"Lord defend me from my friends; from my enemies I can defend myself." - Unknown

"Out Loud"

"Ratchet's Thoughts"

"Sunstreaker's thoughts"

"Twin-Speak"

-Com-

Cliffhanger- 8- The voice inside my head...

"GET YOUR RUST INFESTED GLITCHING SKIDPLATE OUT OF MY WAY OR SO HELP ME PRIMUS I'LL PAINT YOU PINK AND WELD YOUR SORRY HIDE TO THE CEILING!"

Sunstreaker shuddered, smiling weakly as energon trickled from his torn lip. Ratchet yelling was always a good sign. He tried to talk, his body jerking with the effort. He winced at the raspy squeak that was the only sound he could manage to make as his the stimulant he had been given to prevent him from going offline during torture finally wore off enough for him to sink into oblivion.

Ratchet moved like a mad man. He couldn't believe the shredded pile of scrap laying on his table was still alive. Energon leaked from holes that covered practically his entire body, his arms and legs had been crushed into twisted metal and leaking wires. What was worse, his helmet had been removed, forceably, leaving his processor and internal wiring fully open and unprotected. His optics had been shattered, a long, jagged gash ran from above his right one all the way down to his throat, barely missing an energon line. There was energon leaking out of his mouth. Ratchet had managed to sedate Sideswipe, who had come staggering in moments ago, carrying his twin in his arms and laying him on the table before crumpling in a heap from sheer exhaustion and struggling to get up in the middle of a full blown stasis lock.

Ratchet finished welding shut the worst of the energon leaks, then got to work on the hole in Sunstreaker's spark casing.

Prime looked up from his desk at the sound of Ratchet's uncharacteristic shriek and a loud explosion.

-"Everything alright in there Ratchet?"-

Nothing but static was his reply.

Instantly he was on his feet, jogging towards the med bay.

Ratchet rebooted with a groan, to find himself flat on his back across the room. Horror filled him as he noticed the bits and pieces of what had been Sunstreaker. He struggled to get to his feet, his mind racing to figure out how and why, fighting against the grief that filled him as he realized whatever he had done had killed his patient. Until a familiar voice echoed inside his head, filling him with confusion.

"HOLY SLAG RATCH WHAT THE PIT DID YOU DO TO ME?"

"Sunstreaker?"

"Nooooooooo, its Primus... Who the slag else would I be? Sunstreakers voice dripped with its usual cheerful sarcasm.

"But... How?"

"Your the medic, you tell me."

Ratchet hadn't had time to panic before Optimus rushed into the room. His optics widened at the scene of carnage before him "What happened?"

"I... Don't know yet Prime..." Ratchet was running every scan he could think of, something about this was wrong. Very wrong. Prime was looking at him with concern and well hidden grief at the sight of Sunstreaker's remains.

"Ratchet, is Sideswipe sedated?"

"Yes."

"No he's not."

"What?"

"He said I'm not sedated. What the slag is going on?"

"Ratchet... Are you alright?"

Ratchet blinked, suddenly realizing he hadn't been listening to Prime, who was looking down at him with an expression of deep concern.

"Yes... Fine... I just... I HAVE WORK TO DO! OUT! " Ratchet could only hope Prime would trust him enough to leave him alone to figure out what was going on.

"But..." Seeing the expression on Ratchet's face, Optimus Prime knew that arguing would be pointless. With a heavy sigh he turned to leave "I expect a full report Ratchet."

Nearly sighing with relief, Ratchet saluted "Yes sir. Now get!"

With a heavy sight, Ratchet put his hands on the counter in front of him, staring at it as he tried to calm his fritzing logic processor and think.

"Sunstreaker?"

"Its about fragging time. Figured out whats going on yet?"

"No. Where are you?"

"Your med bay. Staring at the counter and what appears to be the tops of your hands. Would you quit spazzing? If anyone should be spazzing its me. Look what you did to my paint job."

"Sunstreaker, I know you probably hear this a lot but right now I believe we have bigger problems then your paint job being slagged to pit. Now be quiet and let me think."

"Wait, so your inside of Ratchet? Ew."

"Tell me about it. He looks like he hasn't had a new paint job in years."

"Do you two mind? This is still my head we're talking in. Sideswipe am I correct in assuming thats you?"

"Duh. This is how we talk to each other without anyone else knowing what we're saying. Thanks for butting in."

"Dude, Sides... Ratchet use to be spark bonded to..."

"THAT IS NOT FOR YOU. STAY THE SLAG OUT OF MY MEMORY BANKS" Ratchet shut down his memory storage, fuming.

"Well that tested that theory. Chill the slag out Ratch, what's said between us stays between us."

"I've a theory for you." Ratchet slammed his head on counter, smirking at the yelp that came from Sunstreaker.

"Point...Taken..So... What do we do now?"

"We could get Ratchet to help us figure out how to take down Prime and paint him pink without being deactivated."

"Not going to happen. Sideswipe, is there a reason your still laying in my med bay?"

"Cause my stupid brother got himself slagged and I drained myself into a stasis lock dragging his sorry skid plate back here. Which might I add, I still expect you to somehow repair."

"How are we speaking with you stasis lock?"

"Same way he speaks to me when I'm in stasis lock. We talk with our sparks. We don't know how, we've just always done it."

"I think I may know what happened... Can you two shut up long enough for me to run some deep scans?"

"Sure thing Ratchet. Sides, shut up."

"Make me."

"I don't suppose you two have some way of hurting each other using your sparks?"

"I wish."

"Sorry doc. Your stuck with us."

"Slag."

"What do you think did this?"

"I can't say for certain until I have run more tests, but I believe I may have accidentally nicked your spark with my lazer scalpel and some how it transferred into my spark casing."

"Awkward..."

"I would threaten to do something awful to you Sunny, but since technically your in my body..."Ratchet grinned and slammed his head against the counter again.

"PRIMUS! Sides, the rumors are true. Ratchet's a masochist."

"No, worse." Ratchet chuckled. "I'm a medic."