Chapter 3: What Time We Have
It had been a week since the twins had been returned to base and they were growing restless. Having been locked up underground for five years had left them with a lot of time to think of all they wanted to be able to do should they ever be released. So, while Optimus okayed a missing to Wyoming for Ironhide, Mirage and Hound, Bumblebee arrived with Sam who thought it'd be a good idea to get the twins out of base for a while and let them see the world around them. Ratchet and Prowl, however, were worried about the Decepticons finding out about the twins.
"And what are we going to do if Bumblebee is caught out in the open with three humans and no back up?" Prowl asked worriedly as he sat in the office with Ratchet and Prime. "It is not logical for the youngster to be alone. I agree, the twins deserve to see what is outside these walls, having seen nothing for five years but the inside of a cell, but I would feel better if someone besides Bumblebee went with them."
"Are you volunteering?" Prime asked, tilting his head slightly. Prowl glanced over at Ratchet for a moment then looked back at Prime.
"If my presence here is not required at the moment, then yes, I will accompany Bumblebee and the others on their trip." Prime nodded and stood.
"Very well. I will inform Bumblebee and the twins and we shall see you outside shortly." Prime left the office, closing the door behind him on Prowl and Ratchet. Prowl glanced over at his lover.
"You have nothing to say?"
"I think you've made the right decision, if that's what you're asking," Ratchet answered quietly. Prowl slid out of his chair and onto his knees in front of the medic. Ratchet looked down at him.
"That is not what I am asking and you know it, Ratch. What do I need to do? What do I need to watch for?" Ratchet sighed softly and took Prowl's hands in his.
"For right now, they're physically okay. Just keep up bio scans on them at all times while away from the base. If their temperature rises above ninety-eight point six degrees, watch it carefully. Should it reach one hundred or higher, bring them back immediately. Watch for signs of emotional imbalance, shortness of temper, memory loss or black outs. If any of those things occur, get them back here immediately." Prowl nodded slowly.
"You're worried," he whispered, tightening his hold on Ratchet's hands. "Ratchet, Ironhide and the others want the twins back to normal as much as you and I do. They'll get their protoforms and bring them back and everything will be okay."
"I hope you're right. I never thought I'd miss those twin terrors as much as I have and now that we have them back, I wonder how long we'll be able to keep them…"
Ironhide, carrying Will, Maggie and Glen, was being followed by Mirage who'd chosen a Porsche 911 for his alt form and who was carrying the Secretary of Defense; Hound, in the form of a Hummer H3 and finally a convoy of military vehicles carrying National Guardsmen and three of Will's former teammates from the first war, including Epps. The Secretary of Defense was carrying federal warrants with him that would allow them to enter the underground facility and remove the protoforms as well as anything else pertaining to the capture and torture of the twins.
"You're awfully quiet," Will remarked as they crossed the Wyoming state line. Ironhide growled beneath the sound of his engines and Will sighed heavily. "Tell the convoy to stop," he said in that voice that brooked no arguments. Ironhide relayed the message to Mirage and Hound and the vehicles all slowed to a stop. Will turned to Maggie and Glen. "Go finish the journey with Hound." They two hackers didn't argue as they climbed out of Ironhide and walked back to the Hummer H3. Hound opened his doors and allowed the humans inside. Once they were situated, the convoy began rolling once more. "All right, Ironhide. Talk to me." A holoform appeared in the driver's seat and began to speak.
"I fear I will be hard pressed to spare the lives of these pathetic humans once we find them in their hidden base."
"I'm not so sure the Secretary of Defense is going to allow you to kill them, Ironhide. You know the rules. There's a treaty in place."
"They should have remembered that treaty before they captured and tortured the twins. Personally, I consider this treaty void because of their actions, however, I will do nothing to bring trouble to Prime and the others. For now, I shall endeavor to behave." Will chuckled softly.
"I'm sure the Secretary will be happy to hear that." There was silence for a few minutes before Will spoke again. "How bad off are they?" The holoform wavered a little and Will knew it was because Ironhide was unhappy.
"Unless we can return them to their normal bodies, they will die in a matter of months. As it is, Sunstreaker, the one with blond hair, suffered more injuries than his brother, most of them in defense of Sideswipe. I'm not sure if he'll ever be mentally stable again. Ratchet says he's having severe nightmares and Sideswipe, the auburn haired one, is suffering just as much due to how close they both are." Will nodded slowly.
"They're as old as you and Prime?" The holoform nodded.
"Imagine, if you can, waking up one morning with thousands of years worth of memories and knowledge inside your small brain." Will raised a brow slightly.
"I can't even fathom that. They must be in pain, mentally if nothing else."
"Exactly and there isn't much Ratchet can give them that won't mess with their psyche."
"Do you think he can save them?"
"I think if anyone has a chance of saving them it's Ratchet." Before Will or Ironhide could say anything more, they had reached their destination and all vehicles came to a stop. The humans jumped out of their Autobot counterparts and stood back as they all transformed into robot mode. Secretary Kelley glanced over at Will.
"Not sure I'll ever get use to that," he said with a quick grin.
"Me either, Sir," Will answered. Ironhide turned to his companions and pointed to what appeared to be the entrance to the underground base.
"I believe we will gain access through there." Will turned to Kelley.
"Just so you know, Ironhide's not too happy about what's happened to his friends. I've already warned him about the treaty and I'm sure he'll behave, but, you know, just so you're aware of his thought process right now."
"I understand. I'm not so happy about what's happened myself." They followed the Autobots towards the entrance; the soldiers behind them armed with rifles and pistols both, the Secretary with his warrants and the Autobots armed and ready for whatever came at them.
As they neared the entrance, they could hear the faint sound of alarms. Ironhide growled and pointed his cannon at the ground. Will's eyes widened in shock and he turned back to his human associates.
"Everybody, back the hell up and get down!" The group ran for cover as Ironhide's cannons came online and he shot downwards into the underground base, blasting a hole the size of a mack truck into the ground beneath them. When the dust and smoke cleared, Ironhide turned back to Will and the soldiers.
"I believe it is safe to proceed down into the base now." The soldiers approached along with Will, Maggie, Glen and Kelley. Will glared up at his guardian.
"We are so going to be discussing this on the way home," Will said before allowing Ironhide to lower him down into the base.
Inside the underground base, alarms were blaring and they were met with the site of scared medics and techs at first but then there was gunfire and the Autobots did all they could to act as shields for their humans. Ironhide and Hound took the brunt of the attack as Mirage set off to find the protoforms of the twins.
Gunfire continued and Ironhide was slow on the draw as a shot got past him and nicked Secretary Kelley in the upper shoulder, dropping the older human to the ground.
"Will!" Will turned, hearing the anger and fear in Ironhide's voice and saw Kelley on the ground.
"Damnit all to hell! Fall back, fall back!" Will grabbed the Secretary just as another wild shot came around and caught him in the knee, dropping him as well. Ironhide turned, his cannons primed, and fired off a shot into the melee, causing several small explosions and stopping the gunfire for the moment.
"Mirage! Get the protoforms and lets get out of here!" Ironhide yelled through his comlink as he grabbed Will and Secretary Kelley and moved behind Hound and the troops as they fought their way to the surface once more.
"Found the protoforms and I am on my way. Call in the reserves, boss, and lets go home."
Bumblebee led the way, carrying Sam and Sunstreaker while Sideswipe rode with Prowl. They were able to talk through the intercoms inside the two Autobots and Sam had decided that the first place he wanted them to see was the overlook where Sam and Bumblebee spent a lot of time, especially at sunset. The twins seemed more than agreeable, especially when Sam told them that, once the sun went down, he was taking them to what was commonly called a 'night club' further into the city. Prowl wasn't too happy with that part of the plan, but wisely kept quiet.
As they reached the overlook, the vehicles slowed and came to a stop. Sam and Sunstreaker jumped out of Bumblebee and walked towards the edge of the cliff. Bumblebee transformed and joined them. Sideswipe stayed where he was, just watching his twin and Sam for a moment before Prowl finally spoke.
"Do you not wish to join them?" Sideswipe sighed softly.
"I feel safe here," he whispered softly. "What if I get out there and something happens? What if I fall off the edge or what if Sunny falls? What if the Decepticons find us and attack? I'm human, Prowl. What good am I to any of you now?" Prowl's holoform appeared next to Sideswipe and Sideswipe looked at it curiously. It was that of a human male, in his mid-thirties with brown hair and hazel eyes, dressed in what appeared to be dress slacks and white dress shirt. "That's new."
"Yes, it's something we've learned to do in order to keep ourselves hidden. Humans do not like seeing vehicles that do not have drivers. Now, you listen to me, Red. Just because you're human now doesn't mean you're no good to anyone. You will always be worth more to me alive than dead, whether you are human or robot. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Prowl."
"Now, listen to me and listen good. Get out there and enjoy the scenery with your brother. He fought to keep your safe and you fought to bring him home. Without one there is no other. And I swear to you on our very matrix that I will not let you or him die. Do you believe me?"
"I do," Sideswipe whispered, brushing tears from his face.
"Good boy. Now go." Sideswipe slid out of the Impala and walked over to where Sam and Sunstreaker stood. Sunstreaker turned and flashed a smile so brilliant at him that Prowl, now transformed and keeping watch, couldn't help but smiling to himself. Sunstreaker pulled his brother into his arms and held onto him tightly as they watched the sunset with Sam next to them. Bumblebee walked back over to Prowl and stood next to him.
"Is he okay?" Bumblebee asked softly.
"He will be," Prowl replied, watching them closely. "It just takes time."
Vice President James Garrison stood by with his Secret Service agents and a battalion of soldiers, as the injured humans were loaded onto the C-130 that sat on the airstrip. Nearby, two Autobot protoforms were packed and then loaded into the cargo plane as well, followed by a black transformer who the Vice President had heard called Ironhide. Nearby, a white Porsche 911 sat waiting next to a Hummer H3, which held two humans who weren't injured but were probably a little shocked. Sgt. Epps walked over to the Vice President and stopped just next to him.
"Mr. Vice President, Secretary Kelley and Colonel Lennox are ready for transport as are the two protoforms found within the hidden base. My team and I are prepared to accompany the Autobots back to their base on the road."
"Very good, Sgt. Thank you for the update. I'll get news back to the President and we'll meet you in Nevada."
"Yes, Sir," Epps replied before turning and running back to the convoy. "Saddle up, boys and girls, and lets get this show on the road." The ramp to the C-130 slowly began to close, Ironhide opting to stay onboard to monitor the health of the two injured humans as well as the security of the protoforms now in their possession. As the plane moved into position to take off, Ironhide opened a radio link and radioed Autobot headquarters.
"Ironhide to Prime, come in."
At the Autobot base, Prime touched the comlink and answered him.
"Go ahead, Ironhide."
"Protoforms are in our possession, but we've got human injuries. Colonel Lennox and Secretary Kelley are both injured, but not critically. We will be in Nevada within the hour once we reach cruising altitude."
"Understood. I'll alert Ratchet and the human medics on base. Prime out."
Ironhide disconnected the call and settled down against the wall of the plane as it took off, keeping his eyes on the humans around him, grateful that the injuries hadn't been much worse.
Prowl and Bumblebee sat in car mode outside the nightclub where Sam had taken the twins. The music was loud and both vehicles had dimmed their hearing capacities enough so that the noise wouldn't interfere with their ability to communicate with each other. They both kept constant scans going on their respective humans, making sure they were safe. Prowl's scans kept up with the twins body temperatures as well as their heart rates, blood pressure and brain functions. He knew what to look for and he'd do what he could to keep them safe.
Inside the club, Sam, Sunny and Sides sat at the bar and Sam had ordered all three of them shots of tequila and beer. He was attempting to explain how to do a true tequila shot. The twins watched him, then followed suit, downing about half their beers afterwards. Sam chuckled.
"Practice makes perfect," he answered, sipping from his own beer. Sideswipe set his beer down on the counter and glanced at his brother.
"Then by all means, we must practice more." Sunstreaker nodded as Sam grinned and ordered three more shots of tequila. They downed their shots, another drink of beer and Sunstreaker grinned.
"Sam, you have a good grasp on what your people consider fun." Sam nodded slowly.
"I'm glad to have you guys around. No one else will even think of coming here with me and I can't exactly bring Bumblebee in here with me, you know?"
"No kidding," Sideswipe said, downing the rest of his beer. "Where do we get more of this?" Sam laughed, shaking his head before turning and ordering three more beers and three more shots. Sunstreaker's attention turned to the dance floor and a group of females dancing near them. One of the females smiled and waved at him and Sunstreaker raised a brow slightly before smiling and waving back at her. He turned back to his brother and Sam and took the offered tequila shot, downing it along with them.
"What is the correct way to go about approaching females here?" he asked as he put down the shot glass and picked up his new beer.
"Uhm, well, that particular female is nothing but trouble, so you're staying away from her," Sam answered, glaring at the young female who'd just been waving at Sunny. "We'll find some nice girls another night. Tonight is just about relaxing, guys. So, finish your beers and then we'll dance."
Out in the parking lot, Prowl was becoming worried.
"The level of toxins in the twins' bloodstreams is becoming quite high."
"So is Sam's," Bumblebee answered." I think it's time we get them out of there and back to the base." Bumblebee made a few quick internal changes and connected his internal com so that it could dial Sam's cell phone.
Inside the club, Sam felt his cell phone vibrating and pulled it out of his back pocket as Sunstreaker pulled his brother onto the dance floor with him. He glanced down at the i.d. screen but it came up as "private". Frowning, Sam flipped open the phone and held it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Sam, you must get the twins and come out of the club. They are becoming to heavily intoxicated." Sam glanced around and saw them on the dance floor with a couple of females and sighed heavily.
"Gimme ten minutes, Bee, and I'll have them out to you." He closed the phone and shoved it back into his pocket, ignoring it when it vibrated again.
Out on the dance floor, Sideswipe was more interested in watching his brother than he was in watching the females. Within his chest, he could feel his spark warming, sending small sparks through his skin that raised his body temperature a few degrees along with his heart rate. He reached out, fingers brushing Sunny's arm and Sunstreaker turned quickly, feeling the heat within his brother's touch. His own spark began to heat up in response to his twin and in that brief moment, the brothers seemed to forget that anyone else was even in the room with them.
Out in the parking lot, Prowl was almost ready to transform and storm the club to bring the twins outside. Bumblebee called Sam again and this time, Sam was paying attention. He moved onto the dance floor and put himself between the twins, getting their attention as quickly as possible.
"We need to go. Now." Bumblebee had warned Sam not to touch them and so he did what he could to corral them off the dance floor without touching them and managed to get them out of the club without incident. In the parking lot, Prowl rolled slowly so that he was between the brothers.
"Sam, go with Bee. I'll bring the twins back myself." Sam offered no argument as he climbed into the Camero. Prowl turned his attention back to the twins. "Sunstreaker, backseat. Sideswipe, front seat. Now." They took their respective positions and Prowl closed the doors behind them. Bumblebee headed away from the club, Prowl just behind him. Inside the Camero, Sam was a little worried.
"What just happened back there, Bee?"
"I'm not sure how to explain it to you, Sam, but the twins are… unique. They were designed and made by the same creator, they share a spark. They are what we call bondmates in every sense of the word."
"What is a bond mate?" Sam asked softly.
"It is the same as what your people call soul mate."
"How can that be? Soul mates… I mean, we're talking about people here who marry their soul mates. They're twins!"
"We look at things differently on Cybertron, Sam. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker would never be able to bond with anyone else, even if they'd wanted to at some point. They were created to be together. It just… is."
Inside the Impala, Prowl was running bio-scans on the twins, trying to determine what was causing the spike in their temperature and heart rate. Sunstreaker had leaned forward and was gently brushing his fingers against the back of his brother's neck.
"Sit back and keep your hands to yourself, Sunstreaker," Prowl growled through his voice link.
"You've never had a problem with our relationship before, Prowl," Sideswipe said, somewhat hurt by his vice-commander's tone of voice.
"You're both still recovering from years of injuries and torture. You're both under the influence of toxins that have lowered your inhibitions and have raised both body temperature and heart rate. I have always supported your bonding with each other, but for right now, you must stop touching each other until I can get you on base and into Ratchet's care. Please." Sunstreaker sat back and crossed his arms over his chest almost petulantly. Sideswipe sighed softly and closed his eyes. After several moments of silence, Sunstreaker spoke softly.
"Do you know how long it's been since we've been this close to each other?"
"No," Prowl answered softly.
"Over a year," Sunny whispered. "We had cells right next to each other but we couldn't touch, we couldn't even see each other. All we had to rely on was the sound of each other's voice. So forgive us if we're somewhat touch deprived. The day you brought him to me in the infirmary was the first time I'd been able to hold him in over a year. Him carrying me through the dessert doesn't count." Silence again as Prowl processed everything he'd just been told.
"Bumblebee, this is Prowl."
"Go ahead, Prowl."
"Take Sam home for the night. Meet us back at base tomorrow morning. Send a message to Prime and let him know I'm keeping the twins out over night. If he asks for anything more, have him call me and let him know it's a priority issue."
"Okay. See you tomorrow." Prowl disconnected the link and turned towards what he knew was a nearby hotel.
"Where are we going?" Sideswipe asked.
"Someplace where you can be alone," Prowl answered quietly. Not another word was said until Prowl pulled into the parking lot. "I've transmitted a reservation under the name Sunny Graystone along with a credit card number to be charged in the morning. You have from now until noon. I suggest you use your time wisely." The twins slid out of the Impala and for a moment just stood there. "Also, if I sense anything that could prove to be dangerous to your health, I will call the room phone and you will return to me immediately. Is that understood?"
"Yeah," Sideswipe answered softly, his gaze on his brother as he answered.
"Yeah," Sunstreaker agreed before turning and walking into the hotel. Sideswipe brushing his hand over the top of the Impala before following his brother inside. Prowl watched them go then settled into a light recharge, hoping he'd done the right thing…
TBC… next chapter will focus on the twins… that is if you think it should… otherwise I'll skip the hotel scene and focus on the return of the protoforms and the return of the twins to the base with Prowl… read, review and help me decide where to go from here. Thanks.
