Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers
Hasbro owns Transformers
Just a warning I will go into 3rd person a couple times in this chapter for the sake of the plot . So don't freak out. We all know what happens when we do that thanks to Sam in ROTF…
Everybody also give DarkMoonWhiteSky a huge hug because she's awesome for giving me so many ideas for this story.
Chapter 4 Search and Rescue Part 1
A car door slamming shut outside woke me up with an embarrassing snort. I smacked my lips and realized I was drooling again. "Ugh…" I groaned sitting up and putting a hand to my forehead. Stupid, worn out, mattress…
Another car door slamming got my attention again. I looked over at the opposite bed. Dad was gone. Connecting the dots, my parents apparently went to a nearby Dunkin Donuts to get coffee. Yeah, that sounded nice right about now.
Blinking when I didn't get a good morning from Starscream or Sideswipe, I spun around to my pillow and noticed they weren't there "Guys?" I called out slightly concerned.
"Sideswipe?" I called gently, remembering last night painfully.
My duffel bag on the floor started to move, catching my attention. Starscream emerged onlining his optics lazily.
"Hey 'Screamer have you seen Sideswipe?" I asked getting up, walking over, and picking him up gently.
He grunted as I brought him close into a hug. Such torture was fun to inflict upon a mech such as Starscream.
"Femme, put me down." I blinked, surprised. His usually harsh tone was gone replaced with defeat.
Placing him on the dresser, I tilted my head in puzzlement. "Hey, is everything okay? Did something happen between you and Sideswipe last night?" I said having a stinking feeling the dream I had last night might actually have happened.
Starscream was silent, shifting on his peds, looking up, and nodding his head. "You heard very clearly what happened last night femme."
I did…I clenched and unclenched the bottom of my tank top. "You mean…he's gone?"
"The Autobot left to go back and find his brother." He said crossing his arms.
I pulled out the bench that slid under the dresser and sat on it heavily with dread. I placed my elbows on top and my head in my hands. "Did you try and stop him?" I whimpered on the brink of freaking out. What if he was lost in the forest? What if an animal got him? Or worse what if he was off- no, stop it. I thought shaking my head.
"Of course I did!" He growled harshly, somehow insulted. His tone made me flinch.
Snap.
"Well apparently you didn't because he's gone!" I yelled bringing my arms up in anger beside me not caring if I hurt his feelings or woke up my brothers who were still sleeping.
"Brittney is everything alright?" My mom's voice suddenly rang outside my bedroom door. I didn't even hear her opened the front door.
"Yeah, you're yelling." My dad confirmed
"I'm fine, just playing a really intense game on my phone!" I said trying to hide the anger and sadness in my tone.
Starscream then growled. "You know what femme maybe you should have been more attentive to the Autobot, hm? They are more sensitive than we Decepticons." He said putting a hand on his chest in a pompous manner, knowingly making me tick.
"Starscream you are not helping!" I hissed darkly, lowering my voice but still showing my anger to him. I huffed doing a head-desk with a whimper.
Calm down Britt. Calm down, it's not his fault. He tried. Give him credit. Pause. Oh hush. I thought punching my conscience out of my head.
See, when I freak out it's mental breakdown mode. Starscream even looked slightly scared the one time I broke down because of an 'F' I got on a test.
I held my head in my hands again.
"There's donuts and bagels out here honey!" My mom called again.
"Alright! Thanks!" I said struggling a smiling to make it sound like everything's okay.
"I got you iced coffee with cream, sugar and coconut flavoring for you."
"Okay mom!" I said ready to break the closest thing in sight. Starscream better step back…
I took in a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "Okay, okay, okay. We apparently have to get him back." I thought out loud combing my fingers through my hair.
"But how?" The Decepticon said also calming down. "We can't communicate and I can't detect spark signals."
"But you can transform…" I said seeing a little hope.
Starscream scowled. "Don't think about it femme. I refuse to help an Autobot."
"Please Starscream just-just scout the nearby forest and see if you can find him. I bet he would stand out…" I begged.
"No, over my twisted and cold sparkless shell. I am commanded by no one!"
This time I placed a serious expression upon my face. "That's not what it seems like to me when you take beat downs-Oh-I mean orders from Megatron…"
"How dare you, fleshling!" He brought out his double blade in anger. I smacked my lips, unimpressed.
I nonchalantly snatched it out of his hands and tossed it over my shoulder. Waiting for it to clunk to the floor I watched Starscream's shocked expression. When his weapon did, I spoke. "Look! I am in no mood right now, Starscream. I have a missing living transformer out in the wide cruel word and I need just need a little help, alright? So my best bet would be to go out there and search for Sideswipe right now or so God and Primus help me I'll create an E-Bay account and sell your little tan aft for six bucks!" I said on the verge of drop kicking the mech. (not that I ever would…maybe)
Starscream glared daggers at me. To even the glare I went face to face with him. "Fine I will help you…on one term." He said puffing his chest out.
"Name it." I challenged narrowing my eyes.
"Free access to I-Tunes for a month." The Decepticon demanded sternly.
"Two weeks"
"Month." He said poking at my nose with a clawed finger.
"One. Week. Take it…or leave it…" I said slowly. "The more you protest the shorter the time becomes." I added. He hummed in thought and finally reached his hand out not breaking his glare. I did also. "Deal." I stood up and looked down at him. "What's your plan?"
"I am a seeker I have no plan." He said proudly walking to the edge of the dresser. " For now I will put all sensors on high alert and scout in a tight pattern. I won't be gone for long. Noon should be suffice, femme." I listen to him explain his plan. And by his tone and proud in his voice I knew he would do his best to try and find him.
"Can I trust you to go alone…?" I asked concerned and quietly.
A smug smile graced his lips. "Oh please," He jumped off the dresser to retrieve his double blade. "I think I should be the one worried leaving you behind, femme." He paused realizing he said something too sweet for his Decepticon spark when he was trying to gloat.
He growled trying to hide his embarrassment. I smiled pretending I missed his reason behind his words.
"Alright, just come back in once piece. You know how energon kills my skin." I said joking while picking him up. I walked over to the window and opened it with a harsh push.
He jumped twisting his body and transformed mid air. I retracted my hand out from under him before his tiny thrusters could burn my hand. "You always make this fan girl happy when you do that." I couldn't help but smile.
"I have that effect on all femmes-no matter the species." He purred making me role my eyes.
"Just be careful, please" I said lowering my hand to my side.
The Decepticon hovered for a moment. "I will. No need to worry." He promised sincerly. And with that I watched him fly away, his tiny afterburners disappearing in the distance as he flew into the forest.
I sighed sitting back on my bed. "Be careful…" I whispered again looking down at the floor.
The tiny mech's vents inhaled and exhale the damp morning air, struggling with the condensation that was building up in them. His wheeled feet struggled to find traction on the forest floor as they slid on wet leaves and mosses. Small sticks would become wedged in his joints making him repeatedly rip them out in aggravation.
All in all, Sideswipe had no idea where he was going. He stuck to the asphalt road and somehow ended up on a dirt road and then in the forest. Too stubborn to return to Brittney and reluctant to give up on his determination and promise to his brother, he kept going.
He struggled to reach his brother over the bond but only felt numbness as a response. He gritted his denta.
"Of course he's not going to answer back…" The Autobot vented under his breath.
Suddenly his wheeled foot slipped making him fall flat on his face with an unmeckly yelp. He stayed on the ground for a second trying to fight back his building aggravation. It didn't work.
"Slaggin, mother friggin…" He cursed getting up onto his knees. For the first time he looked up at the tall tress over him feeling smaller than he really was. Narrowing his optics he shook his head. He wouldn't give up. He had to find him, he just had to.
Suddenly his fragile door wings twitched as they detected a sound nearby. He immediately stood up and unsheathed his blades with incredible speed.
Another rustle of leaves sounded nearby but this time it was closer. His door wings twitched again trying to pin point the direction of the sound. Sideswipe jumped when a nearby bush started to shake. He backed away slowly, blades drawn out in front of him. A growl escaped his lips. "Show yourself!" He demanded.
Suddenly the bush stopped moving. Sideswipe tilted his head when nothing happened but not a moment later, crawling out from under the bush, came a raccoon.
Sideswipe sagged his defensive pose as the creature munched on a tree nut as it stared at him blankly. "You got to be kidding me…" He said sheathing his blades back into his forearms, straighten his body, and cautiously making his way over to the unusual animal.
The masked bandit watched the Autobot with careful eyes as it finished munching on the tree nut. Sideswipe curiously looked around and saw the same type of tree nut nearby. Instantly he had an idea. He glanced up at the animal and smiled. Walking over to it he held it down with his wheeled foot carefully and unsheathed one of his blades once more, wedging the outside shell to revel the meat inside. Carefully he plucked it out and showed it to the animal.
He noticed that the animal's nose was twitching, instantly smelling the food.
"Oh so you like this, hm?" He said smirking as he walked forward.
The raccoon stepped forward reaching for it.
"Ah, ah, ah, not yet." Sideswipe said hiding it behind his back with a sneaky smirk.
The smirk slowly went away as the mech deflated. The Autobot warrior realized his plan was out of a story book. He straighten himself once again.
"Here goes nothing…" The silver mech sighed. "Okay, you, fluffy ring tailed mammal, I need your help. If you help me I'll give ya this."
Blink. Sniff.
Sideswipe rolled his optics. "I need you," He pointed at the raccoon using a slow and emphasized tone to make his words more clear to the raccoon. "To bring me…" He pointed at himself. "To the village…" He said twiddling his fingers and pointing in a random direction.
Sideswipe saw it point its nose in another direction. Sideswipe smiled. "So you know what I'm talking about?" He hoped.
The raccoon lowered itself on its stomach and stared at the mech, a clear invitation to ride upon it's back. "Yes!" He said in victory. Gently tossing the nut to the raccoon he hopped on its back and waited until the animal was done eating.
He waited. "Alright. Lets go." The silver Autobot urged patting it on the head.
He waited a little more. "Alright, umm, hey we had a deal…"
The raccoon laid its head down and soon fell asleep with the Autobot on it's back.
Sideswipe exhale loudly leaning forward falling on his face in the animal's fur.
Sadly for Sideswipe, raccoons were nocturnal.
I sat out in the kitchen slowly sipping my coffee and eating the bagel and cream cheese. I stared into space not able to keep my mind off of Starscream and Sideswipe.
"You alright sweetie?" My mom said waving a hand in front of my face.
I smiled and shook my head. "Oh yeah, just waking up." I supplied casually.
She eyed me for another moment before turning away back into the kitchen to clean more dishes left over from last night.
"So, we going swimming in the lake today or staying here and relaxing? I asked.
My mom shrugged her shoulder. "What we do, we do. We're on vacation. You're not supposed to plan out your vacation." She smiled.
I took another sip of my iced coffee twitching my nose. "I guess you're right…"
Soon my family decided to go to the lake and swim. Not liking the water so much the first time I simply tanned in the sun with my mom while Chris and Tom swam in the lake. My dad was nearby talking to another man who just so happened to be a cop just like him.
While everyone else was having a good time I couldn't say I was relaxed. Somewhere in the Adirondacks were my Sideswipe and Starscream. Wait. What if Starscream got lost too?
I shot up from laying down on the beach chair and looked in the direction of my cabin.
No, he wouldn't get lost he's a seeker and seekers never get lost they always know where their going, especially Starscream. At least that's what it says about him in the fan fiction universe.
Realizing my mom was looking at me oddly, I quickly started to pretend I was fixing my blue bikini. She simply shook her head with a smile and laid face down once again.
Giving one last worried glance back to the forest in front of our cabin I slowly laid back down on my beach chair also.
He said noon Brittney, he will come back. I thought as I calmed myself down and relaxed in the sun's glowing rays.
"Hey Brittney! Watch me." I heard my little brother yell out to me from the dock nearby.
I rolled my eyes and looked over to Thomas who was about to jump off the dock along with his other annoying friends his age. I faked a smile and watched him jump in once he knew he was the center of attention.
He jumped in with a splash and so did his other friends. A tubby one, Daniel, I guess and a skinnier one named Bobby. My brother resurfaced with a smile on his face and glanced over at me for approval
"That was impressive Tom Tom." I said using his nick name with a smile.
He smiled in return and went off to splash with his other friends.
Rubbing my arm subconsciously, I glanced over at my cell phone on the table nearby. It was almost noon. Biting my lip I got up and started to walk away from the beach. My mom immediately noticed my disappearance. "Where you going, Britt?"
"To the cabin, I have to go to the bathroom." I said walking over to the picnic table where my dad was sitting. I picked up the room key and briskly walked to our cabin.
A loud 'Geronimo' was heard from my little brother as he splashed into the water again.
If I had placed the key in the doorknob any harder I think I would have broken it. My anxiousness and worry were getting the best of me. Going inside, I went into my bedroom where I purposely left the window open for Starscream.
"Star?" I called hoping he was in the bedroom. The silence was my answer that he was not. I started to pace between the beds after five minutes went by. I bit my finger nails, a habit I did when I became on edge.
I stopped clapping my hands together in front of my chest as if I were praying to God. The sound at first was distant but then it became louder. Widening my eyes and a smile slowly coming to my lips, I recognized it as Starscream's tiny thrusters.
Before I could control myself he came flying in though the window transforming in mid-air out of exhaustion. Without thought I dove for the mech bringing him close to my chest as I fell to the floor with a thud.
"Ow…" I deadpanned laying onto my back on the dirty floor. I sat up bringing Starscream's exhausted form into my hands.
"You look like slag." I whispered both relived and humored at the same time.
He gave me a dirty look but it's effect was watered down by his weakness. "Silence femme! I'll have you know I scoured that blasted organic forest with all of my spark and energy! To think, I, Starscream could bring myself so low-"
I rolled my eyes bringing my lips to the side of his tiny head for a kiss. I placed my head in my hand and watched as Starscream went silent staring into space. He suddenly started to sputter with disgust.
"Apparently you didn't find him." I said after along moment of the seekers' breakdown.
"No, I sadly didn't…"
I sighed lowering my head. Starscream stood up in my hand making me help him up with my other pinky.
"Thank you Starscream." I said sincerely.
He nodded his head tiredness in his optics. Standing up I brought him over to my duffel bag on the floor and placed him in a comfy pile of clothes.
"What is this for?" He asked truly puzzled. "I should be punished for failing my mission."
"It's alright, We just have to go back to square one." I said shaking my head sitting on my dad's bed.
Starscream didn't take my assurance. I knew he didn't he was too proud of a mech to just walk away from a failed mission. "If only we could have communicated with him…" I said out loud.
Starscream by now was passed out in a deep recharge. I smiled down at the tiny mech. Slowly my smile started to fade. Hold on… "Communicate…?" An idea sprung up in my head quickly. I got up and ran out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where I picked up the phone and dialed a very important number.
Sideswipe by now on his last nerve. With his systems on the brink of going into recharge he kept going, ignoring the messages that scrolled across his vision.
"Stupid raccoon…" He huffed shaking his head to get rid of the sleepiness. It had been two days since the mech had a decent recharge. With each step the thought of rest sounded sweeter and sweeter.
He shook his head again. Sideswipe had to keep going he had to find his brother…he had to…and with that he collapsed on the forest ground in an exhausted lump.
In the nearby distance was the sound of cars going by and the loud voices of shopping tourists.
"Vivi, it's me." I said with a serious tone. "Pick up the damn phone! I know you're there reading slash fanfics of Prowl and Jazz. Stop drooling and pick up you cell!" I said giving the usual warning to my Transfan friend. Yeah, the one who introduced me to this mess and got me addicted to it. God and Primus have mercy on her soul once I get my hands on her again.
"This is Vivi all the way from Colorado speaking how may I help you?" Her sweet and innocent voice made me want to tear her even more. I inhaled deeply shoving the idea away.
"Yah, uh I need to talk to you about something, it involves Sideswipe's…story." I winced when she made a hissing noise along with a 'sexy beast'. I rolled my eyes.
"Oh, you came to the right femme my dear. How may I help you?" She asked again in that same god freaking- "Yeah, so remember that fan fic we both cried over about Sideswipe and Sunstreaker for like days on end."
"Yeah what about it?" She asked pretending like she was crying.
"Well, I don't remember but the twins could use their bond to talk to each other right?"
"Yeeeeah."
"And they could know where the other twin was just by 'poking' through the bond right?"
"Yeah, why are you asking-"
I snapped my fingers and ran into my parents bedroom with a determined plan running through my head. "Thanks Vivi that's all I need to know! I'll call you back some other time, k thanks, bye!" I hung up the phone tossing it aside to focus on my plan. With a screaming conscience I went through my parents wallets and brought out fifty dollars. I stared at it for a moment getting second thoughts about this. But with a hiss I ran back into my bedroom and got dressed.
"Starscream nap time's over!" I said with a determined tone picking up Starscream and placing him in my purse. Like a squirrel hyped up on sugar, the Decepticon went through a long list why he should cut off my fingers for disturbing his recharge. Ignoring him I wrote a note on a piece of paper in a rush and left it on the kitchen table. I went out the door and started to run briskly to the main road where I waited for a rare taxi to drive by.
With luck one did come by and it was currently without a passenger. I got into the cab with haste looking forward with determination. "The village please." I directed quickly.
When Sideswipe sensors alerted him of nearby movement his system came online sluggishly. Shuttering his optics a couple times, his processor suddenly caught on that he was hanging upside-down.
"Wha…?" He mumbled almost drunkenly. He looked up and saw he was being held by the foot by a-
"Oh, hell no!" His processor was awake now. The cat, surprised by his sudden movement, dropped him on the ground earning a grunt from the tired mech and scurried off in an alley way.
Sideswipe sat up gripping his helm with a hand trying to fight the sudden dizziness from hanging upside-down. The equivalent of blood rushing to the head in human terms.
Suddenly Sideswipe looked up. Just in time before a foot came down upon him. With a startled yelp of surprise he jumped out of the way only to get in the way of another humans path.
"Holy good Primus!" He yelped stepping this way and that to avoid being crushed.
Finally Sideswipe moved flat against a storefront's wall and sighed a breath of relief. Now having the chance to look around his spark soared with hope upon seeing the familiar shops that made up the village. With more determination in his spark he ignored his systems cry for recharge and walked along the sidewalk making sure to keep out of sight. He winced almost painfully.
Now that he thought about it, Brittney was going to very upset with him. "Heh, here's a list." Sideswipe said out loud to himself. "A: you endangered yourself to be seen by humans. B: you separated yourself from me C: I am going to kill you." He said mocking Brittney's voice.
"Look mommy!" A high pinched voice made Sideswipe stop dead in his tracks and look up at a eight year old boy with a lollypop in one hand and a soda can in the other. Not taking the situation as seriously as he should have his thoughts immediately went to why a parent would let a child have sugar and caffeine at the same time.
He stared up at the kid with his face twisted into puzzlement. The boy seemed to do the same thing licking the lollypop slowly.
Sideswipe shuttered his optics and snapped out of his daze. "Oh slag!" Before the kid could grab him Sideswipe jumped backwards avoiding the child's hand and transformed into his silver Stingray disguise, driving away from the boy.
"Mommy!" The child said running over to a woman who was looking at clothes racks outside of a gift shop.
"What honey?" The mother almost replied in a knowingly tone that he would say something along the lines of wanting this or that.
"I saw a toy!"
"Yes, there are many toys in the gift shops, honey." She sighed.
"No, It talked!" He said still too young to understand proper English.
"Yes, some of them are supposed to do that honey." The woman said not impressed by the boys accusations.
"Mom," The eight year old drawled the word out. "It was alive! It ran off yelling!"
This time the mother looked up from a shirt that caught her eye and gave her son an odd look. A couple of moments later the mother took away her son's lollipop and soda claiming that the child's imagination didn't need anymore fuel for the fire.
Once the taxi driver pulled next to the curb I gave him a ten dollar bill telling him to keep the change for a tip. I hurriedly got out of the car and walked down the street with fire in my eyes and doom in my step. Approaching the 'geek store', I so called it, I swung the door open with a force Megatron himself would probably flinch upon.
The same comic book stereo type guy was still there and so was Sunny.
He immediately saw me and leaned over the counter with that bastard of a smile. "Come for more darling?"
"Shove it." I snapped slapping down thirty bucks in front of him along with my purse. "I have your thirty, hand him over."
He glanced down at the thirty and looked back up at me. "No can do." He said smugly.
I kept eye contact with him fiercely. He didn't see my purse slightly move.
"And why is that?" I said leaning closer to him smelling Cheetos on his breath.
"I already bought him."
"My ass." I said knowing he was lying. I knew he wanted to play games with me just to be an ass-or flirt. Whatever way, I came prepared.
Suddenly he went stiff and his eyes widening. I smiled putting my head in my hands casually. I was about to break the rules I came to enforce for so long. But you know what they say-desperate times call for desperate measures.
"I want you to meet a buddy of mine. I bet you know him very well." I almost purred.
Starscream slowly slithered around his neck teasing him with his double blade smiling sickly that could make any fan girl swoon. I, to busy enjoying this as much as Starscream, didn't bother to.
"Dark of the Moon Mechtech Deluxe Class Starscream. Cool huh? I absolutely love his double blade, don't you?" I purred again realizing I was totally channeling Starscream by now.
He nodded his head carefully. I could hear the short hairs on his neck ring against Starscream's blade. I blinked once. "Starscream not to close." I warned him still keeping my smug tone but at the same time not wanting to be charged with assault…or murder.
He grumbled annoyingly and kept a firm hold on his hair bringing the blade a little farther from his neck
"Now if you were smart, and I know you are because any Transformer fan would know that Starscream likes his enemy's deaths slow and painful, you would hand over Sunstreaker. I paid for him fair and square in the amount you said." Again he gulped.
Inside my heart was beating frantically in my chest and my mind was going two forty. I bet it was the same deal with the guy.
"You-you wouldn't dare!" His voice quivered.
"She wouldn't, but I will…" Starscream whispered into his ear. By now the guy was practically shaking- too shocked having a blade near his throat or that there was an alive Transformer on his shoulder holding him by the hair.
"Okay, okay, okay…take him, he's yours!" He slowly reached over for Sunstreaker and place him in front of me. I handed him the thirty dollars and Starscream retracted his weapon separating the double blade into two separate ones. He jumped off, causally placing them back onto his arm. The plating shifting over the nodes to hold them in place.
"Thank you have a nice day." I said smiling taking Sunstreaker into my arm.
"Y-yeah" And with that he fainted.
I rolled my eyes looking down at Starscream. "Probably a fangasim." I shrugged.
He smiled evilly as we fist bumped each other and went back into my purse.
As we walked out, the customers in the shop glanced from us to the cashier wondering what the hell happened.
"Mission accomplished." I smiled.
"Brittney?" Christopher called out as he opened the unlocked front door to the cabin.
"Britt!" He called out with a sigh of annoyance. "Probably playing with those Transformers." He mumbled.
He paused seeing a stray piece of paper on the kitchen table. He narrowed his eyes at the paper and smiled as he read the note Brittney left behind.
"Alrighty then…" He said nodding his head and tearing up the note.
Not much later when he returned to the beach and his mom asked where Brittney was, he would simply reply in a lazy tone: "She's taking a nap. She said the sun was getting to her."
"Oh is she alright?" She said getting up to check on her daughter.
Christopher eased her back down in the chair. "She's fine. She had a bad night sleep she told me, I locked the front door on the way out so she's fine alone."
The mother simply smiled and went back to tanning. "Such a good brother you are…"
Christopher simply smiled. "You own me big time sis…"
Once Sideswipe got away from the child for the second time he stopped at a storefront observing a village map. Without luck the store that Sunstreaker was located in wasn't labeled on there. And he thought seeing that kid for the second time was bad…
"Well that's perfect…" He mumbled annoyingly
"There it is again mommy!"
Sideswipe cocked his jaw to the side looking up to the sky. Count to ten…count to ten…
"Hey!" The child came closer trying to get his attention like a person would to a dog. From the corner of his optic he saw the boy pick up a stick.
"Kid, if you start poking me with that stick" He paused. "Ima cut your hand off." He grumbled trying to hold back his blades that were slowly unsheathing from his forearms.
The boy ignored the "toy" and poked him with the stick.
Not a second later the child was running with tears of fear in his eyes. Behind him was Sideswipe in his alternate mode driving down the sidewalk after the child. "I warned you, you little pit spawn!" He yelled out, his tiny but powerful engine roaring angrily.
Sorry if there's some mistakes I try to read chapters about 3 times to get most of the errors.
Oh and also- Happy Thanksgiving everyone! =D