Ok, so here's a little backstory just to get some things rolling. It's set after chapter 4.
#Comms#
The Autobot twins crept silently through the devastated streets. They were searching for fallen Autobots. Bluestreak and Powerglide had reportedly gone down in this area.
Slinking through alleys and side-streets, the brothers scanned every broken building and pile of rubble for energy signs.
Sunstreaker grabbed Sideswipe's shoulder and pulled him behind some debris as a Decepticon sweeper team went past.
"Bluestreak and Powerglide went down around here, it's likely they've already been found." Sunstreaker said as they left their hide-out .
"I hope you're wrong, for their sake." Sideswipe replied. Rounding a corner they continued their stealthy trek through the city.
Five hours later Sunny and Sides were still sneaking around.
"I don't think they're in this sector. We've passed this building three times now."
A quiet rumble caused both Autobots to turn slowly. With wide optics they watched as a wave of dust rolled towards them.
"What is that?" Sideswipe asked.
"I don't know, but we should probably stay away from it."
"I guess it doesn't help that it's headed this way."
An unknown voice called to them. "Quick, over here!"
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe turned to see a silver and red arm waving at them.
"Should we?"
"Whoever it is, they can't be worse that whatever that is."
With silent agreement the twins raced towards the voice. Nearing the place where the arm had appeared they found only rubble.
"Where'd he go?" Sunny asked as they walked through the debris.
There was a grating sound just before Sideswipe and Sunstreaker felt the ground disappear from under their feet. The Twins fell through the debris, landing hard of their afts in a dark trench.
"Now stay down and stay silent." The voice commanded.
Sunny and Sides looked over at the unknown transformer. There was something odd about that voice. Sideswipe shuffled closer; half-standing he tried to see its face. The silver hand that had beckoned them earlier flashed out and gripped his shoulder; he was shoved back onto his aft.
"I said stay down. If they find us they'll kill us."
"Who will? What was that dust cloud?"
The unknown transformer peeked through a hole in their cover before answering. "You really are green. I didn't think they'd send out anyone so under trained. When were you recruited? Last week?" Sunny bristled and the voice continued. "I mean moving in the open…were you trying to get yourselves killed?"
Sideswipe had been listening only vaguely to the discussion. He had been studying their rescuer's back, trying to place the voice. It didn't sound like any Autobot he had ever spoken to.
"What is that cloud?" Sunstreaker asked again.
"That would be the Demolition Crew."
"What are they doing?"
"Aside from the obvious…they make sure that anyone within the city limits is destroyed. Decepticon or Autobot, it doesn't matter to them."
"Why?"
There was a frustrated sigh. "Because that's their job. Now be quiet until they pass."
A deep rumbling overhead, as if a thousand feet were marching over the top of them. The ground shook and dust and dirt fell through the cracks onto their heads.
If the Demolition Crew was designed to wipe out any survivors, Sideswipe hoped that Bluestreak and Powerglide had made it to safety.
"They're gone for now but I don't suggest we go anywhere for a while. They will no doubt come back." Slowly the disturbance moved away from them, the soldier turned on a couple of low energy lamps. Long shadows stretched across the walls.
The trench was long enough to accommodate half a dozen mechs but too low to stand in. They would be hunched if they tried to straighten their legs.
Sideswipe was still pondering the mystery of the unknown soldier when the robot moved away from the covering shadows and settled against the back of the trench. A glimmer of color caught Sideswipe's optic. Refocusing on the body near him he saw a purple insignia, moving slowly he alerted Sunstreaker and pulled his pulse-gun out of subspace. Sideswipe reached out and silently retrieved the Decepticons gun from the floor and passed it to his brother.
"Who are you?" Sunny asked warily. The Decepticon turned its head towards them. Sideswipe's optics widened in recognition, it was the femme from the recruiting rally.
"Name's Firefly. What division are you with?" Sides noticed that one of her optics was shattered and the other was thickly coated with dust and dirt.
Ignoring both Firefly's question and Sunny's restraining hand, he moved closer to the femme. "Can you see at all?"
Her head moved back. "Yes, of course. I saw you, didn't I?"
"But you can't see well?"
She glared at him warily and stayed silent.
Probably doesn't want to expose a weakness to someone she doesn't know… even if that weakness is staring them in the face. Sides thought. "Let me help."
He heard a muffled groan before Sunny was shouting at him over their private link. #What are you doing? She's a Decepticon!#
#She's the one who helped me escape at the rally.# Sideswipe explained. Sunny looked slightly pacified.
"Why would you do that?" The femme asked warily.
"You helped me."
Firefly's expression was still suspicious as she leaned towards him. Sideswipe worked quickly, he had basic medical knowledge. He's spent enough time in Ratchet's care to know how to fix minor injuries. There was nothing he could do about her broken optic but he was able to clean out her other lens and repair a few small energon leaks.
"Thanks." Firefly looked around their hideout before focusing on Sideswipe's face. "You!"
"Hi." Sides grinned.
"Dammit!" She scrambled away from him. "How are you still functioning?"
"I'm faster than I look." He winked. "So, where are all the other Decepticons?"
"I can't tell you. I should shoot you."
"But we have your gun." Sunstreaker held up the weapon. Firefly scowled before sighing heavily. Her whole body seemed to deflate.
"Brilliant. It must be a new record; I lose my unit, I lose my optic and I get caught by Autobots, all in one day."
She had said this so quietly Sideswipe had to re-sensitize his audio sensors to hear her. Sunstreaker's voice buzzed through his head.
#This has got to be the fastest we've ever taken down a Decepticon.#
#We can't take all the credit, she is new to the game.#
#Yeah but we don't have to tell Ironhide that…We'll wait till dark before getting outta here.#
Sideswipe watched the Decepticon femme covertly and caught her darting looks at him. She had backed herself into the far corner of their trench and was admirably trying to look defiant.
#What about the femme?#
Sunstreaker looked up from studying the weapon in his hands. #What about her?#
#What do we do with her?# Sideswipe grinned at Sunny's 'isn't it obvious' look. #I mean, how do we get her back to base? The city, what's left of it, is probably crawling with Decepti-creeps.#
#Knock her out.#Sunny suggested. Sides nodded and returned his attention to the femme. It would be a pity to put a dent in her pretty head but he wasn't about to let her go back to the Decepticons.
Sideswipe ignored his brother's scowls and moved closer to the helpful femme. She eyed him guardedly and shuffled deeper into her corner.
"What do you want?" She asked when he didn't move away.
"Why did you help me?"
"I couldn't see properly." She replied testily.
Sides smiled, she was feisty. "I meant at the rally."
"I thought you were a Decepticon."
"Do Decepticons usually runaway from Soundwave?"
Sideswipe felt triumphant as a small smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, it was the merest lift but it was there.
"How many conflicts have you seen?"
She stiffened. "At least seven or eight."
Sideswipe smothered a laugh. "It's been only seven months since the rally. I reckon this is your fourth at most."
She scowled at him and wrapped her arms around her waist.
He shot her his most charming smile and her hands fell to her lap. "Come on, tell me the truth." He leaned forward until he was inches away from her audios and whispered. "I'll tell you if you tell me."
Firefly gasped softy, his silky words were like a caress. Startled by his friendly attitude and sudden closeness Firefly found herself unable to do much more than stare into his blue optics.
He is far more handsome as a red mech than a blue one. Firefly's optics went wide. Where had that come from?
A voice, muffled by the debris, called out above them. "Firefly!"
The three heads inside the bunker twisted.
"Barricade?" Firefly whispered before calling out. "Barri-umph!" she was cut off mid-word as Sideswipe silenced her.
Sideswipe caught her hands and pressed close to her. When she'd shouted Sides had done the first thing he could think of, he'd kissed her.
He felt her stiffen and try to push away from him. He followed her, unwilling to let her call out again, plus she was nice to kiss. Slowly he began to massage her lips, Sides was rewarded with a tiny moan as her body relaxed.
Gathering Firefly closer, Sideswipe reminded himself that she was a Decepticon. Her arms slipped from his hold and wrapped around his neck.
This is just to keep her silent. Her mouth opened under his. Slag it.
Cupping her nape Sides plundered her mouth, he felt her hands clutching at his shoulders and he pushed even closer.
Sunstreaker crouched near the entrance monitoring the Decepticon above. He had heard the femme's groan and assumed that Sideswipe had knocked her offline. Keeping his attention on Barricade, Sunny failed to notice the sounds coming from the other end of the bunker. As the threat moved away Sunstreaker turned to his brother.
"What the slag!"
Sunstreaker stared, Sideswipe half covered the femme's body with his own. Their hands roved over each other's bodies, their mouths merged; lips nipping and caressing. It was when Sides moved her leg around his hips that Sunny broke from his stunned stillness.
Firefly was lost. The feel of the red mech against her was intoxicating. That he was an Autobot didn't matter at the moment, all that mattered were his talented hands and knowing kiss.
Suddenly the red mech disappeared, Firefly's optics snapped on. His silver face filled her vision, he sent her a roughish half-smile. Firefly was dimly aware of the yellow Autobot, it was speaking heatedly to the red mech in front of her.
Her neural processors clicked into motion. The red mech was an Autobot, they reminded her. Autobot! Shame ran through her.
With renewed purpose, Firefly pushed him away from her. She had never felt so humiliated in her life. The Autobot landed on his aft in the dirt. Firefly used this time to call out again.
"'Cade! I'm here!"
Firefly watched as the yellow Autobot lifted his gun to the trench's entrance and aimed her own weapon at her.
A scraping above them announced the arrival of Barricade. Firefly attacked the red Autobot, kicking him in the head, moments before Barricade leapt into the bunker. The yellow mech cried out what was likely the red one's name before he came face-to-muzzle with Barricade's pulse-cannon. Silence reigned for several moments.
"Firefly, are you okay?" Barricade's cold stare remained on the yellow Autobot.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get outta here."
With a twitch of his gun Barricade convinced the yellow mech to drop his weapons and move away. The trench wasn't very wide but Firefly managed to get past the scowling Autobot without touching him. She looked over her shoulder. "See ya Red." and climbed onto the street. She heard Barricade growl some instructions before joining her.
"You didn't kill them." It was a statement not a question.
The dark Decepticon shrugged. "I've killed enough Autobots today."
Firefly noticed then that he was splattered with energon. Not the pure, pink kind that they consumed, but the dark kind that ran through their systems. Yes, Barricade had definitely killed today. She was glad no one had died infront of her.
"Let's get back."
Barricade smiled. "You need to stop giving orders and learn to take them like the other good little subordinates."
Firefly mock scowled. "One day I'll be your superior, and guess what my first order will be."
"Entire body massages for the whole garrison?"
"You, scrubbing the wash-racks for a month. With a sparkling's armor maintenance brush." She grinned deviously.
Barricade smirked and they continued walking.
Sunstreaker crouched over his brother, checking for any damage. The Decepticon bitch would pay for attacking his brother.
"Sideswipe! Sideswipe, wake up!" Sunny shook his brother gently.
Blue optics came online slowly, relief flooded through Sunstreaker. Sideswipe's next words popped his lightening mood.
"What a femme."
Sunny dropped him in the dirt. Sides head hit with a thud.
"Ow, what was that for?"
"We could be dead now and you're thinking of the femme?"
"Wouldn't you. Anyway she couldn't kill us." Sides grinned.
"No, but the black 'con could of."
"She left with him then?"
"Yeah…Are you going to get off the ground?"
Sideswipe folded his arms under his head. "I reckon I could get her back."
"What!" Sunny cried. That kick to his head must have loosened a few circuits.
"She was incredible." Sides replied grinning.
Sunstreaker hauled his brother up. "Come on, let's get you to Ratchet, she obviously broke you."
Sideswipes grin widened. "She can break me anytime she wants."
Sunstreaker's only reply was a sigh before smacking his brother upside the head.
If you have any questions or want more backstory, let me know. Reviews are greatly appreciated :)
TammyCat
