Chapter 51
:Should you really be calling her squishy?:
Sunstreaker was pulled out of his internal thoughts as Sides suddenly spoke over their regular comm. They were driving to meet up with said squishy. :Whenever I use her name, she thinks the world's ending.: The yellow mech answered. He flashed his brother memories of such past events. She always had a concerned look on her face and one time asked if he was feeling alright.
:Because you've only used it in serious situations.: Sides replied, :You could call her Rin or sweetspark.:
:But she's fine going by squishy.: Sunstreaker argued back. If the femme had a problem with it, she'd tell him. The only one who'd been called out for using nicknames was Sideswipe. Besides, he'd used her name casually one or two times.
The silver mech added in a teasing tone, :You do realize a 'squishy' is not an actual thing, right? At most, it's the name a sparkling gives a toy.:
:Go stuff your muffler.: Sunstreaker growled, the sound mirroring his engine as he sped towards the beach.
:Harsh. I'm still right though.: Sides easily caught up and overtook Sunstreaker. Apparently, they were racing. :Do you think she'll call us anything else?: He asked. Sunstreaker could practically hear the string of thoughts coming from his other half.
:I'm not letting her call me that stupid nickname.: Sunstreaker snapped, earning amusement from the other side of the bond.
An amused hum came over the bond. :I'm talking about titles of endearment.: He clarified. :She called it 'pet names', but I'm certain it means the same thing.: A stream of words crossed the bond; sweety, baby, honey, and other nonsensical things. The mech was apparently researching.
:Why don't you just ask her?: Sunstreaker suggested, not really caring himself. His twin could be sharp when needed, but his processor seemed to stop working around the squishy.
:Then she might feel pressured,: Sides responded, :and that would just make things weird.:
And there comes his classic second-guessing. With Sides it was one of two things- blind confidence or a complete lack of. :You're overthinking this, slagger.: Sunstreaker argued. The interspecies divide was complicated enough. They didn't need any more wrenches thrown in the mix. :If you want something from her, you have to ask for it.:
:I'm just worried about messing up.: Sides defended while sharing a mix of uncomfortable emotions.
Shaking off the shared feeling, the yellow mech reasoned, :But it's just the squishy. You know her.:
The silver twin was silent for a moment before conceding, :I guess you're right.:
:As usual.: The larger front liner replied smugly. :Hey, I see her. And there's Ironaft.: Sunstreaker sent a ping to the mech, essentially trading off shifts for watching the squishy. The black mech transformed and drove past them, towards the base.
Sides- the overeager fragger- cut his twin off to be the first to greet the femme. He transformed and immediately knelt down to pull the human in close.
When Sunstreaker transformed, he saw the squishy reciprocating his brother's embrace. Her armor was different than usual. It was shinny and hung loosely around her legs. The mech never thought he'd see the femme presenting in such a thing, mainly because it looked inconvenient to fight in. She must have changed her appearance for them. The thought made a flickering feeling in Sunstreaker's spark.
When his twin finally released the femme, Sunstreaker wasted no time in taking his turn to hold her close. Her soft frame seemed to fit perfectly against his armor. It wasn't until then that he realized he'd been zipping across the base at Prowl's behest, picking up dust all along the way. Shame washed through him as he let the femme go and pulled away. Luckily, whatever filth he was carrying didn't seem to transfer to the squishy. She was pristine.
Before Sunstreaker could tell her as much, Sides pushed in to set his forehelm on the femme's. "You look beautiful, sweetspark." He said with a bright smile.
She blushed at the gesture and thanked him.
Primus that was cute. She was nearly flustered after a single compliment. The femme was probably just as nervous and on edge as they were. But what was there to be anxious about? She was the same femme he knew a few weeks before. It had to be Sides' emotions mucking up his own processor. Putting himself at ease, he settled onto the tarp that had been set out for them.
"How were patrols?" she asked conversationally while gesturing to the energon cubes.
Sunstreaker gratefully took his. "Boring," he answered honestly, "I'd rather be knocking 'con helms than driving circles around an island or staring at a monitor."
"We should enjoy a bit of peace while we have it." Sides admonished, pausing to take a swig of the energon. "Besides, Rin isn't approved to be in the field."
The squishy's smile faltered for a moment at the reminder. Sunstreaker sent a mental shove to his twin. While he personally liked the idea of her being safe, it was a point of pride for the femme to be able to stand among them in a fight. "I guess a bit of rest doesn't hurt." He said, hoping to ease the blow on the femme. Though, all three knew the likelihood of her being allowed in the field with the Allspark still in her was very low. And there was no knowing how long it could take Ratchet to remove it. Humans didn't live that long, to begin with.
Trying to switch subjects, Sunstreaker asked the femme how her day went.
She smiled gratefully. "Not bad. Ironhide and I did some training with Bluestreak. He's doing pretty well." She added with a wider grin, "And regretfully I forgot to take pictures of Ironhide being forced into a tea party with Annabelle."
Now that was a shame. Sunstreaker always believed the mech could stand to be knocked down a peg or two. He and Prowl, of course.
"Oh, I would have loved to see that." Sides laughed. "One day the sparkling's going to paint him pink and he'll feel too guilty to wash it off."
"I think he'd look even scarier then." The squishy shuddered. The thought indeed was horrible, and yet terribly comical. "And who do you think would be the one supplying the paint?" she added with a knowing look.
The silver mech put his servos up, trying to look innocent. "I have no idea what you are talking about." After a moment he amended, "Unless you want to help."
Shaking her helm, the femme finally relaxed on the tarp and grabbed what seemed to be her own fuel. "How about a maybe for now." She replied.
Sunstreaker could tell his twin saw that as a victory. Ironaft better watch out. The trio settled in to refuel and relax. Sides had a point; their little moment of peace was nice. The sun would be setting soon, turning the sky a pleasing array of pinks and purples. In the distance were dark storm clouds that threatened the bright collection of color, but they wouldn't arrive for a while. In Sunstreaker's mind, the clouds offered a well-timed contrast. His digits twitched with the urge to paint the scene; a collection of colors swirling among each other with their three silhouettes in the foreground, enjoying the simple beauty.
It made Sunstreaker realize he'd never even drawn the femme before. Would she mind being a model? Perhaps a painting would be better. Would he be able to capture every color? Human skin will minutely change in shade depending on so many factors, including emotion. He tried to imagine what he'd be able to capture. Lust? He wanted to immortalize that. All while caressing her image with the gentle bristles of his brush.
The thought made him anxious to try. And it gave him an idea. What if he painted more than just her copy? But it wasn't the right place to propose it. He'd wait for when they were in their shared berth room. Perhaps that could be a solution to a certain issue he'd been fretting over.
"Sunstreaker, what are you thinking about?" the squishy's curious voice coaxed his attention back to the present.
"Just thinking about the sunset." He deflected. "I was thinking of what colors to mix when painting it." It was technically true, just not everything he had been considering.
She smiled at that. "Well, I think you look pretty cute when thinking about art." The femme said, surprising Sunstreaker. "As much as you may try to avoid it, you can't help but look excited."
"Great." He huffed, "Just call me Sunstreaker, the adorable gladiator." To that, Sideswipe opened his mouth but a yellow and black servo quickly slapped over it with a clang. "Don't even think about it." Sunstreaker said.
The squishy laughed. The sound warmed his spark. Her genuine laughs always had a musical quality to them. It always brought him back to the times Sides convinced her to sing the few songs she knew that were meant to aid humans in recharging. She called them lullabies. He'd never admit to especially enjoying those aloud, though.
Still, he felt the sudden urge to show her affection. "Come here, shorty." He set down his cube to pick her up.
"Shorty?" The femme asked, letting herself be settled in his arms. "That's a new one." She still had shimmers of joy in her tone.
Playfully, he asked, "Would you rather I call you tiny?"
"No, shorty's fine." She replied while curling up against his chassis.
-Happy?- Sunstreaker asked over the bond.
-She sure is.- Sideswipe replied with amusement.
The femme, in fact, was trying to conceal a smile. So that was what she looked like when she was flustered. Apparently 'pet names' were encouraged.
Experimentally, Sunstreaker held her higher on his chassis so he could whisper to her, "My shorty."
Her optics widened before she smacked her face against his armor with a little 'thunk', effectively hiding her expression. "Jesus Christ." She muttered.
-Primus. And here I was worried we wouldn't be able to get the femme revved.- Sunstreaker commented to his twin. -Looks like she isn't unassailable after all.- "Didn't think you'd be one to get flustered." He teased aloud and shifted her onto one arm so he could use the other to stroke her fur.
"I hadn't been in the right situation with you." She replied quietly, still covering her face.
He hummed at that. "I've seen Sideswipe flirt with you plenty of times."
"But we weren't together." She answered shortly, almost sounding juvenile. "It's called compartmentalizing."
"I never knew efficiency could be adorable." He responded, not sure how the prideful femme would react to being called that.
It had the desired effect. Her voice got higher, signaling a mixture of happiness and slight embarrassment. "You're reprehensible."
"Guilty as charged." Sunstreaker chuckled.
He finally set her down so she could enjoy her fuel. Easy conversation flowed between them as their concerns over cultural differences seemed to fade away. All that mattered was how their relationship connected them. It felt right.
Thundercracker sighed in annoyance when he saw the human femme walking by. She headed straight to him, as usual. "What is it this time, 14?" he asked, refusing to mask his emotions, not that it ever dissuaded the confusing human. All he wanted to do was finish reviewing Dead End's report on nearby fuel depots.
"Aw, come on pal, can't I just want to say hi?" she asked with mocking innocence.
"Something tells me platitudes aren't in your nature." The seeker replied evenly.
She shrugged and leaned against the wall where he was standing. "Well, I really am here just to hang out."
"And you must be around me because…" It wasn't as if he hated the femme, but he just couldn't understand her. And as much as she claimed to want friendship with his fellow 'cons, Thundercracker still got a discontent feeling when she was around. She always watched them so intently.
She shrugged and casually stated, "You're the only one here that won't 'try' kill me on a whim."
Yep, crazy. "And here I thought you wanted to be offlined." Thundercracker didn't miss her emphasis on the word try. He doubted there was much she could do to save herself. The humans formerly involved in Division did have impressive weaponry, but the little femme never carried them when invading the Decepticon offshoot base. He'd heard of Agent 56 offlining a mech on her own, and assisting the twins in their own endeavors. From what he heard among the few humans he spoke with, she was an exception. That didn't stop 14 from having the confidence of an elite guardsmech.
"Offlining can happen when I'm bored." She said in a mocking tone. "You freaks are way too entertaining right now."
'I'm the freak?' The thought. 14 seemed to find his exasperation amusing if her smug expression was anything to go by.
Suddenly, she switched subjects. "So, any word from 56?"
"Doesn't she have direct contact with you?" Thundercracker asked. 14 was the one assigned to maintain communication lines.
"Yep!"
"Has she contacted you?" he pushed.
"Yep!"
The mech asked in frustration, "Then why are you asking me?"
"Well, what if she tries to go behind my back and help you guys betray us?" 14 proposed in obviously feigned concern.
Thundercracker sighed and flexed in wings. Slowly, he asked, "If that were the case, why would I tell you?"
"You wouldn't," she chirped casually, "but the more we talk the better I can figure out if you're lying."
Thundercracker was momentarily lost for words. What was with this brazen organic? "So, all this time you were trying to gauge my ability to deceive you?"
"Nope!" she replied with a happy grin.
"But you just said-"
"I already figured that out a while ago," 14 interrupted, "I was just testing it out."
The seeker paused to think. Perhaps the organic chose wit over blasters in most battles. "I really don't believe you." The femme was crazy, so perhaps she was trying to gain some kind of advantage by intimidating him? As if it would have any effect. All he needed to do was step on the human and it would be over.
"Good." She said with an affirmative nod. "No one should. What do you guys do for fun around here anyway?"
Thundercracker was seriously concerned about the femme's mental state. Hopefully whatever was going on with her wasn't contagious to inorganics because he was starting to feel like he was the mad one. "Why don't you go ask Dead End? He won't harm you and I have more important things to do." He looked back at his datapad, not really paying attention to what it showed, but rather hoping the femme would take the hint.
"Please, is world domination really that important?" she pushed.
And that again. She'd said such things before. Forcing his wings to lower, he tried to take a calm tone with the femme. "We have no plans for your planet."
"I didn't take you for a moron 'cracker." 14 snorted, not even looking at him. Apparently, the pipes in the ceiling were more interesting.
"That's not my name." he quickly admonished, "And I would know more about The Cause than you would. We fight some humans because they are allied with our enemies. No other reason."
"And why do you fight the Autobots?" She asked. "From the sound of it, the thing you were fighting over was destroyed."
"We want to reestablish a free Cybertron." He tried to explain, the same way he had done to his neutral friends when he first joined The Cause. "The Autobots will just bring back the old ways and hunt us down if we don't comply. From what I can tell your planet is familiar with the class system. Would you allow that to happen?"
"I wouldn't care," 14 shrugged, "so long as I wasn't bored."
"I guess I can't expect a human to understand." He said mostly to himself. "Now, if you will stop wasting my time, I have to go."
Thundercracker stomped off. He found the next empty room and pulled down the garage door behind him. Half of the building had no working electricity, as advised by their organic allies to help evade detection. The energon creation already put them on the edge of being noticed. And that was only a fraction of their production. The main base was able to handle much more without being noticed.
The lack of lights didn't bother the seeker. He sat in one of the dusty corners and shuttered his optics. If he thought hard enough, he could pretend he wasn't on an alien planet. In his mind, he could see what would have happened if the war went the way Megatron promised. Free and fair and safe for all. Only the council and the upper echelon of the 'bots facing judgment for their war crimes. He held on to those thoughts.
Annoying as the organic could be, Thundercracker knew he shouldn't have let her affect him. She was probably only a quarter vorn old, after all. She knew nothing.
A hint of anticipation edged at Sideswipe's processor. Watching the femme remove her outer armor seemed so much different than just seeing her in already reduced plating. He couldn't stop his wandering thoughts. Sunstreaker, it appeared, was not fairing any better in keeping his processor in order.
While they gawked, Rin raised an optic ridge, a knowing smile on her face as she addressed Sunny. "Well, at least I know for sure why you gave me that look at our last date."
The mech looked away and grumbled softly, "Just go swim." and used the back of his servo to gently push her into the water. As much as the twins' processors were elsewhere, the femme genuinely did just want to swim. Perhaps there was a mix of teasing mixed in though. She had half-jokingly asked if they wanted to join. As if Sunny would ever touch that salinity-filled water.
The femme's helm bobbed back up a moment later. She laughed at Sunny's obvious embarrassment, making Sideswipe send waves of amusement over the bond. Sunny just gave a half-sparked push back.
Watching Rin in the water, Sideswipe couldn't help but marvel at how she managed to keep her helm above the surface. His optics picked up her arms, waving slowly, likely helping her keep balance. He wondered how it felt to float like that.
Keeping her optics on the mechs, Rin slowly swam further into the ocean. A flash of worry moved through both ends of the bond. What if a wave pulled her under? How long could humans last without oxygen again? Weren't there human-consuming organics that lived in the ocean?
But Rin didn't seem bothered at all. Instead, she called back, "The offer still stands for you to join me!"
"Pit no!" Sunny shouted back without any venom. Actually, he was smiling and shaking his helm at the femme's offer."
"Even for a kiss?"
Both mech's sat bolt straight, contemplating the prospects. From Sideswipe's research, kissing in or underwater was considered especially romantic for humans.
Sunny glowered at the femme, "That's a dirty trick and you know it."
She just shrugged and started swimming at a leisurely pace.
Watching her mesmerizing movements, and considering touching his lip plates to hers, was too much for Sideswipe not to act on. Doing his best to banish thoughts of the salty water before him, Sideswipe stood and took a couple wheels back before leaping into the ocean.
"Frag it!" Sunstreaker cursed behind him, but the lack of ferocity told Sideswipe he hadn't actually been splashed.
Rin, however, did not get away unscathed. But she was far enough away enough to not be engulfed by a wave. She still had to spit out some water and wipe her optics clean.
With the water coming twice the height of his wheels, Sideswipe moved forward, stepping instead of wheeling on the wet sand beneath. He felt the water fill into gaps and creases in his armor. It had been a while since he'd soaked in a bath, and if the water was not so cold, he would have thought it was delightful and could even pretend it was oil.
Apparently, the femme didn't actually think he would go through with it, because her eyes were open wide in shock. When he finally reached her, the water was just below the top of his chassis.
"Well," he said expectantly, sporting what he knew was a winning smile, "do I get my kiss now?"
Rin smiled brightly and beckoned him to come closer. Sideswipe scooped her up and held her close. Her lips were cold from the water, the ocean scent was near offensive, and he could feel grit crunching in his joints with every movement. And Sideswipe wouldn't change a fragging thing.
Feeling generous, he shared the sensation with his twin who was safely perched on the shoreline. Waves of gratitude came in response.
He felt he had a better understanding as to why humans enjoyed the water like that. There was so much more sensory information he felt as if he was being buried but Rin was grounding.
He pulled back when she pushed on his chassis to breathe in air. She looked good panting like that.
He didn't have long to admire her though since she flipped out of his arms to dive back under the water. His scanners weren't sensitive enough to pick her up and his optics couldn't find her. Worried since he didn't know where she was, Sideswipe didn't move. His fears were quickly abated, though, when she popped back up just outside of arms reach.
Somehow, she managed to float somewhat on her back with a satisfied smile on her face. He still marveled at how she didn't sink. It was so weird. He watched her swim and float for a while, eventually feeling relaxed in the water. However, he would need to be very thorough in the wash racks later.
When Rin had her fill, she started swimming back to shore and Sideswipe kept in step with her. Once they reached Sunny, the yellow mech pointed at his twin. "Don't you dare come onto the tarp until you're dry." As he did so, he passed a drying cloth to Rin who appeared to be immune from the rule.
The silver gladiator sulked but stayed to the side as he dried himself. He knew better than to set off his twin by getting saltwater on him. Though the thought of plopping down on the tarp crossed his processor.
14 waited a moment after the seeker left. Of all the monsters she was spying on, he was the most interesting. He obviously had second thoughts over what they were doing on earth. She could use that. Dead End was also a good prospect. He was skittish, even around humans. If he didn't keep hiding from her, perhaps she could intimidate him into joining 56's side.
Hardshell was a lost cause. All she gathered from him was his lack of intelligence and that he had a particular hatred for 56. That just wouldn't do. 14 loved 56 and if anyone was to kill her it would be 14- not that there was more than a 50 percent chance she'd do it. Never say never after all!
14 had only heard of Shockwave so there was little to go off there. She didn't even know where he was. She'd seen Vortex once before he was sent off to their main base. Octane was a name she'd heard, but there was again not enough info to be of use. Finally, there was Starscream. He spent his time moving between the two bases and was the main point of contact with the humans. His confidence was hilarious. 14 hoped she would be there when the curtain was pulled from his eyes.
Speaking of, 14 headed to where she knew the robot would be. Each had loud and distinctive footsteps. It was hard to miss them.
As soon as she saw him, 14 called out, "Hey Screamy! I'm gonna send a message to 56. Wanna add anything?"
The robot visibly sighed with a scowl. "When will you little creatures learn respect?" He set down the tablet-thing that previously held his attention. 14 managed to catch a quick glimpse of the alien script on the screen. It was enough time to memorize a section. 56 would be so proud!
Fixing his posture, Starscream fully turned to her. "Tell her I intend to draw out the twins. We'll make a commotion at the former Division base in Virginia in three cycles. I want her to make sure the twins are separated from their other forces. We will take them online."
The evening seemed to be going well for the twins, at least that's what Erin hoped. They were surprised at the indium Ironhide had provided. Sunstreaker seemed more than pleased by the taste while Sideswipe tried to plot ways to get more once he learned of Erin's source. Apparently, it was a coveted ingredient for high grade production, though far more prevalent on Cybertron. The silver mech fondly told Erin about how it was a part of their Sire's recipe. When Sunstreaker got quiet at the mention of their creator, the story fell into tales of their twins as younglings in Kaon. Watching Sideswipe animatedly regale her of all the mischief they got into brought smiles to everyone's faces. Every once in a while, Sunstreaker would chip in to add detail.
After the cubes were drained and the sun was kissing the horizon, the three laid back to watch the sunset together. Erin was slightly more interested in watching the colors reflect on the mechs' frames.
Sideswipe's armor darkened to a shining gunmetal grey. Bright white layered over a thinner yellow reflection highlighting his frame, angling along the curves of his form.
Sunstreaker's armor turned navy in the shadow while his highlights expressed hues of red and orange when facing the remaining brightness in the sky. He looked like the sunset itself. Erin's mind went back to his original optic color. Would they look like stars?
An odd feeling settled at the base of her spine. She was happy to look at the mechs, marveling at them as if they were works of art. Something Sunstreaker certainly would not mind her saying.
She couldn't help but wonder what they thought of her appearance. There she was, in spandex with her hair sopping wet and covered in sand and sea salt. She knew they had formed some kind of attraction for her. She doubted it was the same feeling of admiration for their frames that she had. To her, they were like art. A part of her mind wondered if she could also feel attraction for them the way they did for her? She imagined it was a more primal form of the emotion, desiring to partake in more so than appreciate. It's not that she didn't want to have sex with them, kissing alone got her excited. She just didn't feel the same physical attraction she would for a human. It was more emotional, which Erin put greater value in. Really, it didn't matter. She was pursuing a relationship for the twins. They gave her the emotional refuge she needed, and she was going to do return the favor.
Sunstreaker seemed to catch her gawking at turned to face her, resting on his side with his helm propped by a servo. "Admiring the view, shorty?" he asked in a mildly teasing tone.
That nickname inexplicably causing her to blush seemed to cement it as the mech's new favorite word.
Of course, the mech got his desired reaction. Erin blushed, and her mind short-circuited. Grasping for something to say, she stated, "I was wondering what your optics looked like when they were yellow." Erin paused, realizing her mistake when Sunstreaker's smile faltered. "Sorry, I know that's a sore subject." She quickly added while mentally kicking herself for ruining the moment.
He didn't look upset, however. Instead, it was more a contemplative expression on his faceplates. "Do you want to see?" he asked with an uncommon air of uncertainty.
On Erin's other side, Sideswipe perked up.
A hint of excitement rushed through Erin. She knew it was hard for the mech to talk about, but perhaps the show of trust was a sign their relationship was moving forward. Also, she could internally admit the curiosity had been eating away at her. She asked, "You have a picture?"
At that, Sunstreaker scoffed, "Of course not. I wouldn't be caught without my visor before getting the color-changing lenses."
Lenses? Erin's eyes narrowed. "Wait, color-changing lenses?"
Sunstreaker pointed to his optics, solid blue, like a glowing screen, with a small darker dot that resembled a pupil. He must have thought the gesture was all the explanation necessary.
Amusement bubbled up in Erin as she tried to stifle any laughter. "Wait, you're telling me this whole time you were wearing glasses?"
Apparently, the humor wasn't appreciated. In a near pouting tone, he stated simply, "Not glasses."
"Fine, color contacts." She amended. "It's practically the same thing. I thought you changed the actual color." That was the impression he gave at least.
"At the time it was too expensive." Sunstreaker explained, settling back on his servo. "I meant to wear these temporarily, but most medics qualified for the procedure were recruited to the war by the time we could afford it."
Erin tried to imagine how the mech must have felt growing up, wishing for the procedure that he could never get. Erin never had a problem like that. She was always satisfied with the body she was born in and just hated her living situation. She wasn't sure what could be done to help alleviate the mech's suffering but hoped a solution would come to her.
"So… you're willing to show me?" she asked cautiously.
Sunstreaker nodded. "For you, shorty, anything." His voice was deep, almost emotional. It was a significant moment for him.
Erin almost felt guilty for even asking. She wanted to live up to be the kind of partner he needed, however impossible the task seemed. Trying to lighten the mood, she scowled slightly at the mention of her new nickname. "You're never going to live that down."
"Nope." He smiled at her before closing his optics.
Erin glanced back at Sideswipe to see he was focused entirely on his brother with an almost blank expression. They must be talking over the bond.
After a few seconds, Sunstreaker opened his optics again. The sheet of ice-like blue was gone, replaced by a bright sunflower yellow. He leaned in close so she could better see. Erin gently held her hands at either side of his helm as she steadied her gaze. Like Sideswipe, his optics were detailed like the inside of an intricate clock. His yellow 'iris' spun as if focusing. Erin realized his optics showed just as much emotion as his brothers. They were intense and wide and worried and very beautiful.
"They look like starlight." She said absently, more focused on exploring every detail.
Sunstreaker blinked, breaking her focus. He closed his optics tight again but instead of opening them again, leaned forward and rested his helm against her chest, cradled in her lap. She held him close, doing her best to offer the mech a hug. He muttered a quiet 'thank you' against her skin.
Behind her, a servo brushed her hair aside. Erin could feel Sideswipe's lip plates press against her shoulder.
The three embraced in near silence, only the subtle whirring of the twin's frames as they vented could be heard. The sound was mostly drowned by the ocean waves.
Soothed by the quiet, Erin nearly drifted off before Sunstreaker pulled back. When he opened his optics, they were once again a solid sheet of blue, like a mask. Erin gave him an encouraging smile and he returned the gesture. It was rare for him to smile so gently. She tried to commit the sight to memory.
"Thank you." He murmured, "you're shining, Erin."
She wasn't sure what he meant by shining, it must have been a Cybertronian compliment. What surprised her was his use of her name.
She must have shown it on her face because Sunstreaker faced his brother with a suddenly amused look and stated, "Told you so. She always gets that worried look when I use her name."
And apparently, their moment was gone. "I didn't have a look." She argued petulantly. It seemed the twins needed a break from the seriousness, so she played along.
Sideswipe piped in, "Yeah you kinda did sweetspark." He looked thoroughly amused by their exchange.
"Fine," she relented, "but that's only because he says it at the most dramatic times."
Sunstreaker scoffed half-heartedly and Sideswipe nodded. "She has a point, Sunny."
"Don't call me that." Came the expected reply.
Erin stretched and looked at the remnants of their picnic. The empty cubes were subspace so all that remained were her dinner scraps and the bag that once held the indium among the tarp that had been wrinkled during their movements. Erin realized she had forgotten one thing so she got up and looked under the folds of fabric, seeing it next to her datapad. She would have kept it in a pocket, but her dress didn't have any. Actually, her dress was missing. She was still in just a sports bra and spandex. Not the best date outfit.
Sideswipe leaned over her. "Is there something you're looking for, Rin?"
She asked, "Sunstreaker, did you see where my clothes went?"
He nodded and opened a compartment on his chassis, pulling out the dress. "I was keeping it clean for you."
"Thank you." She took it, noticing it was folded nicer than how she left it. The gesture was small, but Erin appreciated it. She pulled it on, happy she had taken the time to dry off.
Setting the projector in front of her, she turned to Sideswipe, "Remember when you told me about the Polion shore?"
He turned his helm to the side in curiosity. "Yeah, it has the Sea of Mercury."
Erin smiled and activated the projector. The ocean in front of her was engulfed by a shimmering silver. The pinks and yellows in the sky were replaced by a sapphire blue light. In the distance spires seemed to erupt out of the ground, establishing a bright skyline with bridges crossing between buildings. There were no trees, instead metal structures- looking like abstract sculptures- stood anywhere from five to fifty feet tall, all scattered like cacti in a desert. Closer to the Mercury where navy crystal clusters. At only inches tall, Erin imagined Cybertronians acknowledged them as much a human would a pretty moss patch. The ocean itself was near silent. Ripples throughout it were gentle like a lake. The was no more churning water or arching waves. A couple miles forward was an iridescent wall of gaseous clouds, acting like mist. It was a private paradise.
Erin looked up to see the twins, both with wide optics and shocked expressions. A hint of nervousness crept along her spine. Maybe the projector was a bad idea. Would they be upset? Homesick? Sideswipe opened his mouth but quickly shut it again.
She was about to turn off the projector when Sunstreaker spoke, "It's just like we remember it." His voice was full of emotion, so much so that Erin felt as if her heart were breaking in two. But the mech looked down at her with a smile, "It's beautiful, thank you."
Smiling weekly, she held up her datapad. "If there's anywhere else you want to see, just ask."
The twins looked at each other, a conversation seeming to happen over the bond. Sideswipe finally answered. "There's a lot we'd like to show you. May I?" He reached for the datapad and she placed it in his servo. The mech's optics dimmed for a moment before he passed the device back.
The scene around them changed to a city, nothing like the one Prime had shown her. It wasn't as bright and the buildings were closer together. No art or sculptures lined the streets and the roads were empty of mechs. Everything had the same silver to it but faded. Weld marks were visible, seeming like quick patch jobs on the surrounding walls. Some of the buildings had a sharp look to them, open balconies spearing the sky like a thorny vine. Meanwhile, directly in front of them, was what appeared to be the oldest building. It was discolored from welds and what appeared to be blaster marks. There were no windows on what seemed to be the lower level, instead simple signs in Cybertronian. She recognized one of the words, "high grade".
"This is the street where we were raised." Sideswipe explained. He pointed at a small sign above the doorway in the dilapidated building. It had a yellow triangle symbol on it. "That sign meant Velocitronians were safe there. To most, it looked like a common marker for a bar, but those with a special program could scan the secret message in it. That's how our Sire met our Carrier. She came as a refugee when the Decepticons took her home." He moved on to point out a small window- by Cybertronian standards- higher up the building. "That's where our Sire's room was. We recharged further inside." He motioned to the street. "There were a few younglings that lived nearby. Our Sire would let us play with them as long as we stayed in front of the bar."
Erin had intended to use the projector to let the twins reminisce about their home, but it felt they would rather use it to share their past with her. She watched, listening to whatever they had to tell her.
The scene drifted away and was replaced by a large open space, about the size of a football field. Boxing them in were stands, meant for sitting thousands of mechs. They were in a stadium. "This is where we fought as gladiators." Sideswipe continued. "Under the arena were our living quarters. They were free to anymech who fought regularly. We were saving up for a better place nearby."
The Pits almost seemed sterile. There were no stains of energon or torn limbs as she had imagined. She wondered whether that was just the image shown or if they were actually that well maintained. She didn't ask.
Sideswipe didn't stay there long, instead, the Pits were replaced by an open plane of nothing. There was a distant glow of lights, telling of a city kilometers away. Erin looked to the mech to ask what she should be seeing. What caught her attention, though, were the two moons hanging above. They glowed a faint blue and were surrounded by a spattering of yellow stars. One could almost be mistaken for Earth's moon, but the other war four times larger. Just beyond them, Erin saw a spattering of color. Orange nebulas painted the alien sky and housed thousands more stars within, glittering like citrine.
"Technically," Sideswipe said, breaking the silence that had formed between them, "we're still in Kaon. It's called the badlands. It was turned into a minefield to avoid grounders attacking from Battlecity after the council established military rule there. But, when we were younger, our Sire took us here to see the stars. It's one of the only places that will let you see this far."
"It's beautiful." Erin breathed. She glanced over to Sunstreaker who had been quiet for a while. He had a serene look on his faceplates as he stared up to the stars. Deciding not to interrupt him, she continued to admire the skies of Cybertron.
Sideswipe continued to show her important places from their past. Some held happy memories, others did not. She felt as if she was walking on the planet itself. Even the sounds immersed her into the scenery. Erin was happy the twins wanted to share that part of their lives with her. Deep down, she wished that she could do the same.