**Matter of Pride part 8**
Note: Have no fear; the two groups who split from the main Autobot force shall rejoin them. But that will happen in the third book of this trilogy: 'Matter of Prime'. The plot will REALLY get twisted in that book!
Now back to 'ol Sunstreaker shall we? (My favorite sadistic Autobot!)
------
Barricade snarled as the two stalked around them, her fiery optics narrowing in suspicion. Digits itched over her weapons, ready to activate in less than a blink of an optic if necessary. She had a rather long-standing feud with this particular gestalt. A feud somewhat caused by her own actions in tormenting a certain Drag Strip with the spike strips she just LOVED to accidentally 'drop' in front of him. While their leader, MotorMaster, thought it was quite hysterical to watch – the rest of his unit didn't. They'd try and beat up the cruiser anytime they caught him alone. Granted, they weren't very successful for the most part. But they never quit trying….
The golden mech at her side followed her moves with a precision that seemed fluid. Like a pair of practiced dancers performing a long known routine. His guard was up as much as hers was, but unlike her, he was unarmed. This fact didn't seem to faze the ex-gladiator much. He'd prefer to rip the two Stunticons apart with his bare servos. A little payback for what they had done to him during his first shifts of captivity. To rile them up a bit, he gave them a cocky smirk and began to stare intently at one of them in particular.
After a few moments of silent threats, the one that Sunstreaker was blatantly staring at began to lose his composure. He leapt at the golden mech, his fist coming forward to punch him. "Quit staring at me!" he shrieked in rage.
His movement was anticipated, for this was the exact reaction that Sun expected. Suddenly going into a crouch, he grabbed the mech's outstretched arm. Using Breakdown's own momentum against him, he easily flipped him over him. The Lamborghini crashed against the far wall with a surprised yelp. Even before the thrown mech had a chance to right himself, Sunstreaker stood up and wiped his hands off. "Like I told you Master, if you throw the piece of slag first – you won't get a scratch on your paint job," he snickered.
"Ya rust bucket necro lover gonna pay for that!" Wildrider screamed and came at them.
He was met by the cruiser. The crash of metal-on-metal echoed through the passage. The cruiser growled as she activated her swinging mace, Sunstreaker ducked in synch as she began her spin, the blades hissing through the air right where his helm had just been. With a wry smirk, the golden mech turned his attention back to the other combatant, pouncing on him before he could even stand.
Wildrider stood his ground for a moment before getting smacked on the side of his helm. Knocked off-kilter he staggered backwards and fell onto his aft, firing his arsenal at the approaching cruiser. The swinging motion of her weapons deflected the bullets, causing them to ricochet on down the hall. Getting close enough, the cruiser managed to completely disarm her opponent. In desperation, he unthinkingly jumped at her, starting a wrestling match…
Sunstreaker smirked as he grabbed Breakdown's weapon and wrestled it out of his servos. "My turn for some fun now – you little fragger!" he snarled. His digits began to dig into exposed joints, ripping anything they touched. He kept his optics locked onto Breakdown's, causing the mech to squirm underneath him.
"Ok! Ok! I give up! Just quit staring at me!" Breakdown cried. His entire chassis was shaking now. Those blue optics seemed to drive daggers into his very spark! He wanted to run from them… Smash them… Get away from them….
"Then just stop looking at me!" Sun growled. Curling his digits into a tight ball, he smashed straight down into the paranoid mech's right optic with all his hydraulic force.
Breakdown screamed as the sound of shattering glass filled the area. Energon sprayed from his collapsed optic socket, coating the golden mech's hood.
"Shit! Primus damned son-of-a-screw-driver ruined my wax!" Sun snarled. In a rage, he smashed down with his fist again-and-again. Berating the writhing mech about creating such a mess….
"Why you…" Wildrider charged them again, trying to somewhat backup his fellow gestalt mate. He stopped in his tracks as a spinning mace blocked his way.
"Frag you Wildrider. Breakdown doesn't need his optics anyways," Barricade snickered. She glanced back at what Sunstreaker was doing, then turned back to the other Stunticon. "And he needed a new face plate too. Good excuse to haul his useless aft to Hook – aye?"
Sunstreaker stood up, giving the groaning mech one last kick for good measure. "And DON'T fraggin' do it again – or I won't be so generous as to leave you a fucking spark!"
Wildrider glanced from the golden one to the cruiser and back. "What the slag?!? Ya lettin' a damned bot keep his spark?!?" He looked from the Autobot to the cruiser suspiciously…
Not missing a beat, the golden mech curled his arm around his 'master' and gave Wildrider his biggest slag-eatin' smirk. "Master sure did. And I'm so happy – he's so delectable you know." With that, he began to kiss Barricade's armor, as if he was completely infatuated with the false mech.
If a mech's face plate COULD turn green, Wildrider's would've. Instead, he fought the natural refluxing of his fuel pump and backed away a step. "Slag! Ya got him totally meta-washed. Ya sick fraggin necro!" He'd heard rumors about what had happened to Swindle, and definitely didn't want to be the next victim of the cruiser's. Primus knows – they weren't exactly friends so he wouldn't put it past the sicko.
"Mmmmm, master, do you want me to catch him for your amusement?" Sun purred, his optics filling with a truly sadistic gleam that would put even Megatron to shame.
Barricade smirked, but stopped her pet. Leveling her fiery orbs at the mech, she snorted in contempt. "I wouldn't waste a functional transfer on slag like them." With that, she turned sharply on her peds and marched off, her point well made.
Sun shot Wildrider one final look before he turned and followed his 'master'. His golden armor shimmered brightly in the dim light as he strode through the passage as if he truly belonged in the Decepticon ranks.
The look told the Stunticon in no certain terms that the 'pet' would've truly enjoyed raping him in a horrific manner. Normally, he wouldn't be the type to shirk from a battle. But something about the fierceness of that mech's blue optics told him that he wanted no part of him. The pet had to be completely spirit broken by now. Completely meta-washed by the crazed necrophiliac! No, Wildrider wanted no part of the psychotic pet – nor his master.
Waiting for them to completely disappear, Wildrider finally went to the aid of his groaning gestalt mate. Throwing him over his shoulder without any concern as to his discomfort, the mech looked one last time down the hall that their opponents had disappeared. He'd be sure to avoid Barricade for a long, long time… Or at least make sure his damned pet wasn't around to help him when he did run across him!
------
Barricade glanced back at her golden shadow. "Well done pet, you may make a decent Decepticon yet."
Sunstreaker shot her a sly look back. She knew damned well he was playing this game. And when it came to dealing out pain to those who deserved it – he was more than a tad eager! "Thank you master. I do so only to please you," he replied.
"Reeeeeeaaaaaaallllllllyy?" The taunting voice caught them both slightly off guard. They turned as a single unit, both glaring at the speaker with an equal level of disgust.
The cruiser cocked her head, appearing totally unafraid in the face of the one con who was possibly smart enough to smell the ruse. Optimus himself had once said that Barricade was possibly the most dangerous Decepticon around because of his level of cunning and deception, perhaps even MORE dangerous than Starscream himself. His assessment was actually far milder than the reality. In reality, Barricade was far, far more dangerous than Starscream could even dream of being. And now that very Seeker dared to taunt her, not realizing the embers he was throwing fuel upon…
Crossing her arms, she smirked at the Seeker, her optics roving hungrily over his chassis. "Do you pursue me for more than my mere glossa now, Starscream?" she asked, her tone low and suggestive. Boldly, she walked up to him, then circled him like a beast of prey, the tips of her digits daring to brush one of his sensitive wings. "Are you jealous that I've decided to take a pet – over you? Hmmmm?"
Spinning, the Seeker snarled in rage as he smacked the offending digits from his proud wing. "Frag you! Only a broken slave would allow a disgusting necrophiliac like you to slag him." Following the circling cruiser with his optics, he nodded towards the silent pet. "But since you let him keep his spark, perhaps I'll take another taste or three of him. The benefits of my superior rank over you."
Before the Seeker could say another word, the cruiser snarled and attacked him full-on. She glanced at Sun as she initiated the violence, silently ordering him to stay out of it.
Sunstreaker balled his fists, not relishing the idea of staying out of a good brawl. Especially when one considered that the traitorous Seeker was involved! But he obeyed her silent order, stepping to the side and watching the match with studious optics.
With a triumphant shout, Starscream managed to grab one of the cruiser's leg servos. Spinning, he threw him down the hall, enjoying the sounds of the grunts as his opponent slid over the loose rocks. The cruiser was damaged, but far from done. Getting up, he charged back in…..
"While I do love to watch a good fight, I have need of my best spy's services," Megatron's voice interrupted them at about the same time as his blast hit Starscream's cockpit. He cackled as the surprised Seeker shrieked in pain as the blast threw him hard against the rocks. "You on-the-other-hand, I don't have need for," he kicked the Seeker out of his way, "at least not right now."
Starscream clamped his mouth shut, knowing from that tone that his lord was not interested in what he said. Holding his damaged armor together, he stood up and stumbled out of the area, swearing silently to himself that he would get even with the disgusting necrophiliac…. One cycle he'd get vengeance!
Barricade dropped immediately to her knee plates upon the sight of the tyrant, Sunstreaker wisely following her lead. "My lord," the false mech said, his voice filled with almost a worshipful reverence, "I am yours to command!"
His deep chuckle filled the empty air; Megatron looked approvingly from his valued cruiser to the golden pet. Leaning down, he put his digit under the necro's chin and let him look up and meet his optics. Barricade's optics seemed filled with an undying love for him… An unquestioning loyalty… Such a good soldier… "Ah Barricade, it is always an intake of putrid air when you're around. Such loyalty.." he purred.
The cruiser seemed to tremble in absolute rapture at his attention. His engine purred, almost as if he was about to overload at this slight contact..
Frowning as the wave of nausea threatened to hit him, Megatron pulled his servo away. Even he was sickened by the very notion that the necrophiliac lusted for him. But that type of emotional attachment made the cruiser even that much more fanatically loyal to him, so he attempted to actually hide his repulsion. "Yes, my best soldier are you not?"
"Yes my lord! I live to serve you!" Barricade exclaimed. His optics were full of total and complete adoration for the tyrant as he pronounced his undying loyalty to him…
Megatron smirked, then shifted his red orbs to the silent golden pet still prostrated on the ground at his peds. "I noticed that you left his spark intact, very unusual for you my spy. Is he broke to you?"
Her lip components curled up, baring her jagged dental plates in a macabre smile. "Yes my Lord, he will do anything I order. He is completely – mine."
The tyrant cocked his helm, studying the silent form on the floor. "And what belongs to you…"
Barricade smirked proudly, "… Belongs to you, my lord."
"Ah yes, such a loyal servant, my Barricade." Megatron nudged the pet with his ped. "Stand," he ordered.
Forcing himself to remain totally emotionless, Sunstreaker stood, still keeping his optics locked to the rock beneath his peds. "Yes, my lord?" he asked. That last word grated upon his every processor to say, but this was his final test. If he could convince Megatron himself that he was indeed a meta'less slave, then freedom wasn't far behind…
"Look at me," Megatron ordered. He studied the smaller mech's blue optics, looking for any hint of emotion. Any hint of an Autobot's natural aggression towards the sight of him. But there was none, none at all. "Barricade, take the collar off of him."
Without a word, Barricade turned and removed the collar. Her optics briefly met Sun's, silently telling him to play the part perfectly… For their freedom… For the life of their unborn sparkling… With an emotionless façade, she turned and resumed her place…
"Let us see if he's truly yours, shall we?" Megatron purred. Disconnecting his weapon from his primary mount, he offered it to Sunstreaker. "Why don't you see how a real weapon feels in your hand."
Sunstreaker barely controlled the emotions flowing through him as he was handed the weapon. Here he was, with Megatron disarmed! With Megatron's very own weapon in his hand! He could slaughter him now! End this war! 'Don't' a low voice warned inside his very spark. 'He is not the true leader of us. He is not our Prime,' it explained. Sunstreaker knew without a doubt that the hidden femme was communicating with him through their very spark link, a communication he'd only ever experienced with his twin! Silencing his lust for Megatron's energon, he stilled his hand and plastered a look of complete awe on his face plate as he caressed the weapon. "Incredible…" he whispered. It was more a description of what the femme had just done, than for the weapon.
But Megatron took it at face value. "Yes, it is incredible," he replied with a smug smile. He shot his cruiser a pleased look, for Cade seemed to have actually managed to completely meta-wash the bot.
He had one more test for the pet though. With a few hisses and clicks, he engaged his transfer. "Pleasure me," he ordered. On purpose, he left the pet with his weapon as he leaned back against the wall. The pet no longer controlled by the collar… Fully armed…. Yet, the pet still swallowed him without question….
------
A smug grin covered Barricade's face plate as she watched the rapidly disappearing form of Blackout as he disappeared over the horizon. She had done it. She had rescued the mech. A hard thud against her door wing brought her out of her contemplations…
"Slag it! You got any of that miserable concoction you mechs call edible – left?" Sunstreaker gagged and spit a few times. "I can't get that rust bucket's taste off my glossa!"
With a nod, the femme pulled out a container from her subspace and tossed it to him. "May I compliment you on the perfect deception?" she said as she watched him gulp and gurgle the nasty stuff like it was mouth wash.
Sunstreaker plopped himself down on his tail pipes, not even noticing the thin wisps of dust as they rose up around him. He performed the gulp-gurgle-spit routine a few more times until the container was empty. Crushing it in his hand, he frowned as he threw it as far as he could. "I had the bastard in my sights and you just had to stop me – do you know how hard that was!" He met her optics as she sat down across from him. "Never mind, of course you do. You're a fucking femme - now aren't you?"
She smiled, reformatting her voice even as he griped. "I've wanted to off line the exterminator for eons… But…" she let her voice trail off, her optics staring past him, out into the desert sands…
"But HE wasn't the real lord. Isn't that what you told me through my spark?" Sunstreaker shook his head, still a bit uneasy about any one else but Sideswipe having that ability. "So who's the real tyrant? Care to let me in on it?" he snorted.
The cruiser shrugged, her optics coming back to his. "It is no secret now. They battle your forces as we speak."
"And?"
"They face the Fallen. The last Prime living." Barricade listened in on the Decepticon frequencies for a moment.
"But Optimus was the last, and I thought I overheard some cons gloating over his death." Sunstreaker flicked some dust from his paint in disgust. He wasn't about to show his true sorrow at the loss of his leader. No, not to the tough femme…
Barricade chuckled mischievously, "No, both sides are wrong in their beliefs. Very, very wrong!" She stood up, motioning for him to stand up as well…
Sunstreaker snorted, keeping his tail pipes firmly planted where they were. "You aren't my fraggin master anymore." He pointed at his bare neck. "Remember?" he taunted.
The cruiser turned and studied the mech in humor. "No, I'm your femme mate now – remember?" she teased back with a sweet smile.
"Yeah, how can I forget," Sunstreaker snickered, "think I'm sticking my transfer up a lonely mech's tailpipe." He looked up at the femme, giving her a sarcastic smirk. "Only to find out that a certain conniving femme had been hiding right under Megatron's olfactory sensor." With a grunt, he stood up and held out his hand. "Guess I should thank you for helping me out."
Cocking her head, she gave him a wink as her digits curled around his. "Rescuing your worthless yellow aft is more like it."
He shot her a smug smile, his grip tightening. "Obviously I got something that you wanted," he smirked. Pulling her towards him, he wrapped his arms around her. "And I think we both know what that is."
"Strong sparklings," she stated as if it had been nothing more than that.
Sunstreaker snickered, stroking the side of her face plate. "For a con, you sure suck at lying." Tilting his head, he studied her with a strange emotion on his face plate. "You've always wanted me. Now that I see the truth, I can look back at every single battle we fought against each other. I remember that look in your optics… You've waited for me." His digits drifted down, touching her lips. "Now that you've mated with me. You can't go back. You must switch sides."
The side of her lips curled up. "I switched sides a while back. You just don't remember," she teased. Her hands went lower, curling over his aft.
His optics narrowed. Doing a memory scan, he concentrated on matching his internal clock and date reading to the data. It didn't take long for him to see the missing file period. Pulling back from her slightly, he searched his recycle bin for the deleted files… Nothing! He gripped his digits around her shoulder plates, his optics now demanding. "What did I delete?!?"
"Everything, from the moment you landed here," she replied.
"And you know it all?!?" Sunstreaker's meta swirled at the implications. His optics opened wide in disbelief as he put her words together. "You're a double agent? You… You.."
"Went against orders to retrieve you when you were captured," she finished for him.
"Prime's orders?" Had Optimus still been alive then?!? Had he actually ordered the double agent NOT to go after him?!? Had he known that Barricade was a hidden femme. "Did he know?"
"Affirmative on both counts," Barricade replied with a calm smile.
Sunstreaker smacked himself in his helm. "Did I know?"
"Affirmative."
Pulling away from her, the golden mech began to pace. "I knew you were a femme. THAT's why I dumped my memory files." He glanced at her. "To protect you as a femme, to protect you as an Autobot agent." It all made sense now. But why had she disobeyed a direct order to come after him? Put her life at risk! "Why'd you risk it?"
With a wry grin, Barricade answered, "I believed you would be worth it as a mate."
He stopped his pacing for a moment. "So we weren't mated before my capture?"
"I chased, you ran." Barricade gave a chuckle that sounded almost – sad. "You could not stand me as a femme of this appearance." She waved towards her face plate.
Sunstreaker frowned, realizing that this description of how he would've react to her as just a femme – was pretty much right on the mark. He'd been so shallow before his capture. Now he understood it all a little better. This ugly femme, who he'd apparently rejected in his normal callous manner – had still come after him when no one else would. He owed her more than his life – he owed her an apology. "Once you made the comment that I didn't see the value of staying unnoticed and unbothered."
Barricade stood still as the mech approached her, not flinching as he set his hand on her shoulder again. Boldly, she met his optics, waiting for the words she'd waited a millennium to hear…
With a smile, Sun stroked her ghastly façade. He now understood that the real value to a mech – or femme – was where it couldn't be seen. Where it could only be proven… "I see it now," his voice lowered to a whisper, "and I'll be proud to have you as the mother of my sparklings."
She felt like she was melting against him as he took her lips then. As he freely accepted her for who and what she was…. As their glossas danced, time and war meant nothing for a long moment…. Only the acceptance of the spark… Only the future life ahead of them as – partners…
-----
Note: Hope ya'll enjoyed… Getting real close to the end of book 2!
