

Though high grade on an empty tank might have been a bad idea...

Maybe he should be glad he didn't. But then again if he had gotten "sick" he probably wouldn't be on this mission-oh who he's kidding, of course he would. They wouldn't let him stay from a mission because of a "tummy ache". No, they probably would have just laughed at him, punched him in the gut to make a point, then tossed him out into the ocean to swim to shore and walk here instead of coming with his Gestalt.

Which wouldn't have been as much fun, because if he hadn't been with his brother he wouldn't of been able to irritate Blast Off with Vortex. Which was fun. Even after they both got whacked in the head by Onslaught then scolded for teasing. It was still fun. Especially sense they both made a bet on how long it would take to make Onslaught snicker or giggle at them for it. Onslaught even joined in, betting on himself saying he wouldn't. Vortex said it would take at least half the flight. Swindle made a bet saying it would take little over half the flight.

Onslaught won. The cheater.

Half their Energon rations went down the drain, Swindle couldn't even sweet talk his way out of it. Neither could Vortex, though it seemed more like a beg and plea rather than a sweet talk. Most know just how hungry Vortex gets, he can take his weight in Energon. Most people don't dare to see what happens if one gets between Vortex and his food. Even Swindle didn't dare, and he had a way of snatching peoples Energon.

Mainly Brawl though, but also mainly because Brawl tends to snatch his too.

In fact, come to think of it, Vortex is the only he's never stolen Energon from. Swindle's even managed to snatch some of Megatron's secret stash. Won't touch the stuff now, man that stuff is strong. He was sick for weeks, pretty sure he was drunk off it that long too. He also got scolded, about twice...a day...for the amount of time he stayed sick off the stuff. Vortex laughed at him and called him a light weight until he had some himself.

At least he didn't suffer alone.

Blast Off gave it one look and said "No". Brawl drank it, purged his tanks a few times, then was fine. Which served to really tick off Swindle and Vortex. Onslaught drunk some, not much.

It didn't effect him. At least not in a way that he let show. He did become a little less...creative and logical in his plans for a while though. And slept more often. A lot more often, actually. Vortex claimed to of found him conked out on the makeshift couch in their room once. Though whether that's true or not, no one knows. Considering he had also fallen asleep during a training session, no one really doubted it.

So "special" high grade and Onslaught equals a narcoleptic Leader.

How Megatron managed to drink it and be perfectly fine? No one knows. Though the grins they got from their "Glorious" Decepticon Leader led them to believe they may have gotten a hold of a decoy stash made especially for any who would dare to think they could steal his high grade without consequences. Swindle learned his lesson. Besides...

Starscream's stash tastes better. And doesn't make them fall asleep. Plus, he doesn't seem to really care as long as you don't steal it all, and at least leave him some. After all, he can always make more. Considering he uses regular Energon and stuff he has around to make it his own "special batch". Besides, Swindle always liked sweet Energon better than bitter. And Starscream can make some sweet High Grade. No one is quite sure how he does it though.

Especially sense most of what he owns is chemicals...

The bad kind.

What he would give to have some of that Energon right now, though. Or any Energon really. Damn, don't realize how hungry you are until you're about to die because of it. Okay, so maybe he's being a bit over dramatic, surely if he was so low on Energon he couldn't move, he's be in stasis right now instead of awake, aware, and unable to move. Hook probably just screwed up and missed something. Again. Like when Vortex got his arm torn off by Sideswipe in their last battle. Which Vortex didn't seem to mind much, considering he just picked up the disembodied limb and started beating him with it. Only to later have Hook attach it on wrong, mess up his circuitry and wire it all wrong. Which resulted in him moving a leg when he wanted to move an arm, of his clenching his dental when he tried to clench a fist. Not to mention the arm was kind of on sideways. Not backwards, but sideways!

Except in this case he probably wired it so wrong it ended with him not being able to move at all. And Swindle hadn't lost any limbs. At least...he hopes he hadn't.

Maybe a bit more concentration would work? He could feel himself frown now, well...lips are movable! That's a...good start. Okay...something on his face is movable, perhaps he could power on his optics now. He began to concentrate solely on powering up his optics. He could feel the faint feeling of electricity through his circuits as he gave the command for them to come online.

After moments of trying, they finally flickered to life, and slowly powered on. He found himself staring up at the dark star filled sky. Pretty. He tried focusing a bit more on his surrounding, he could see Hook on one side from the corner of his optics. And Onslaught - well Onslaught's backside really - out another corner. Sitting off to the side a bit, he could nearly see Blast Off and Vortex. Blast Off currently appeared to be staring at the ground, and Vortex looking off in Onslaught's direction. He caught movement from one side, and looked up to see Hook hovering over him.

Oh, not a face he wanted to see so soon, turn back to looking at Blast Off and Vortex! Blast off and Vortex!

"He's awake." Hook called out, head tilting up and giving Swindle a nice view of his chin. He looked in Onslaught's direction. "Really?" Vortex called from the side, and before Swindle could even realize he moved, he was at his side and leaning over him, having pushed Hook off to the side. Who grunted and crossed his arms, giving Vortex a disapproving shake of the head.

Of course, Vortex had no love for personal space and now leaned far too close to Swindle's face for his comfort, asking questions upon questions.

"Vor-r-tex..." Swindle groaned, tilting his head to the side. "Yo-o-ou st-i-ink-k." A pause in the questions, Vortex stared at him for a moment before chuckling. "What?" He managed while trying to stifle his chuckling. "You got a hole in your head and you're worried about how I smell?" He began cackling, the type that Swindle would usually scoot away from him for. But being on the ground, with a nearly immobile body...he couldn't quite do that. Then again, it probably meant Vortex was worried. He tended to hide his emotions with his creepy laughter, everyone knows that. He simply stared at the copter until Blast Off came into view, looking him over.

"How do you feel?" The shuttle asked. Well...that's odd. He could have sworn Blast Off just asked him how he felt. Circuits must be frizzing again. "Li-ike-ke I go-o-ot a ho-ole in m-yy he-ea-e-ead." Swindle replied, forcing a grin as he looked up at the shuttle. Blast Off scoffed, reached down and carefully turned Swindle's head so the hole was in his view. He looked at it for a moment, Swindle feeling more and more nervous about that fact. After all...they could oh-so easily offline him right now. Just stick a finger in his head an click, brain dead.

Blast Off removed his hand, and Swindle's head fell back into it's former position. "You'll be fine. Not much in there important to damage anyway." And with that, Blast Off went back to where he was and plopped down on the ground. Swindle just smiled and shook his head lightly, as best he could without hurting himself. Vortex quit his cackling and turned to look in Onslaught's direction. Probably didn't notice when Hook said he was online. Or felt bad or something. Or perhaps lecturing Brawl for leaving him. Though if he was, Brawl seems to be a bit out of Swindle's field of vision.

"Ons! Quit killing Brawl and come over here, Swindle's awake! Told you that you were panicking for nothin'!"

Or killing Brawl and panicking...

Wait what?

Swindle strained to see over to them, he attempted to sit up. Vortex, noticing this, wrapped an arm around his back and helped, then turned him - nearly dragging him onto his lap - so he could see the two formally unseen two. And there stood Onslaught, hands on Brawl's shoulders as he forced the mech to lean back a bit, glaring him down. Brawl frowned, as Onslaught seemingly continued to yell at him about something. Completely ignoring Vortex's calling to him, or the fact Swindle was now awake and staring right at them.

Though seeing Onslaught scold Brawl, and Brawl make such an expression...it made Swindle feel giddy for some reason. He noticed the gun in one of Onslaught's hands, which seemed positioned so he could hold onto Brawl's shoulders, and point the gun at his head at the same time. Giddy!

Really, really giddy. He started giggling lightly, he didn't quite think anything of it. Vortex smiled as he watched the two, hands on Swindle's shoulders to keep him in an upright position. Though even Vortex was starting to give him a strange look when Swindle continued to giggle, the sound becoming louder and louder. He continued to do so, until breaking out into a giggle fit - which now had everyone staring at him, Onslaught having stopped scolding Brawl as they two now stared at him with wide optics. Swindle giggling, loudly, was rare on it's own. But giggling while he had a hole in his head, and at something that he would normally smirk and make fun of rather than giggle...?

Swindle continued to giggle uncontrollably, which was a cause for worry, even for himself. He managed to stifle it down into a light snicker, up until Vortex chuckled strangely. Leaning forward, the Helicopter asked what was on everyone's mind.

"You alright there, Swin?"

Authors Notes: Surprise! Can you guess what the surprise is? No? Well you'll know better in the next chapter. Next chapter contains fluff! Family/Brotherly fluff. Just wait and see. This become stranger as well, characters will become more and more OOC. Especially Starscream, who will be appearing soon enough.

Disclaimer: Transformers does not belong to me, nor do any of it's Characters.