Hello my dear readers! I hope you are enjoying the story so far. As always, feel free to leave reviews, I love to hear your opinions. Any guesses as to what might happen?
Thank you to my reviewers; CherryVanillaCoke, Cinematronix, and Edges05.
Mission report.
Data gathering in progress.
Files included:
File A: Experimental energon-based weapons
Note: Gathered via observation
File B: Analysis of Cybertronian environmental adaptation
File C: MECH incident
Notes: Known data from N.E.S.T investigation
Analysis of Autobot team. Que
Inventor. Eighteen feet tall. Electric blue. Mercedes-Benz E550 vehicle form. Combat ability: limited. Known weapons: torch and various sharp tools transform from each hand- used in non-combative tasks. Capable of building Cybertronian weapons for human use. Prone to creating accidental explosions. Manipulation: unlikely. Recommendation: observe and gather data.
Analysis of Autobot team. Sideswipe
Gladiator. Twenty feet tall. Silver. Corvette Stingray vehicle form. Combat ability: extremely skilled in hand to hand combat. Known weapons: dual energon swords. Skilled hacking capabilities; assigned to track Division communications. Manipulation: unknown. Recommendation: n/a.
Sideswipe was unusually happy.
While he was typically an optimist, his jovial mood came from a particular reason. Rin had finally been cleared for training. But there was another reason for his joy, Sunny was not complaining, huffing, or otherwise whining about resuming their normal exercises together. In fact, he even complained to her about how slowly squishies heal. The insult only thinly veiled what seemed to be some form of anticipation. Sideswipe was thrilled at the turn in their relationship.
The night before, his brother even played video games with her. They spoke and laughed about happenings on the base. Well, it was more of Sunny's ironic chuckle, but progress is progress! He even joined Sideswipe in waiting to pick up Rin. They had already agreed to keep her training light. Afterwards, Sideswipe planned on inviting Rin to join them in the rec room. Sunny finished making a Fullstasis game board and pieces. The yellow twin was reasonably better at the game but Sideswipe intended to teach Rin the basics. She would be safe under their watch.
Neither of them wanted their human to break so soon after she was repaired. They took responsibility for what was theirs.
After weeks of meeting with her, Sideswipe had become an expected feature outside the mess hall at that hour. Usually, while he waited, soldiers whom he knew by name would stop for a quick chat. However, with Sunstreaker present, the pair were given a wide berth of space. It was almost as automatic response. Even those who had never really met the yellow front liner at least knew of his reputation. Or maybe the avoidance was just instinctual. There were only a few humans brave enough to face the mech on more than one occasion.
When Rin finally emerged Sideswipe's spark buzzed oddly. She hadn't seen them yet, instead she was speaking with one of her human acquaintances. The Sixt guy. A small, rare, smile played on her lips as she watched him talk with animated gestures. She hardly ever smiled like that.
For Sideswipe, she seemed to mainly use the same dark smirk Sunny tended to employ. An unexpected wave of something brushed over him. She spent more time with him and Sunny, so what was so special about this guy that she would actually be grinning at him like that?
Said human seemed to be the first to notice Sideswipe, or more likely his twin. He froze and paled instantly. Sideswipe glanced over to Sunny to see the pinpoint glare he was aiming at the male. Good.
The human stammered something to Rin, who had finally noticed the mechs patiently waiting for her. The male turned on his heels and headed in to opposite direction with the quickened pace soldiers tended to use in silent retreat of Sunny.
Rin's face turned to that of disappointment as she watch him retreat. That puzzled Sideswipe. In all the time he spend observing her, that Sixt guy never seemed important. If anything, Rin appeared to just deal with him while consuming her meals. That certainly wouldn't justify any type of friendship, not like the one he had formed with the femme.
The specialist's expression changed to concern as she made optic contact with the mechs. "Is everything alright?" she asked Sunny directly.
His optics softened slightly, only enough for Sideswipe to notice. "Sure squishy." He answered gruffly, "Just hurry up." His tone left little room for argument.
Sideswipe smiled dumbly at his brother, past frustrations nearly forgotten, "Yeah, let's get going."
For a supposedly impatient mech, Sunny didn't seem to mind walking along with Sideswipe and Rin. The femme, of course, still politely refused a ride.
Sideswipe crossed his arms. "Why won't you let me drive you? You drove with Sunny."
"That was different. And I've ridden with you before" she explained, "Besides, if I remember correctly, one of those times you kidnapped me. Sunstreaker has a clean track record."
He slyly smiled at the memory, at least she didn't stab him from the inside that time; she was certainly mad enough. "Aw come on, you aren't still mad about that, are you?"
The femme answered his question with a grin. Not the genuine one. "Besides, I like to walk on my own two feet. I don't need to be carted around."
"But driving is more fun." Sideswipe muttered,
"Maybe when you're in control." She admitted.
He perked up, "So if you drove…"
Her eyes widened, catching the error of semantics, "Oh, no." she raised her hands. "Not happening."
"What's better than taking a 'vette for a spin?" he purred. Sunny, to his credit, only scoffed at the notion that a Corvette would be better than a Lamborghini.
"Said 'vette is alive." She deadpanned as if that point was a negative.
"You know you want to." He pushed. Something about her being behind his wheel seemed nice, probably the fun they could have.
"I know I don't. Besides, at the speeds you go, I'd probably be liquified." She quickened her pace, which the twins easily matched.
Sideswipe frowned at the scenario she described. "I wouldn't let you get hurt."
"Not. Happening." Rin stared directly into Sideswipe's optics, not breaking the contact until Sideswipe glanced back up.
He sighed in disappointment. "Ok, but if you change your mind, the offer stills stands."
Sunny looked at his twin with disgust. Apparently, the experience of driving with a human was repulsive enough, letting one have the control would be out of the question for him. Although, he managed to survive over a day before cleaning out the crusted blood she left behind; admittingly he had no way of washing it off in the first place. "Walk or drive, just hurry up." He stomped forward a little, but slowed when he got a few paces ahead.
Erin sped her pace even more so as not to upset the mech. Sideswipe wheeled alongside her, an amused grin on his faceplates.
When they reached the training field, it was cleared as scheduled, but off to the side, Sideswipe could see a 'bot at the nearby shooting range. His back was facing the trio and most of his attention seemed to be directed at the 'Starscream' target. His lowered door wings twitched slightly as the yellow mech felt the motion of the wind. Scouts tended to have superior senses, which was further aided by his Praxian heritage.
"Sideswipe," Rin called, also seeing the new 'bot, "it that Bumblebee?"
He grinned, "Yeah, he got here yesterday." Waving a servo in the air, he called to him, "Hey, Bee!"
The mech turned to see Sideswipe and waved back. Transforming his cannon back into a servo, he stood and beckoned someone near him to follow. As approached the trio, two humans following closely behind.
"Great," Sunny scoffed, "more fleshies."
Sideswipe pointedly ignored his brother's comment, for the sake of being friendly. "Hey Bee, I want to introduce you to someone," He slapped the scout on the back a bit too roughly, nearly toppling him over, "this is Specialist Erin Brook, she's our partner on Team Prime."
Bumblebee made a choking sound, optics wide, shooting between the twins and Rin. His gaze finally landed on Sunstreaker and he pointed towards Rin, making a warbling sound from his damaged vocalizer.
Sunny growled, "Yeah, what of it?" He crossed his arms and assumed a rather intimidating stance.
Bee wisely raised his hands in a placating gesture and quickly spoke over their comms, :Nothing, it's just… uh… nice to see you getting along with the humans.:
Sunny decided to follow suit and answer over his comm, :I'm not.: He let out a barely audible growl, but after a tense moment, sighed and let the comment go. He couldn't stay mad at the youngling for long, no one could.
Sideswipe noticed how Bee's human charges, Sam and Michaela, had already approached Rin, all while ensuring Bee stood between them and Sunny. Rin was also between them and himself. Looks like they didn't forget the last time Sunny threatened to turn the male inside out.
While the humans got acquainted, Sideswipe decided to see how the youngling was doing. "So, how's being a fleshy transport suiting you?" he asked with a lopsided grin, to show he meant no real offense.
Bee still warbled his dislike, but answered anyway, :I like college, there's a lot to experience, even in vehicle mode. And since I'm on the mainland, Sam and I can drive wherever we want.: He added the last part smugly, knowing the other 'bots dislike for being stuck in the middle of the ocean, aside from the solitude from civilian humans.
Sideswipe felt his spark tinge a little at the 'experience' comment. Bee was too young to enjoy any of Cybertron before it was ravaged by war. The desolate remains was all he could imagine whenever he thought of their home planet. In a way, Earth was the only welcoming place he an ever been to. Though, not one to let himself feel discouraged, Sideswipe plastered on a wide grin. "Glad to hear it, buddy."
"You're kidding!"
Sideswipe turned to see Rin laughing with the other humans. Well, at least with the other femme, Sam looked nervous as he usually did around Sideswipe and his brother.
The Michaela, nodded her head, "Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. We're lucky he didn't end up on the news."
"Sideswipe," Rin turned to him, brow quirked, "You never told me that."
"What?" he asked, showing no concern over the apparent joke. He was the king of pranks after all. It took a lot to get him embarrassed.
"That you mistook a traffic light for a decepticon." She chuckled at his expense. Still, it didn't seem like a genuine laugh; the musical one he once heard.
Sunny, who remained outwardly quiet and distant around the company, laughed at him over the comm link, :I forgot about that.:
Sideswipe's confidence deflated. "In my defense, it was my first day on the planet and glowing red circles meant ''con' everywhere else." He huffed, but didn't feel too angry. At least everyone was amused. He patted Bee on the back again. "Will ya introduce yourself already?"
To that, the scout crouched down onto his servos and knee joints to greet Rin. His radio crackled to life singing, "Hello again, hello. Just called to say hello."
Rin's grin grew a little more real, likely from the youngling's legendary cuteness. "It's nice to meet you, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe both spoke highly of you."
His faceplates scrunched up in his mouthless smile.
"Hey Bee," Sideswipe called back his attention, "We were about to do some sparring, wanna join in?"
His faceplates fell as he warbled back, eyeing both of the suspiciously.
Sunny grinned darkly, "Don't tell me you've gone soft being around all those humans."
Bee whirred defiantly and pointed to Rin.
"That's different." The yellow twin growled.
Sideswipe patted Bee on the shoulder again. "Come on Bee."
The scout's wings drooped as he looked to his human charges. Upon seeing Sam nod to him, Bee faced the twins again and nodded with more confidence.
The six of them fully entered the training field. Bee's humans stood off at a safe distance.
"Uh, Private Brook?" Sam called to the soldier, "Where's your gear?"
To her credit, and Sideswipe's amusement, she smiled deviously at him. Un-holstering her weapons, she showed them in plain view of the male. "These are all I need," her head jerked towards the 'bots behind her, "to take on these lug nuts."
"Rin." Sideswipe knelt down next to her and thought through his words carefully, "You're still recovering. I don't think you should spar with us."
"What?" she hissed back. Her eyes showed defiance and the fire of a warrior's spark. Sideswipe felt proud, but concerned for her safety.
"Sides is right." Sunny stated, "You'll only slow us down."
She glared herd at him. "So what was the point of walking me here, then?"
Sideswipe tried to intervene, "We wanted to be together as a team, but that doesn't mean we should fight each other yet. We just don't want to hurt you."
Her glare subsided with a few calm blinks and she sighed, mostly to herself, "Fine."
Sideswipe visibly relaxed. "Don't worry. Once Hatchet says you're repaired, we'll go back to our regular training.
"Target practice it is, then." Rin smiled evilly as she, in a split second, changed the cartridge for her pistol.
"Uh, Rin." Sideswipe stood and inched backwards, "Those, aren't paints you put in there." To avoid confusion, the riveted sides of her various ammo cartridges different. The ones for paints were blue, the one she just placed was black.
"I know." She chirped.
"Scrap." Sideswipe dodged the first bullet. She'd also turned up the pulse strength. "Uh, maybe we should try something else." He wasn't quite in the mood to end up in the med bay. Bee just got there and he was hoping to hang out. He wheeled back to make himself a smaller target. One shot pinged against his armor, causing a baseball sized dent.
She turned the weapon up even more. A shot whizzed by his more sensitive leg components, and shattered a small rock not far behind him. The debris sprayed over his back, scratching the paint.
"Whoa Rin! Too much!" he really didn't want to be forced to retaliate.
"Sorry," she stated sarcastically, "I'm just a human who doesn't know anything about limits." A couple more shots rang out from her tiny hand-gun.
Meanwhile, the human spectators watched in shock as she challenged one of the deadliest creatures taking up residence on their planet.
"Alright, I get it," Sideswipe practically pleaded, still dodging each shot, "Just stop it already!"
Rin hummed to him as she holstered her weapon. "I know when I've had too much. I won't do anything stupid."
"Like try to blast my leg off." Sideswipe grumbled. "Fine. It's not like I can stop you, you're more stubborn than Sunny."
"Don't call me that." Said yellow mech snapped back.
Bee played a laugh track as he pointed at Sideswipe. "Dance monkey, dance."
"Watch it." He grumbled to the young 'bot, a warning glint in his optic.
Bee, of course, just stared innocently at him.
"Bumblebee," Rin called as she approached the mech, "how about we go a round?" She unsheathed her blade and got into a ready position, obviously not taking 'no' for an answer.
Bee had worked with human soldiers before. As the gentlest 'bot among them, he was a good 'con stand-in for new recruits. However, those humans worked in teams of five or six against him and wore full body armor. Rin was wearing a grey long sleeve shirt and cargo pants. The 'bot was visually surprised by her challenge and pointed at her chosen weapon, a stuttering male voice came over his radio unit, "I…I don't have my toothpicks."
Rin, seeming to comprehend Bee, grinned defiantly at him. "I've worked just fine with the tools I've got. Ready?"
Without waiting for a response, Rin charged. Bumblebee took a quick sidestep. The smile on Rin's face proved that to be a mistake. She had a skill for corralling her opponents to go exactly where she wanted them. Before his pede could touch the ground, she pulled her pistol and shot at the earth under his pede's shadow. Bee stumbled back, trying to regain his balance. Rin took the opportunity to run between his legs, slicing at the back of his ankle strut. She pivoted before Bee fell back onto his aft. Practically rolling over onto his chassis, Rin pointed her e-blade at his neck cables.
Bumblebee raised his servos in surrender, looking utterly confused as to what had just transpired. Sideswipe couldn't blame him. The youngling was more used to working with human soldiers than the twins were, but Rin was no ordinary soldier. The males on base only used close combat as a last resort, and mainly focused on their mid to long range skills, in order to stay out of the way while providing supporting fire for the autobots. Rin, however, had no qualms about running into the fray. Honestly, Sideswipe was rather proud of his femme.
"Whoa!" Sam placed his hands on his head and stared disbelievingly at the sight of his guardian being owned by a little femme. "You ok, Bee?" he called, but didn't step too close. The male had enough survival instinct to stay out of the way.
Rin climbed off Bee's chassis, allowing him to stand. The 'bot nodded to his charge, but stole a couple of glances to Rin.
Sideswipe lightly scanned her as she got within range of him. He was no medic, but he would be able to at least detect signs of pain. Her heartrate was no higher than it usually was when they sparred. Her facial features showed little signs of discomfort, only slight smugness. Overall, she seemed ok. But knowing her, she could be skilled at hiding such signs from him.
She always kept herself in check; one thing he was hoping to change. Helping her to loosen up would be good for her. That, and getting her to stop hiding her problems. Ratchet had explained to him the painful effects of injured ribs. Most humans would be unwilling to walk with such painful injuries. She had an impressive tolerance to pain. But that did not mean she had to hide it.
"Sorry Bumblebee," she apologized, putting back on her usual mask, "that was a bit unfair. How about another go?" Rin stretched her limbs, seeming excited to have some action after days of stillness. Sideswipe could sympathize.
They paired off. Rin and Bumblebee continued their match while Sideswipe and Sunny exchanged blows. They projected their attacks to each other over the bond. By doing so, they could match the expected move with the physical one. This helped them develop the skill to recognize indicators for oncoming attacks. It was why their reaction speed was superior to most of the autobots, maybe with the only exception of Jazz.
Sideswipe noticed how, after Rin made a successful first impression, she fought at a more subdued pace. Honestly, he was pleased with this. He also didn't fail to notice how quickly Bee's charges became infatuated with his femme. She was rather impressive, Sideswipe admitted to himself. Usually, all eyes were on him and the other Cybertronians, but Rin owned that field. And these humans hadn't even seen her when she's fully healed.
Eventually, when Rin had her fill of Bumblebee, she suggested a switch. Sideswipe gladly challenged Bee, knowing the scout was apprehensive about fighting Sunstreaker. He'd give Rin a light workout afterwards.
Sunny moved to the sidelines to watch, arms crossed over his chassis. Run bounded up to him, the fatigue starting to show in the way she clutched her left side. "Sunstreaker, let's spar for a while." She offered.
Sideswipe paused before he could start with Bee and looked worriedly at Sunny. Those two hardly ever sparred to begin with. Usually, Sideswipe would take him hand to hand while Rin supplied supporting fire, like the other humans on base did. Sunny was not one to hold back in any kind of fight, even with allies. The twins had already decided to minimize his close combat with their human. Also, he was probably the most well armored mech on base, so there were few places where she could even think to attack. Thus, long range tactics were Rin's best option against Sunny. In her condition, taking him on would be suicidal. And they hadn't even planned on her sparring that day to begin with.
Sunny did not hesitate when he stared down at the femme. "No." he answered simply and looked up to watch the coming match.
Rin, however, did not seem to like that answer. "Come on, you can't be tired already." She placed her hands on her hips defiantly. What better way to get a reaction out of Sunny than to question his strength?
He glanced back down at her. "I said 'no'." Then, he silently turned and headed for the other side of the sparring field.
Before Sideswipe could say anything, Rin pulled out her pistol, changed the cartridge, and shot at Sunny, hitting him on the back of the helm. He froze at the sound of the splat. No one moved and the only noises were of the breeze and distant ocean.
Suddenly, Sunny's frame started to rattle with bubbling anger. Over the bond, Sideswipe frantically sent calming feelings, pleading for him to leave it be. He got ready to jump to Rin's rescue, should she need it. But, to his credit, Sunny straightened himself and continued to stalk forward. There was a collective sigh of relief. Then, another splat.
The second paint ball strategically landed on Sunny's right servo. He raised it to see the orange paint on his yellow armor. Sunny really hated the color orange. Sideswipe felt rage flood the bond, and mix with his own emotions. A low growl emanated from Sunny as his raised servo transformed into a cannon.
"You want a fight, squishy?" he turned around, his glare sharp enough to cut a mountain in half. "Then let's fight." Two shots from his cannon obliterated the earth on either side of Rin, who's vision would be shrouded by the dust cloud. Sunny charged after her.
Bee took a step forward to intervene, but Sideswipe placed a servo on his shoulder. "Just wait and see." He reasoned. He could feel that his twin had not entirely lost control and he didn't want anyone else to interfere. Sunny might just do more damage to Bee if he were to step in. Nevertheless, the silver mech was ready to come to Rin's rescue.
The femme dodged and weaved between Sunny's flying limbs and cannon fire. Not attacking, just avoiding. Both her weapons were holstered. Her every focus seemed to be on the mech's well aimed blows. The only contact she made was when she kicked off his leg to evade an arm.
Sideswipe relaxed slightly, he could feel Sunny's recognition of the situation over the bond. Rin wasn't stupid, she knew she couldn't take on mechs like Sunny. He had little to no weaknesses, it's what made him such an effective gladiator, along with incredible skill. Her only goal was to practice avoidance. Sunny's moves started to reflect on this.
He changed up techniques, giving her a variety of moves to avoid. At one point, he raised his pede in a mock attempt to stomp on her, she rolled away, just as his pede slammed against the earth. Sunny kicked it forward, in a continuous attack, but stopped short.
Rin remained crouched down, inches from Sunny's pede. She panted heavily and gripped at her ribs. Her injuries must had been overstressed.
Sunstreaker kneeled down, his servo hovering beside her, fight forgotten. "You're done for today, squishy. No arguments."
Rin nodded, exhaustion finally showing in her labored movements.
Sideswipe looked down at her sadly. Humans really were fragile.
He noticed Bee's charges approach, but kept a reasonable distance with Sunny leaning over Rin. Michaela, whom was far braver, spoke out to her, "Are you alright?"
Rin fully stood, followed by Sunny who also took a few steps back. "I'm alright, just stressed my injuries a bit."
"That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Sam burst out. He wasn't the most stoic of humans. "I don't know if you're brave or insane."
"Eh," she shrugged, "maybe a bit of both."
Sideswipe turned his attention away from the humans, and glanced at is brother, who was at a proper brooding distance. The mech had held himself in check during the match. And Sideswipe could swear he saw a smile on his brother's faceplates at some point.
"Well Bee," the elder yellow mech said to the younger, "weren't you and Sides gonna go at it?"
Sideswipe looked at the scout appraisingly. Continuing their match might make Rin feel excluded. That would go against his plan to improve their team relationship. An idea popped in his processor. "How about a race instead?"
The scout nodded his head eagerly and warbled his excitement, he loved racing.
"Great." Sideswipe grinned and turned to Rin, "Wanna come along?"
"Not really." She stated, causing Sideswipe to frown and furrow his optic ridges. He held that sad look until she sighed. "With your handling, I'll end up even more bruises." The comment was lightened by a smile. Sideswipe really liked the way her grin framed the rest of her face. And how the happier she seemed the more teeth she showed. It was cute.
He put on a visage of mock hurt and slapped a servo on his chassis, "Moi? My handling is flawless!"
She chuckled at that. "How about I just cheer you on?"
Sideswipe felt his spark flip oddly. She was going to cheer for him? There was no way he could let himself lose. He turned to Bee, a glint of fire burning in his optics, "Ready?"
Both transformed and revved their engines. Bee's was, admittingly, far louder. His alt mode helped with that. But Sideswipe's was smoother. His scanners showed Rin was still watching him closely, her heart rate spiked slightly when he revved his engine again. His alt mode really was hot. He couldn't blame femmes or mechs of any species or getting excited over it.
:Alright,: he spoke to Bee over their comms, :We'll race to that boulder and back:. He sent and image of the object described to eliminated any confusion.
Bee sent back a ping to show his readiness.
The moment their chromometers started a new minute, they both shot forward. Their tires kicked dust back onto the human spectators. Sunny had keenly steeped away from the 'danger zone' and was whipping off the paint Rin left on him. Half of Sideswipe's attention was on his path, calculating the speed he would need to turn around the marker. The rest of his focus was split between his opponent and Rin, who actually clapped him on.
Bee inched ahead as Sideswipe decelerated slightly. When they hit the boulder, Bee who had better breaks, hit them hard enough to force a controlled fishtail, turning himself around. Only it took an extra second to move forward in the new direction. Sideswipe had slowed enough to drift around the boulder, and keep him momentum towards the goal. Both raced forwards towards the finish line, Bumblebee just inches ahead. What the bug had in engine power, Sideswipe made up for in pure speed. He shot forward, leaving Bee in his dust.
Heading straight towards a smiling Rin, his spark beat with smug satisfaction. In a moment of inspiration, once he passed the finish line, he drifted around Rin, hood inches from her, slowing as he circled like the first time they met. She didn't even flinch. Instead, she gave him a knowing smile as he came to a full stop a few yards behind the humans.
Bumblebee tried to follow his example, but his drift failed and his rear flailed in the wrong direction, heading straight for Rin. Sideswipe transformed, ready to grab her, but he wouldn't make it in time. Time seemed to freeze in that second. Sideswipe could see Rin attempting to jump free of Bee's path, but, like Sideswipe, she was too far delayed.
Suddenly, a flash of yellow obscured her from Sideswipe's view. In that moment, his spark fell. But an unexpected shock of physical pain through his bond, coupled with the horrible scraping of metal on metal, alerted Sideswipe.
Sunny's pede stomped inches in front of Rin as Bumblebee slid straight into it. His tires left the ground as his door and the edge of his roof nearly wrapped around the yellow leg. Sunny gave no ground. He must have used the retractable spikes at the bottom of his pedes to root himself. Bumblebee hit the ground again, frame drooping weakly over his tires.
"Bee!" Sam ran towards his guardian, who slowly wheeled forward.
Sunny had other plans. He grabbed the scout's bumper and lifted it into the air. "What the frag were you doing? You almost crushed the squishy!"
Bee quickly rambled apologies over their comm link, :I'm sorry! It was an accident. It won't happen again. Please let me go.: He practically whined the last one as his charge retreated away from the yellow twin.
Sunny dropped him, the force causing his already cracked side window to shatter. "It better not happen again." He growled. Pivoting on his heels, he turned to see Rin. His optics seemed to scan her for injury. Finding nothing new, he refocused his gaze on Sideswipe. The silvered mech could feel Sunny's anger wasn't sated yet. "And you." He took a threatening step forward. ""Don't teach him to be as fragged up as you are."
Sideswipe was about to retort, but stopped. Deep within their bond, he felt Sunny's worry and relief. He really was scared for their human. He vented built up hot air and sent calming feelings to his twin. "I'm sorry, K?" he stated to both Sunny and Rin.
Sunny was probably hoping for a fight. So with nothing but an apology, he huffed and stalked away for some brooding.
Rin had already stepped around Sunstreaker to see if Bumblebee was alright. He transformed into his root mode and was apologizing profusely in a flurry of radio voices. The youngling didn't look majorly injured aside from his door wing, which was nearly bent in half. That had to be painful for the young Praxian. Sideswipe knew their wings were extremely sensitive. But as a 'bot created in the middle of a warzone, he was tougher than he looked. After a night in the med bay, he'd be just fine.
Rin waved off his apologies and quickly forgave him. She was lucky, though. Had Sunny not been there, she could have been killed.
With the drama aside, Bee and his charges went ahead to the med bay to get his wing repaired. Sunny would have to go there too. His leg looked pretty dented. It was nothing serious, but without the medic's help, the dents would last weeks. That was something Sunny could not stand for. Rin needed to see the Hatchet as well. And he'd likely beat Sideswipe over the helm for letting her get herself hurt. So much for avoiding the med bay.
Sideswipe unsubspaced a water bottle and handed it to Rin. She smiled weakly and thanked him. The process of lifting her arms to receive the drink caused her to wince. He sat down next to her, concern in his optics. "You don't have to push yourself so hard. You'll only get hurt."
She looked down, not meeting his gaze, but Sideswipe could see the determined way she clenched to bottle in her fist. "It's all I can do to keep up with you guys."
"That's a load of scrap and you know it." Sunny grunted.
Rin's eyes shot up to him, but she said nothing.
Sunny glowered back down at her. "If you wanted to keep up, you'd let yourself heal. I wouldn't of had to scrap Bee if you'd been in shape to dodge him. That's on you."
"Sunny." Sideswipe gave him a warning tone,
"No." he cut his twin off, "All she's trying to do is impress everyone. That's why she keeps challenging 'bots to fights. It's to prove she's not just some weak organic." He looked back down to her. "If you want to keep up with us, stop worrying about what everyone else thinks. Their approval isn't worth slag. You want to prove yourself? Then take care of yourself. That means following the Hatchet's advice." His rough tone hid barley masked the sage wisdom he gave her, learnt from vorns in the gladiator pits. "You can't change the fact that you're just a human. Deal with your limitations, don't ignore them. In the meantime, use that clever little mind of yours to think of ways to improve your technique." He pointed a digit at her. "Got it?"
Rin stared wide eyed at him. After a long moment, she finally sighed, a smile playing on her lips. It seemed she was finally starting to see through the yellow mech's harsh words. "Ok, I got it. And I'm sorry for making you worry."
"I wasn't worried, I just knew Prowl would brig me if I let you get hurt again." he looked away, not meeting her eyes. That made Sideswipe smile.
"So," Sideswipe clapped his servos together, "as Sunny said, we should think about your technique."
Sunny shot back, "Don't call me that!"
"What did Bee call your blade? A toothpick?" he laughed at the comparison. "You may be in need of an upgrade."
"But I've only received approval for C grade weapons." She stated. Even given that her blade and pistol were C grade Cybertronian based weapons, Sideswipe knew, Rin's gear was the lowest quality. It was only meant to be used for practice, not actual combat. Rin, however, did not have approval for anything else. "Ironhide had to do a lot of convincing just to get me these." She explained, "Privates usually are not permitted any kind of Cybertronian-based tool."
"Well you a specialist now," he reasoned, "shouldn't that get you something?"
"Not really." She shrugged.
"Ok, we'll put the weapons topic on hold, for now." Sideswipe would need to do some convincing of his own later on. "Well, you're athletic enough to dodge, but that won't do you much good against a wall of bullets flying your way. What about armor?" he suggested, arms crossed.
Rin placed a finger to her chin in a human 'thinking gesture'. It was kind of cute. "We haven't developed much that could help against a Cybertronian. I only have my Kevlar and head gear, basically."
Sunny piped in, "What about a shield. That's not a weapon. Que could make a self-expanding energy barrier."
Her head jerked up. "That sounds like a force field."
Sideswipe grinned madly, "That's because it is a forcefield. A plasma shield would dissipate energon based attacks. Depending on the shield itself, it could also protect against physical attacks ranging up to fifty thousand pounds per square inch. Like in comics!"
Rin stayed in topic, but her eyes lightened with amusement at Sideswipe's comment. "Why don't you all have those?"
"They use a lot of juice," Sideswipe explained, "so most bots would only use them when under direct fire. Also, with our size, the field would be more dispersed. A single one large enough to cover us would sap our energon reserves. Anybot who uses force fields usually has them all over their body. Typically, though, symbiotes or other Cybertronians around your size use them."
"Why haven't we been using them before?" She questioned.
"Up until recently, we've been too low on energon." he responded. "Now that we have a stable source, we can develop more tools for humans. In fact, Que probably already has designs ready. I'll talk to him about it."
Sideswipe could see that Rin's mind was buzzing with plans for different scenarios involving the defensive tool. "Thanks, that could be helpful."
"Maybe he can sneak something in," Sunny suggested, "like a mini kinetic discharge cannon?"
"What?" Rin's eyes widened comically, she seemed to really like that idea.
"I'll ask him about it, but that's a good idea." Sideswipe stood and stretched his arms over his helm. ""I'll drive over there now. Why don't you two go see the Hatchet?"
He transformed and shot off to Que's lab. That way, he would be out of sight when Hatchet goes on the attack. Behind him, he could hear Rin ask Sunny, "So what's up with this cannon?"
It wasn't often that Erin found herself alone with Sunstreaker. As a result, she found that she was at a loss of what to do or say. They were walking to the med bay, at a slow space. Not only because of Erin's injuries, but the slight limp Sunstreaker walked with. Hardly a single word was exchanged between them since Sideswipe left and it was beginning to feel awkward. They spent so much time together, but once the silver 'bot was gone, they were like strangers. Erin found herself missing the annoying mech. He always seemed to be able to break the ice with his sometimes misplaced humor.
Erin felt a bit relieved when they finally arrive at the side of the autobot hanger. Sideswipe would already be inside, speaking with Que.
Sunstreaker paused outside the door, glancing around.
Erin noticed his change in behavior, and how every few moments his optics would bat over to her. "Is everything alright, Sunstreaker?"
He fully looked down at here, just taking a moment to stare. The weight of his glare only served to make the Specialist even more uncomfortable. Finally, he spoke. "Are you feeling better now?"
Erin blinked dumbly. That was not what she expected. "Yeah, I think the swelling is going down as well."
"Good." His faceplates didn't reveal anything. No sign of relief or disinterest. Just, nothing. "I want to check something out. Hand me your e-blade."
Erin scowled at the command but did as he requested anyway. With some 'bots, it didn't pay to argue. Sunstreaker pinched the hilt of the weapon between two fingers. He took a moment to run his optics over it, but Erin could tell he wasn't scanning it. With a flick of his wrist, he threw it against the wall of the hanger, where it stuck.
"What was that for?" Erin ran up to the wall, looking up to her blade which was embedded forty feet in the air.
Sunstreaker pointed up at it, "Climb the wall and grab it."
"What?" Erin felt incredulous.
"It's too high for me to reach without damaging the wall. It's too far from the roof so reaching down from there won't help you. The only way to get it, is to climb that storm drain." He instructed her with a no nonsense tone, fully expecting her to just comply.
"What the fuck has gotten into you?" Erin seethed. There was no way she was climbing up there. She'd sooner drag Adam or Franky out to do it for her.
"We agreed that you need to figure out your weaknesses while your body recovers. Your fear of heights has got to go." He reasoned, servos on hips, optics commanding here to just do as he says.
"Sunstreaker," Erin rubbed her temples, trying to massage away the stress, "phobias don't just disappear with a single act. Besides, my fears have never stopped me from completing a mission. You've seen me spar and snipe from high places before."
"I can also detect your elevated heartrate all of those times. Once of these days. It's going to be too much. You could get yourself killed. Now, mech up and climb." He again pointed to her intended destination. The blade was only inches from the storm drain. Should she manage to get that high, pulling it out would be a simple task.
Erin sighed in frustration and defeat. The fact that she thought of roping in her male comrades only showed how weak she was. Steeling her nerves, she approached the storm drain. Her hands, having only gripped the metal, were already shaking in trepidation. Sunstreaker was right, this fear had to go.
With expert skill, she pulled herself up. As a woman capable of doing nearly endless pull-ups, ascending a storm drain was a simple task. However, time slowed and her stomach did odd flips as she got higher. In her peripheral, she saw the ground, five feet away, ten feet away. Once she was fifteen feet in the air, her muscles seemed to seize. Her body's shaking actually resounded off the drain and reverberated back into her head, mixing with the sound of her heartbeat.
"Squishy."
The world seemed to come back into focus. All her attention turned away from the blade and the heights and headed towards the voice, only a few feet behind her. Bravely, she turned her head around to meet the optics of Sunstreaker. Her breath was caught in her throat. Though, even if she could speak, she didn't trust herself to say anything comprehensive.
"If you fall, I'll catch you." Erin's eyes widened. Sunstreaker looked back at her with neither amusement nor loathing. He was serious.
After a long moment, Erin finally nodded and turned back to her task. She reached one hand up, using her trained grip to pull her body further. Her heart still beat franticly, her mind still played images of her falling to her death. The fear was still there, but its grip was weakened. She thought of Sunstreaker right below her, ready to stop her fall. He wouldn't let her hit the ground. He'd catch her. Like Cora. A wave of determination passed over her. He was helping her, with something as simple as this. This was nothing for her.
Erin's pace quickened, her vision narrowed on the prize. Instead of tracking her height, she focused on the distance left to travel. Ten feet, seven feet, four feet, one foot. One hand shot out, grabbing her weapon. Twisting the grip, she activated the energon coating, a barely recognizable buzz ran through her fingers. A single strong tug ripped it from the abused metal of the wall. It was a small feat, but Erin still felt pride. She did it. She climbed forty feet to retrieve something. No one was shooting at her. There was no mission. She just climbed.
Bravely, Erin glanced down to Sunstreaker. He stood directly underneath her, optics trained on her form, no doubt ready to jump into action should she lose her grip. It was hard to tell from her distance, but Erin could swear she saw his lip plates quirk ever so slightly.
Moving with care, Erin sheathed her blade and began her descent. Once she finally hit the ground, her legs stopped wobbling and the fear that wrapped around her stomach filtered away.
Sunstreaker nodded his approval. "'Knew you could do it." The statement was less congratulatory and more of a confirmation that he was, in fact, right. "Now, let's get over with it and see Hatchet." He beckoned her to follow him in to the barracks. He even went so far as to hold the large 'bot-sized door open for her to walk through.
Erin couldn't help but feel proud, not only of her own small accomplishment, but of the progress she'd made in befriending the yellow giant. Dare she say it, she was really starting to enjoy her team's company.
Honestly, that scared her a bit. But at the moment, she couldn't remember why. Instead, she was struck with a bit of inspiration. Something Sideswipe would definitely approve of as a great team bonding exercise.
"Sunstreaker," She called the mech's attention, "after we're out of the med bay, I want you to help me with a prank."
Jazz stepped through the hall, on the way to see his favorite no nonsense stick-up-the-aft friend. Prowl had a bad habit of working himself to the ground. The situation with Mech and Bishop did little to alleviate this. Jazz did what he could to help. In fact, he had just finished testing the new security measures in Que's lab.
Prowl nearly glitched when Brook stated Mech possessed a weapon nearly identical to the one Que was designing. Apparently, the femme had stolen the weapon from Silas, but in her sick state, she lost track of it. A team had already been sent to retrace her path to try and find the weapon. It was odd. Brook was an extremely likely candidate for this mysterious double agent they were trying to track down. She was also, according to Que, the only human who ever saw the weapon he was creating. However, it was only a model prototype. She would not have been able to recreate any designs from what she saw. Only Cybertronians can open the door to Que's lab, so a human spy would require a 'bot's help to take the design specs. No one thought Que capable of betraying the autobots, but all possibilities must be considered. Investigating their own team was not pleasant for either Prowl or Jazz.
That was precisely why Jazz took the initiative to drag the SIC out of his office. Sometimes, he would take Prowl up to the Lennox household for some relaxation and energon. Other times, he would take him to one of their berth rooms and force him to sleep, under supervision to ensure he didn't sneak in a data pad for work. On that particular occasion, however, Jazz intended to take his friend on a drive around the island. Summer was beginning to fade away, bringing in cool ocean breezes. It was the perfect weather for a calming drive.
It didn't take much processing power to know where the SIC would likely be at that particular moment. Jazz rounded the corner to the stretch of hallway leading to Prowl's office. He stopped short, however, upon seeing the black and white mech lying still on the ground. In an astrosecond, the saboteur analyzed the situation. No dangers were present, Prowl showed obvious signs of life, and his helm was sparking.
A fond smile played on his lip plates. What could have made the mech glitch this time? He looked around the space, approaching the unconscious 'bot. His optics caught something attached to the SIC's door. It appeared to be some kind of plaque made of the side of a shipping crate. The painted letters were impressively neat, too neat for a certain silver prankster. The sentence on it was simple, but still made Jazz laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
"This sentence is false."
Bumblebee's quotes are from Rain Man and Hello Again by Neil Diamond