Author's note: Some swearing - you've been warned. Oh, and a surprise! Don't forget, reviews and constructive feedback welcomed and appreciated. :-)

Chapter 138 – Did You Miss Me?

Sideswipe P.O.V

::Sorry we're late! Traffic was a bitch!:: I smirked down an open comms line alerting all Autobots that their best frontliner had arrived to take care of some unfinished business. My tyres screeched as I rounded a corner and ploughed through a group of 'Cons, Dino, Roadbuster and Topspin hot on my wheels.

I transformed and drew my blades in one effortless motion as I rolled passed the toppled Deceptacreeps. Slicing my blades in a wide arc, I swiftly decapitated them where they stood as they scrambled to their pedes. Their helmless bodies falling limply and lifelessly back to the energon soaked ground. /Damn I'm good!/, I thought proudly as I surveyed my handiwork.

A sting followed by a burning sensation in my right shoulder earned a hiss of annoyance as a stray bullet caught me off guard. I spun around and glared in the direction it had come from, spying one of those prototypes sheltering behind a collapsed wall. I growled in irritation. ''Dino!'' I shouted at the red Ferrari as he pulled up beside me. ''Cover fire, 1 o'clock!'' and without waiting for is reply I transformed and sped off towards the wall.

Around me blasts erupted as Dino fired upon the 'Con, pining him down as I made my approach. Just before I reached the pile of rubble, I transformed, my servos finding the ground as I did so. I launched myself off the ground, flipping overhead and as I came down to land, my blades sliced the unsuspecting 'Con in half. I nodded in Dino's direction before something caught my attention.

Up ahead I saw flashes of blue, pink and silver as the unmistakable form of a particular femme fought off an advancing group of 'Cons. Nearby I saw the hulking black frame of Ironhide and the almost neon yellow and black form of Rachet as they fought not far from her to subdue an increasing swarm of prototypes. A large smile spread across my dermas as I watched the pretty femme fight. /Arcee!/.

I primed my blaster and sent a shot into the helm of an approaching 'Con before I began to skate in her direction, drawn towards her by some invisible force. /Primus but I have missed her/. Without realising it, I let a small sigh of appreciation escape my dermas as I watched her back hand a 'Con before she roundhouse kicked them and shot them almost point blank in the chest.

''COME AND GET IT YA FUCKIN' NANCY WANKERS!'' Roadbuster screamed as I skated passed him and he ripped the arms off a prototype that got too close to him. ''TAKE THAT YA NUMPTY SPUNKTRUMPET!'' he yelled as he used the removed appendages to beat the same 'Con before he produced his blaster and blew him away.

''Step right up, step right up! Get ya free samples!'' Top spin cried out as he fired his blaster at any 'Con that moved within reach. A wild, blood lust filled both their optics as they exacted revenge for their fallen Wrecker friend, Leadfoot.

A knowing smile flashed across my dermas as I continued past them both towards my target. Sunny and I had fought with the Wreckers numerous times in the past. Being Wreckers and frontliners as we were, you had to have a certain attitude, an almost maniac death wish wrapped up in an arrogant belief that you were invincible as we were often in the thick of battle. We were the ones sent in to ''subdue'' and inflict damage on our enemies, weaken their defences and, if possible, deter them from sticking around. More often than not we were successful. Today, we were simply outnumbered. But that didn't stop us from having some ''fun''.

I leapt over a burning car shell and skidded to a halt beside Rachet as he used his saw to make short work of a 'Con. ''Hatchet!'' I teased. His face plates scrunched up in annoyance at the hated nickname and he brought his saw dangerously close to my helm. ''Long-time no see!''

''Longer can be arranged young punk!'' he glared at me. ''Where have you been?'' He barked as his keen optics swept over my battered frame, calculating with uncanny precision how badly I was damaged and what repairs were needed. He made a grunting noise and shook his helm but said nothing.

I smiled at him as I fired a blast up at a 'Con that was preparing to jump down on us from above. ''Aww, you missed me!'' Out of the corner of my optic I noticed Arcee turn about at the sound of my voice, her face seemed to light up before she redirected her attention to the task at hand. /Well, well, what do we have here?/. I grinned to myself.

He snorted out loud as he turned about and sliced another prototype in half. ''Hardly! And wipe that bloody grin off your face you slagging idiot.''

Before I could reply, I felt something heavy slam into me, nearly knocking me off my pedes as the body of a 'Con with a hole blown through it was thrown into me. ''What the….'' I looked angrily in the direction it came from feeling a flash of anger tear through me only to have it abate almost immediately.

The large, pissed off figure of Ironhide was stalking towards us, cannons drawn and a decidedly annoyed look on his face. 'Anytime you are ready Sideswipe, feel free to shut your trap and actually do something useful!'' the weapon's specialist spat at me, his face like thunder.

Rachet laughed and nodded appreciatively in his direction, ''Couldn't have put it better myself 'Hide!'' and with that the medic turned and headed off to seek out more 'Cons.

I sheathed my blades and held my servos up in mock surrender as the massive black Autobot stalked past me, his cannons whirring red hot. ''Woah 'Hide, same team remember.'' I smiled at him and he glared back at me.

An explosion nearby sent shards of glass and rubble raining down on us and Ironhide growled before he tore off in the direction the missile had come from, cannons whirring in agitation.

There was no need to follow for backup, Ironhide was his own backup. He didn't get the name ''Ironhide'' for nothing! Spinning about on the spot I spied Arcee engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a 'Con much bigger than herself. /Something useful indeed/.

Racing towards her, I leapt over a pile of rubble and unsheathed my blades as the 'Con landed a blow that sent her staggering back a few paces. Spinning around behind the 'Con, I grabbed him by the shoulder and at the same time brought my blade up to pierce his spark chamber. As his body crumbled to the ground, I stood there with a grin on my face as Arcee got back to her pedes and prepared to finish her attack. ''You're welcome! Perhaps you better stick close by me.'' I smiled sweetly at her.

For a moment an answering smile flashed across her pretty face and her optics seemed to light up as they took the sight of me. Without warning, she pulled her blaster out and sent a shot sizzling right past my right audial, so close I could feel the heat from it. I gazed at her in shock for a moment before she nodded behind me and I turned to take in the crumpled and burning body of a prototype, blaster still clutched in its servo. She smirked at me. ''No – you're welcome Sides.'' Sauntering close towards me blaster still drawn, she looked me up and down before giving me a teasing smile, ''and I think you better stick close by me!''

I raised an optic ridge at her and folded my arms across my chest, a look of indignation on my face. My optics locked onto hers and she did not look away, instead her smile grew. /Oh Sides, you're in a world of trouble now!/. I shook my helm and sighed, before I unfolded my arms and grinned down at her, ''gladly Arcee.''

Her optics shone brightly for a moment before she nodded and moved to engage in the fighting again. ''Well then, follow me Sides. That is, if you can keep up!'' and she tore off towards a group of prototypes advancing up the street.

I shook my helm and tore off after her, /this should be fun/. As we approached the group, Arcee proceeded to blast and kick her way through them as I covered her flank and used my blades and blaster to take them out. Despite the fact I was in the thick of battle, I was injured, tired and running low on energon, I could not wipe the smile off my face. It felt good to be back with my friends. It felt good to be taking the fight to the 'Cons and it especially felt good to be doing so with Arcee by my side. /The only thing that would make it perfect would be if…/

I didn't get to finish my train of thought as there was a flash of light and a loud explosion knocked me off my pedes and threw me to the ground, covering me in large chunks of debris. For a moment I lay there dazed by the percussive blast, my audials ringing. I shook my helm to try and clear the fuzziness only to look up and see a 'Con staring straight down at me, the barrel of his blaster pointed at my helm. My own weapon had been knocked from my servo and my blades were pinned. /This was it/. Just when things seemed to be going so well, I fuck up and it's all over. I glared up at the 'Con, utter hatred and contempt in my optics.

Before he could deliver the fatal shot, he crumpled and fell upon me earning a shout of shock and irritation from me. At the same time, I felt my servos freed as the large chunks of concrete wall were removed from my body. I gave a sigh of relief and began to push the 'Con off me. 'Thanks, Arcee.'' I paused a moment considering my next words. /Why not!/. ''Ya know, you're almost as good a shot as you are hot.'' I smile up at my rescuer expecting to see a beautiful face and a pair of teasing light blue optics staring back at me.

The words die on my dermas as I realise whose face I am peering into.

''While I know I am hot as fuck 'Sides, you're really not my type. Besides bro, isn't that kind of thing between siblings frowned upon around here?'' the mischievous face of a yellow Lamborghini Countach peers down at me, a twisted grin on his dermas as he offers me his servo.

''SUNNY!''