A/N: I know what you're thinking, 'Whaaaaaaa? Another update?'. I am equally as surprised by my sudden updates. I've just hit inspiration. Pls continue to comment you lovely people. It keeps this story in the forefront of my mind lol. I'm not saying the number of comments correlates with an update, but there is slight evidence there.
Chapter Eighteen:
Unfortunate Trade
"Your fall was not an accident. You were chosen for the damned." –c.k.
I was standing in the middle of an old desert road. There was heat rolling off my skin from the sun above. It felt like it was radiating off of me. Pain. Wasn't I in pain? The road beneath me was vibrating and the sound of engines was growing louder and louder. My eyes drifted up from my feet to the road ahead where a bright red car followed by a yellow one sped straight towards me.
At their speed, they'd be on top of me soon.
They.
That was Sideswipe.
That was Sunstreaker.
I knew that, but it felt like my brain was working at half speed.
A loud crack in the sky made me flinch, echoing above my head. Another sound, unfamiliar entirely, but it came from behind me.
Behind me.
Someone was behind me.
The world around me snapped then and suddenly it wasn't just my brain working at half speed. The twins were only 20 yards from me, but they moved in slow motion. The heat was unbearable now. I opened my mouth to yell, to scream, something wasn't right.
Something wasn't right.
The heat enveloped me and I watched as a ball of fire phased through me and kept moving forward. The bright blue flames were moving faster than my twins. Too fast.
Sideswipe swerved, transforming as he rolled off the road. Sunstreaker swerved, half transformed, but he was too slow. He was too slow. I felt bile rise in my throat as I watched the heat source slam into Sunstreaker side.
"Sunny!"
I was screaming, but there was no desert road in front of me. I was surrounded by a dimly lit medbay. A familiar dog sat up from on top of my legs which were stretched out on a cot. A heart monitor was racing beside me.
"Sunny." I cried out again, but my voice was harsh and it cracked. My chest felt tight, like I couldn't breathe. Bear whined and crawled closer to me covering my face in kisses. A sob racked my body and I buried my face in his fur.
"Youngling." Ratchet's voice was just as calming as Bear's simple comfort. I turned my head and let my eyes focus on his face. My guardian was exhausted. I could see it in the tight lines of his body and the weariness in his eyes. He lifted a hand and set it close enough that I could out and touch him, "Youngling, are you alright?"
I stared at my shaking, pale hand resting against his own much larger one. What was going on? What was happening? The last thing I remembered was pain. I had been in so much pain, a strange pain I hadn't experienced before. It was one thing handling a pain that I understood, but this one had been internal. It hadn't been mine.
Then, of course, there had been that weird dream.
I sucked in a sharp breath and looked back up to Ratchet's face, "I'm…I'm confused. Ratchet, I- I'm in your medbay." Speaking the words might help me connect the dots. "I'm in your medbay, I was…I was hurt? I don't know. I- I don't know what's going on. What happened?"
"That's… That's a very good question." Ratchet hummed. He was kneeling on the ground by the berth where my cot was. If I had gotten hurt shouldn't I have been in the human clinic or better in Ratchet's upstairs room? The one I had been in after my knee surgery. "Aj?"
I blinked twice. There was no pain anymore, but there was a queasy feeling in my stomach. Something was off. I closed my eyes, but all I could see was that strange dream. That strange dream. My eyes snapped open in realization, "Ratchet-"
Ratchet glanced at my heart monitor which was starting to race again, "Youngling-"
"My- The Twins. Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, oh God." The bonds could make me feel sick when my mechs felt sick. The internal pain though? The pain that I knewdidn't belong to me? The worry and fear that seemed settled in my chest. Oh God, no. That dream? Oh, God. "He's hurt. Ratchet, something happened on their mission! We- We have to get to them. Sunstreaker he-"
Bear whimpered loudly and buried his head against my stomach, forcing me to wrap my hands around him. Ratchet sighed, "We found them."
I didn't like the tone of his voice. I didn't like the look in his optics.
"Where are they? Ratchet? Please."
"They…They are alive. You should rest."
I shook my head, "I have to see them."
Quickly, I kissed Bear's head and then began ripping off the monitors on me. I grabbed the IV, braced myself for the pain, and was about to rip it straight out of my arm but Ratchet's hand stopped me, "Youngling, stop! I'll take you, just stop. Stop."
I let go of the IV and slowly stood up. Ratchet motioned to the IV pole so I grabbed the bag and kept it close to my person so the line wouldn't get caught on anything and tear. Bear whimpered again, but he stayed put in the bed. Ratchet offered me his hand and I quickly stepped on. My outer clothes were gone and I was in the base's version of a thin hospital gown.
Ratchet opened his mouth to speak but seemed to decide against it. He turned and from this angle I could see Moonracer had been moved to the opposite side of the Medbay and where she used to be was covered by a large wall that had seemed to appear out of nowhere. He walked to it, his pace painfully slow, and when he stepped through the wall's doorway which was covered by a drape of sorts I gasped.
Two berths had been pushed together. Sideswipe was lying on one, his form curled up slightly. He was covered in damaged paint and patch jobs that hadn't settled to his frame yet. Next to him though, was Sunstreaker. The only familiar yellow I saw was on his head and even there it was scratched and marred. His entire upper body had the armor removed. His right arm was wrapped up in what I knew was the equivalent of Cybertronian gauze and his left arm was missing from below the elbow. His chest though, God, his chest. There was a gaping hole on the left side that burned nearly through to his back. The edges were blackened and burned. A glowing shield like bandage had been placed over it for it to heal, but it hid nothing. The injury was so big, it gave Wheeljack's bowling ball sized scar a run for its money.
"He got hit. All his internals went haywire. Whatever got him-" Ratchet paused, "It nicked his spark chamber. He should've gone into emergency stasis, any normal mech or femme would've, but the twins…"
I tore my eyes away from the wound to stare at Sunstreaker's face. There was damage there too, but his features were soft. Fragile. My heart ached at the sight of the two of them. Sunstreaker barely clinging to life and Sideswipe clinging to his brother. These were my strong, unbreakable mechs. They were indestructible. This wasn't supposed to be possible.
"The twins can take more pain than any Cybertronian I've ever met. Sunstreaker has always been better at it though." Ratchet sat down in a chair that had been left by the berth, "Not many know this, but that was their secret in the ring. Why they could last longer than any other gladiator. They shared their pain over the bond. They balanced it, and Sunstreaker has always been the one who handled the most pain. He took that role on early and it stuck. Whatever happened out there, it took out Sunstreaker, and left Sideswipe alone. If Sunstreaker had gone into stasis it might've been slightly better, but instead he stayed online and all that pain flooded into Sideswipe's side of the bond. They tried to balance it, they can't help it at this point."
"How close?" I asked softly. My voice barely audible to even myself.
Ratchet seemed to understand what I meant, "Very. They were 37 miles out from base. Sideswipe managed to send a distress signal the moment it happened, and we got there as quickly as we could." His voice wavered, "When I saw him. I wasn't sure I could…"
It grew silent between us as I took in that information. Sunstreaker had nearly died. By all intents and purposes, he probably should've. I knew very basic bits about Cybertronian anatomy and medicine and it all came simply just from hanging around Ratchet so much. So I knew by the looks of that injury that this was not the kind of thing Cybertronians typically walked away from.
"I think that's what happened to you."
"What?" I turned to look at Ratchet.
He nodded once, "The pain. I think, somehow, the pain reached out to your side of the bond in an attempt to balance out. I didn't think that was even possible over the bond you shared with them though. Sideswipe hasn't talked about that yet. Hasn't talked much at all, actually."
Ratchet stiffened slightly before relaxing again. I shot him a questioning look and the medic shook his head, "I'm needed elsewhere."
"Is it ok for you to leave them?" I pressed.
He rose from his chair, "Sunstreaker is stable at the moment, and I can monitor him remotely. I'll take you back-"
"Leave me here." I interrupted. "Please."
Ratchet briefly looked like he wanted to argue, but instead just set me down on the berth Sideswipe was primarily on. He lightly brushed his hand on top of my head in comfort before turning and leaving.
I stood there in the silent medbay just staring. I wanted to get closer, to touch Sunstreaker and feel that familiar rhythm of life that typically vibrated through his frame, but I was frozen in place. There was no telling how much time had passed, but Sideswipe stirred and my eyes focused on him.
He sat up slowly, turning his head to look at me. His face was scuffed up slightly and it looked like his worst injury was at his hip, but it looked mostly repaired from what I could tell. The red mech didn't speak for a good few minutes. We just stared at each other. I opened my mouth once, but only a shaky sob slipped out. I quickly slapped a hand over it and looked away.
Sideswipe slowly sat up and moved to scoop me up into his hands. I sat in his palm trying to stop myself from shaking. What would I have done if I had lost my Cybertronian twins? The mech bent his head down and I felt him lightly rest his forehead against the top of mine.
"Ratchet is right." His voice was scratchy and quiet.
"You heard us?"
He didn't answer my question, but it was obvious enough. Sideswipe lifted his head and focused his soft gaze on me, "Sunny wasn't responding over the bond. It felt- I was on fire. Like every particle of me was set ablaze and I couldn't- Sunny wouldn't respond to me. He was just screaming over the bond. I had to do something… I had to do something and your bond- your bond was just right there."
"It's ok." I whispered.
Sideswipe's gaze hardened and his lips twisted into an uncharacteristic scowl, "No. No, it's not ok. You could've died. Stuck in the bond with us like that, the shock could've killed you." His anger was nearly palpable. "I knew he was distracted. I knew he was off, but I still dodged out of the way and left him- left him, in the path of that Primus forsaken fire and it nearly killed him."
"Sideswipe-"
"And then to top it all off I drag you into the bond to witness it first-hand." Sideswipe scoffed, "Because being the death of my brother wasn't enough, I apparently had to take you down too!" This wasn't his fault. None of this was on him. I opened my mouth to tell him that, to argue with him, but he cut me off and began to mutter to himself in Cybertronian. He slipped back into English for a few words, "…always do this. She was right."
I dropped the IV bag to my feet and lifted my hands as high as I could. The position we were in, Sideswipe was just close enough that on my tip toes I could press my hands against the side of his face. He stiffened at my touch but didn't pull away.
"Sideswipe, this wasn't your fault. None of it. You did everything you could. You did your best."
His face softened and I could feel him lean into my hand. As quick as that happened though, it was just as quick to end. Sideswipe pulled his face away with a shake of his head, "I wish I didn't have a bond with you."
The statement felt like a punch to the gut. Like all the air was sucked right out of my lungs. All I could do was gape at him like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. He said it so blatantly. No hesitation or remorse.
"You need to leave." He leaned over the table and set me down on the floor with his long arms before retreating back to the center of the berth with his brother.
I said his name once, but there was no reply to it. On autopilot, I turned around and walked out of the medbay. The shock of the pain, of his words, of seeing Sunstreaker's damage and realizing I had been so close to losing both of them, it had me in a state of disassociation. I was walking down the hall, but I felt out of my body. My feet came to a stop at a fork in the hallway and my mind snapped back to itself in that moment.
Suddenly, I was angry.
I was angry and frustrated. This universe was too much. Things were so much easier when the biggest issue was a fist fight under the coffee table. I could at least do something there. Here though? I was useless. Even as a soldier in training, I could do nothing. Nothing but watch the ones I care about get attacked and hurt.
"Aj."
The familiar voice had me whip around. Jazz stood not far away, staring at me through his visor. My hand clenched around the IV bag I carried. Jazz was here now?
I scoffed, "What? What do you want?" He didn't move or say a word. The anger continued to seep out through my words, "You avoid me for an entire week and a half. No contact, and now you're here? What could you possibly want!?"
Jazz stepped forward and knelt down in front of me. I snapped and punched his shin. My knuckles throbbed and I'm sure he barely felt it, but I did it two more times before Jazz lowered his hand to prevent me from doing it again, "You're going to hurt yourself."
"So what!?" I replied and slapped at his hand. My fuse was too short. I didn't know if it was the unintentional bond in my chest being so raw and emotional, but I was tired. I was tired and angry and I wanted to fight. I had to fight. Fighting would make sense. I dropped the IV again so I could use both hands to swipe at him. Jazz transformed suddenly and at the same time a holoform reached for me, "No!"
I shoved Jazz's chest and ignored the pleading look in his holoform's eyes. His hands loosely wrapped around my arms and I shoved him one more time with no force. I tried again but this attempt was even more pathetic than the first. My vision began to waver as unshed tears burned against my lids.
"Sweetspark."
The word broke me and the tears slipped down my cheeks. I went to shove him again but my hands just clenched the shirt he wore, "You left. You left, Jazz. You promised you wouldn't leave no matter what." The thoughts slipped from my lips before I could even try and bite them back. The thoughts I refused to even think on my own because I hated how pathetic and weak it made me sound. "You promised."
"I know. I know. I'm sorry."
Jazz wrapped his arms around me, and I collapsed into him. If it weren't for his arms there was a chance I'd be a puddle on the floor. We stood like that long enough for my tears to dry and for my breathing to steady. I could also feel the anger slip away as he lightly rubbed my back.
I pulled back from him, but he kept his arms around me. I shook my head and let my scratchy voice speak one word, "Sunstreaker."
Jazz pushed the hair out of my face and left the hand on the side of my face, "He's going to be ok, sweetspark. Nothing keeps that mech down."
"I can't lose you guys." I said softly. "I can't do it. I'm not strong enough."
"You aren't going to lose us." He replied and kissed my forehead, "You're stuck with us forever. We're always going to be around. I'm sorry I forgot that."
I leaned against his chest again and he hugged me tightly in response, "I'm sorry I went behind your back."
"I didn't leave you with a choice." He replied.
"It was still a dick move on my part."
Jazz chuckled and let go of me to bend down and pick up the stupid IV bag that I've been tossing around. He gently set it in my hands, "Can I take you back to the medbay?"
"No." I said quickly, and Jazz gave me a sad look. "Can you take me to my apartment?"
Jazz nodded and the passenger seat of his alt mode swung open. He set his hand on the small of my back and helped me in. Jazz started the drive to the elevator that would take me up to the floor my apartment was on. I leaned into his seat and stared at the holoform that he, for some reason, chose to keep activated in the driver's seat.
"Are you still mad at me about training?" I asked. It would make sense. With everything that happened today I wouldn't be surprised if Jazz just came forward to help me through this mess. He was good like that. I can't imagine him coming around on the idea of me being a soldier though.
Jazz glanced over at me, "No. I'm not."
"Why?"
"Because being mad over this is silly." He replied. "I don't want something as stupid as that argument keeping us apart. Not when… Not when things can happen so suddenly."
The thought of being upset at Jazz and then suddenly losing him without having apologized or speaking to him made me want to throw up. He was so right. There was no room for a grudge in this new world I lived in.
Jazz looked at me again, "Do you want to hear a story?"
I nodded at him curiously, "Ok."
"There was this youngling." Jazz began. "While other younglings his age were being taught games by their creators, he was taught different things. He was taught how to steal off the street. How to be seen and more importantly how not to be seen. His creators had an odd view of the world. They believed that the most important thing was to put yourself first. No one was going to help you, no one was going to save you, and the only way to ensure your own happiness and wellbeing was to take it with no remorse. Even if it meant taking it from someone else." He wasn't looking at me, one hand was on his steering wheel but the other was tracing circles on the back of my hand. "Well one day, his creators realized the path to their happiness was away from their youngling. So, they left. They left and that youngling grew up into a mech who believed that you had to take happiness for yourself. That he had to look out for himself first before anything else. He got tangled up with a group who was always up to no good. They did some pretty bad stuff, and this mech always kept himself separate from the really bad things, but he learned if he did them a favor here or there they'd pay him better than any other job offer he had received. Mech did that for a while until one day he met this femme. That's how all the stories go right? Mech meets femme, and realizes the world doesn't revolve around him?"
Jazz chuckled, "Well this femme was a mess. She was in a relationship with the main mech who was running this crew and he wasn't the nice kind of lover. Now normally the main mech of our story would mind his own business in a case like this, it didn't involve number 1 after all, but he couldn't. This femme, she was good. Too good. A spark of gold, and she deserved better than what she had. For the first time, he wanted more than just his happiness. He wanted hers. He wanted her to be happy. So, some time went by, long story short, our mech was going to get this femme out. It looked like it was going to work too, but… something went wrong." We had managed to go up the elevator and was now sitting out in the wide hall outside where my apartment was. He paused both in speaking and in tracing those circles on my hand. It was like he was lost in his thoughts. Finally, he turned to look at me and spoke, "The mech got hurt. Bad. Worse though, the femme… she didn't make it. The mech was going to offline. They left him out to do so, but luckily, or unluckily he had thought at the time, an Enforcer found him and got him the care he needed. The femme taught him a lot. Made him realize the way he had been living wasn't right and the guilt of not being able to save her, well it pushed him to do better. He was going to make sure everyone around him was safe, was happy. He realized he couldn't live his life only looking out for himself."
His holoform disappeared suddenly, making me jump, and the passenger door swung open with Jazz standing there holding a hand out to me. I took it and let him lead me through my front door and back to my bedroom. I sat down on the edge of my bed and watched as he hooked the IV bag to my bedframe.
Jazz stepped back and I grabbed his hand before he could get to far. I squeezed his hand, "Can you stay? Please?" He nodded and I scooted backwards in bed, under the sheets, and laid down. Jazz laid down next to me and let his hand brush through my hair. "That mech was you, right?"
The mech didn't answer out loud, but his gaze was answer enough for me. Jazz let his hand still, "Go to sleep. Get some rest."
"Will you be here when I wake up?"
"I promise."
Sunstreaker felt like Optimus Prime had plowed over him three or four times, thrown him off a cliff face, and then someone had come along and set him on fire. There was literally not a single relay or energon line in his frame that didn't ache with pain.
'Sunny.'
He vented out air, his chest burning at the motion, and activated his optics. Sideswipe was curled up beside him, perched on one arm, staring at him in concern. Sunstreaker reached into his bond and let the worry, fear, comfort, and love wash over him. He wordlessly sent the same emotions back over the bond and watched as Sideswipe's entire frame relaxed. For a few moments all they did was sit in silence and let their spark buzz in their frames with warmth.
They were alive. They were safe and sound in Ratchet's medbay. They were together.
Everything, for the moment, was ok.
'What happened?'
Sideswipe shook his helm, 'I don't know. We were attacked. The only thing I remember was watching you go down.'
Sunstreaker tried to recall the events leading up to the incident, but it was exhausting to try and remember. He tried to lift his arm but groaned when even the slightest twitch sent pain flaring up his limb.
'Stop. Ratchet turned off your pain receptors, but he said you'd still feel pretty awful. It's because your spark casing was damaged.'
He vented again, 'How bad is it?'
'Remember that one gladiatorial match, the one where I got knocked out and you had to go helm to helm against the mech with three arms?' Sunstreaker sent his acknowledgement over the bond and Sideswipe continued, 'You look like that mech now.'
Slag. So pretty fragging bad then. Sunstreaker still remembered the anger he felt in that battle when he ripped off the third limb just to beat the mech to off lining with it. He deactivated his optics for a moment. That had been too close. Slowly, thoughts of the heat and pain began to come back to him. He should've moved faster. He remembered that much. He hadn't been quick enough and that was his own fault.
Sunstreaker remembered lying there feeling like someone was taking a flamethrower to his spark. The sound of his own screams echoed through his helm mingling with Sideswipe's own.
"Wait." His optics snapped online, and his voice sounded like gravel in a human blender.
Sideswipe knew what confused him before he even had to voice it, out loud or over the bond. He sat up and Sunstreaker shot him a questioning glance. There was guilt written all over his red twin's faceplates. He didn't even need to feel the bond to realize that.
"You felt her too." Sideswipe whispered. "I- I don't know how I did it, but I dragged her into our bond, Sunny. It was just there and there was… there was so much pain. I had to stay conscious, I had to send for help. I had to balance the pain and before I even thought I just… sent it to her."
It was barely there anymore, like a whisper, but he could still feel a third presence lingering outside their bond. It had been like his bond with Aj had momentarily merged with his bond to Sideswipe. An action he didn't even think was actually possible. Not with Aj, at least.
Sunstreaker tried to grasp the leftover emotions, much like he would grab onto anything Sideswipe felt, but it was like trying grab smoke. His spark started to ache at the effort.
"Stop." Sideswipe said firmly. "You're exerting yourself."
"Is she alright?" Sunstreaker pressed. He added over the bond, 'I can't separate what was hers and yours.'
Sideswipe sent him reassurance, "Ratchet had her looked over by Dr. DeGregory. He said she was fine, but she's…" Sunstreaker tried to sit up but his twin immediately set his servos on his shoulders stopping him. He sent his twin a look and Sideswipe continued over the bond, 'She's fine but I think it really shook her up. She's never felt pain over a bond before plus seeing you like this…'
"Where is she?" Sunstreaker asked he tried to sit up again uselessly, "Where's Hatchet?"
"Hatchet is on his way back. I think she, well- I'm not sure. I sort of, sent her away."
The words didn't make any actual sense and when he went to dig around in the bond to find answers all he was met with was a wall. He was taken aback by the action and gave Sideswipe a look on confusion.
He rubbed the back of his helm, "I fragged up. Bad."
'What happened?'
Sideswipe sent him a memory. Aj looked so small in his twin's servos. It was odd because no matter where or when, his femme never looked small. She was always filled with fire, ready to fight, but this Aj he saw looked lost and tired. Sideswipe's voice echoed through the memory.
"You said what to her?" Sunstreaker said loudly. His voice box glitched and static erupted from his throat.
Sideswipe slumped, even more guilt eating away at him, "I could've killed her, Sunstreaker. She was in our bond, if Primus forbid, we had offlined she could've come with us. The shock alone had the potential to stop her heart. Ratchet said so himself!"
"It wasn't your fault, and I know she doesn't blame you. You're being-"
"I don't care if she doesn't blame me or if you don't blame me, I blame me!"
"Sideswipe."
The red mech was hurting. Sunstreaker's body was falling apart, but Sideswipe wasn't without his own pain. Even with the wall in place he was aware of the insecurities that Sideswipe had dealt with since they were younglings. He knew his brother.
'She was right.'
Sunstreaker couldn't stop the growl that shook his body at the thought. It had been vorns upon vorns since he even paid the femme Sideswipe talked about a single thought. In fact, he had hoped Sideswipe had purged the slagging dumbaft from his processors.
"You fragging two bit, do I hear you growling?!" Ratchet's voice rang through medbay. He came into the makeshift room they were in with a glare. "If you even think of moving or exerting yourself in any way, I swear to Primus I'll put you in stasis for the next vorn."
The medic came to stand on Sunstreaker's other side as he checked the wounds on that side. Ratchet looked as tired as Sideswipe and Aj did. His presence distracted him from the issue on hand though. Sideswipe sat quietly and watched the medic work.
"Thank you, Ratchet." Sunstreaker whispered.
Ratchet paused before setting a hand on Sunstreaker's shoulder in comfort. There were very few people in the universe that Sunstreaker was ok with seeing him weak. Ratchet hadn't always been on the list, but it hadn't taken him long to get there. He was one of the mechs that Sunstreaker knew truly cared.
"Just get some real rest. Any amount of stress could harm your spark further."
Ratchet truly cared which was why Sunstreaker was able to trust the mech. He relaxed on the berth and let his optics deactivate, "Sideswipe thinks this is all his fault."
'Snitch!'
"You slagging aft." Ratchet snapped. Sunstreaker felt truly relaxed listening to Ratchet scold Sideswipe for blaming himself. He didn't have the energy or strength to beat the nonsense out of his twin's helm right now. So, Ratchet would have to do it for the time being. Sunstreaker would reassure his brother when he wasn't so drained.
"Well, isn't this just the definition of a good time." Simmons chimed with distaste. Unfortunately, Lennox couldn't exactly disagree. He was sitting at the back of some dinky diner out in the city limits of Sierra Vista, AZ which was right outside of Fort Huachuca. Optimus Prime's holoform sat beside him and across from them was Seymour Simmons and Cade Yeager. Lennox has had better days.
"You make one wrong move and I pull my gun out again." Lennox snapped as quietly as he could.
Cade nodded toward the table by the door where two soldiers sat with Smokescreen's holoform and Tyler, "Calm down, G.I. Joe. You got us outnumbered."
"Simmons, it is imperative that you explain your presence here and what it was Megatron said to you." Optimus, ever the peace maker, tried to re-focus the table.
"Alright, alright." Simmons cleared his throat then suddenly threw his hand in the air, "Waitress? Waitress! I need a plate of fries and the strongest coffee you have!"
Lennox shot Optimus a look that asked if he could kill the foolish ex-agent, but the look Optimus gave back was sadly one that said no. The look Cade was giving Simmons at the moment was one of frustration and defeat, "Keep it up, Simmons. I'm gonna let the solider shoot you."
"I need sustenance!" Simmons argued. The waitress came over and he put in his order while Lennox glanced out the window in paranoia. Bumblebee and Flare-Up were outside, along with Optimus and Smokescreen's alt modes, but it still saved lives to be on alert. If there was anything he learned over the past 20 years, it was that anything could happen at anytime.
"So two days ago we got an anonymous message over this raggedy ass laptop saying that we needed to be here today." Cade began to speak while Simmons played with his coffee settings. The man leaned against the table and Lennox could see a sliver of the artifact under his t-shirt sleeve. "We show up, it only took us maybe 4 hours to get here, and already I could tell something was off."
"Everything seemed fine to me." Simmons jumped in, "But his weird rock accessory was sending him some not so hot vibes. We follow his alien jewelry to where it wants to go, and we find a squad of drones out in the middle of the desert. Maybe 30 miles outside of town."
Lennox shot Optimus a glance. That must have been what set off Fort Huachuca's alarms in the first place. The report that made them send Sunstreaker and Sideswipe out in the first place. It seemed this thought occurred to Optimus as well.
Cade shook his head, "They were acting strange though. They were just standing there, in some sort of circle, staring at each other. Didn't move a muscle. It was like they were waiting on some kind of order or something."
"They didn't notice you?" Lennox questioned. One of the main issues both humans and Cybertronians had was that the drones couldn't be snuck up on for the most part. Their sensors were top tier. Surprise attacks were nearly out of the question.
Simmons shook his head, "We kept our distance. As you know, I'm a professional. My years and years of training in S7 properly equipped me to-"
"We were keeping an eye on them, while also trying to figure out where the message came from when your guys showed up." Cade ignored Simmons' complaints of being interrupted. They paused in speaking when the waitress brought the plate of fries to the table. "We bailed, didn't wanna get caught by your crew, but from what we saw of the fight even that was weird. The drones were…tamer. More so than usual, at least."
"Sunstreaker and Sideswipe did say they had an odd occurrence. They were going to report on it upon arrival to base." Optimus thought aloud. Lennox heaved a sigh. Hearing from the twins' point of view would be pretty helpful right now. Last he heard, Sunstreaker had woken up, but the twins didn't remember much and what they did remember they hadn't spoken about yet. Ratchet would, no doubt, be the first to hear.
Cade shook his head, "Why haven't they given their report yet?"
"They…" Lennox hesitated. He didn't know these two. All he knew about Simmons came from his first encounter with the Autobots and all he knew of Cade was the alien artifact on his arm. That and he somehow dragged Aj into a drone warzone. Still, if he closed himself off, they could do the same and they needed more information. Lennox kept himself vague, "They ran into trouble."
Simmons chuckled with a mouth full of French fries, "Trouble? Those two are trouble. What could possibly stand in their way?"
"They alright?" Cade questioned and he was surprised to hear concern in the man's voice. Even Optimus, who was typically very good at controlling his holoform's emotions and tells, stiffened in surprise. Cade must have sensed their confusion, "I, uh, I just know Aj is pretty close to them. If I remember right."
His voice trailed off and Lennox nodded once, "They're fine."
Simmons smirked and clapped his hand on Cade's shoulder as if they were old friends. The curly haired loon didn't seem to notice the glare shot his way by Cade, "How adorable. Still worried about your girlfriend?"
"He is not her girlfriend."
"They are not in relations."
"I'm not her boyfriend."
Lennox, Optimus, and Cade had all spoken at the same time leaving an awkward air hanging between them. Simmons blinked once before slowly pushing more fries into his mouth. Lennox rolled his eyes while Cade narrowed his at them.
Optimus cleared his throat, "How did you find out that Megatron was the one to reach out to you?"
"Oh, because he gave us this." Simmons reached into his coat pocket and dropped a metal plate the size of his hand on the table. Both Optimus and Lennox leaned back in surprise. Simmons pointed to it, "I've tried everything to get into whatever the hell this is, but no dice. It's locked up real good."
Lennox lifted his gaze to them, "You ran into Megatron?"
"No." Cade shook his head, "We got another message. This time he stated his name and that we were to be messengers for him. He sent us coordinates that led us to a bus station locker which had that inside."
Lennox was confused. This was supposed to give him more answers, but he was only left more lost than before. What the actual hell? Megatron was reaching out to fugitives to get a message delivered to them? Why not come to them directly somehow? And why do messages in the first place? For all the years that Lennox had known him, this mech had never been the kind to talk about anything. Not unless talking meant shooting. Granted, the Decepticon warlord and been quieter in the last 4 years or so, but that still didn't give Lennox a direction to point his thoughts to.
Optimus reached across the table and grabbed the device. Within seconds, it came to life with a dull blue glow. Lennox recognized Cybertronian words on the small makeshift screen. Simmons and Cade tried to lean over the table to peek, but their view was limited. Even if it wasn't, he doubted they could read the alien words.
Lennox jumped when Optimus suddenly rose from the table with the metal plate in hand and rushed out of the diner. He rose to follow but stopped briefly to keep Simmons and Cade from following.
"This is our adventure too!"
"We wanna know what's going on."
Lennox motioned to the soldiers at the other table, "You'll get all the updates you want from our base. You're both fugitives from the US government. Did you really think I was going to let you walk out?"
"I kinda hoped. You know? For old times' sake. We go so far back, soldier boy." Simmons replied.
Tyler stepped up next to him with the other two soldiers who began to handcuff the two men. Lennox clapped Tyler's shoulder and motioned to Simmons, "Don't let him finish his fries."
He heard Simmons yell something along the lines of 'cruel and unusual' but his focus was on getting to Prime and finding out what was happening. Luckily, the Peterbilt was still parked where he had last seen. Lennox did not hesitate to pull himself up into the cabin.
"Prime, what's happening?"
It was always hard to read emotions when the Autobots were in alt mode, but Lennox could feel a sense of despair and guilt in the cabin.
"The message was from Megatron." Optimus' voice rang though the radio. He hesitated a moment before continuing, "He demands we give him Aj." Lennox's eyes widened but the Prime did not stop speaking, "And if we do not within the next 3 earth days, then he will decimate an entire human city."
"Wha-? Why? Why would Megatron even want Aj? It makes no sense!" Lennox cried. At his words the guilt in the air grew. He had worked with Prime and the other Autobots for a very long time now. To him, they were more than just a team. They were a family. This made Lennox very confident in reading his fellow Autobots. "Optimus… Do you know something I don't? Is this about those weird ass symbols you never followed up with us on?"
Optimus heaved a very human like sigh, "Lennox, you know I respect your position, but I must insist that this is not NEST business."
Lennox shook his head and couldn't help but point at the radio, "I don't give a damn about NEST right now. Optimus Prime, what do you know?" Before the mech could argue he continued, "This is Aj. My sister-in-law. I have every right to know what is happening to her."
Granted, he has not gotten to know his sister-in-law overly well, but he considered her family regardless. He admired her fire and wit. He admired how much she cared about the people around her, the people she cared for. Plus, he was not ashamed to admit that worry filled his chest for Aubrey's sake. Anything that involved Aj involved his wife. They were too intertwined for it to be any other way.
"I can explain what I know on our way back to base. I also suggest we use this time to find a solution."
The Autobot's engine roared and Lennox leaned back into the passenger seat. Aj's life for the lives of every single human in an entire city. He knew what Aj would want, what his wife would want, what the Autobots and the US government would want. The real question was this: What was the right answer?
Disneyland was just as magical as they always said. Maybe even more so now with how far technology has advanced. Aubrey wouldn't really know. She hadn't been to Disneyland before so there wasn't anything to compare this experience to. The kids were having a blast though and that was all that mattered in her mind.
Aubrey dialed the number one more time hoping her husband had just not gotten to the device in time, but when she was met with his voicemail again, she visibly wilted. This wasn't the first time Will hadn't been able to answer a call from her. His work kept him busy and often he'd be stuck in a meeting unable to answer her, but this time was different. Aubrey just had this sinking feeling in her stomach that something wasn't right. It was the same feeling she used to get when Aimee would disappear for hours and she knew it could only be because she had gotten herself in trouble. It was the feeling she got when she watched her husband and children go to work in the midst of an attack of any kind.
"Hey, honey." She chimed as cheerfully as she could. "I guess you're busy right now. I just wanted to say hi and tell you how much I can't wait to see you again. We'll probably get to the Vegas house around 7 tomorrow night. Just call me back when you get a chance, ok? I love you so much."
Aubrey pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at the ID picture of Will before pressing the 'End Call' button. Ironhide and Blaster had been tight lipped about anything and it was frustrating that they wouldn't tell her the truth.
She turned back to focus on her surroundings. They were in a giant gift shop inside the Disney park and all the kids had dispersed to find a souvenir of their small vacation. Lexi and Eli were talking animatedly to Blaster over a bin of stuffed animals while Ironhide's holoform carried Luke on his shoulders while her son pointed to where he wanted to go to next.
Her eyes darted over to where Izabella was flipping through shirts on the rack with a pout on her face. It had been last minute to add the girl to their trip, but Aubrey hadn't hesitated at the chance. Izabella needed a little normal vacation in her life.
"Anything catch your eye? Anything you want?"
The girl shot her a glare, "I want to go home. I want to be with Moonracer."
Maybe she'd get Tyler on the phone later to talk to her again. She always listened to her twin son better than anyone else. Annabelle bounced up to them.
"I'm sure Moonracer would want you to relax and have fun. She's in good hands with Ratchet." Annabelle soothed. Izabella's glare lessened slightly, and she drifted away to find Lexi and Eli. Aubrey's stepdaughter spun around to face her, "Ok, so souvenir for Aj? Would she prefer a hoodie with Mickey Mouse ears or this very adorable water bottle?"
Aubrey chuckled, "Aimee has always been a sucker for oversized hoodies."
Annabelle grinned and bounced back over to a rack of solider red hoodies. Aubrey glanced back at Ironhide who was holding Luke's hand while he picked out a toy and the mech looked over at her. They caught glances. He nodded at her once, his lips pressed together in a thin line, and then tore his gaze away.
Something was going on.
Night had fallen on their trip back home. Bumblebee and Flare-Up had been sent back to base on the aircraft that had originally brought them to Arizona, but Optimus insisted on driving back. He needed the wide-open road to think and Lennox had insisted on going with him. The soldier now slept in the small cot his alt mode had in the back leaving him alone to his thoughts. Smokescreen followed behind him, nearly 100 yards behind, as back-up. He tried to send his soldier back to base, back to rest, but Smokescreen wouldn't let him go alone. It was for the best. If Ironhide had found out he traveled through two states with only Lennox as back-up against drones and Decepticons alike the weapons specialist would blow a gasket.
Optimus let his thoughts drift as his tires sped over the old, crumbling road beneath him. He had known Megatron for a very, very long time. In fact, stating it in such a manner was a complete understatement. He had known Megatron when the mech was only a gladiator and he was simply Orion. Optimus had seen with his own optics the fall of his friend, of his brother. He had seen the insanity clutch Megatron's spark and energon lust fill his processors until the mech was unrecognizable.
He had also seen his brother-in-arms recover.
Aj and Aubrey's home had been the first time he looked at Megatron and truly saw the mech he had come to know in his youth. Something had happened in that universe, Megatron had healed. When they came back, it seemed like the mech had regressed and Optimus had truly lost his friend again. However, the mech had grown quieter and quieter. No longer was he reading reports on cities and humans being terrorized by the warlord. It was like the mech had just disappeared. Only upon Aj's arrival was Megatron showing his face again.
What did he want with her?
This was more than just some hatred; this was more than just homicidal ideation. Megatron had tried to offline her in Austin, he knew that from Jazz's report, but there was a piece of this puzzle that he was missing.
The symbol. The Defenders. The devil.
Everything Aj had spoken about. It was connected and unlike him it seemed Megatron had answers of some sort. It frustrated him to no end. He promised Aj resolutions and all he had was an ex-warlord aching for her blood to be spilt.
A comm blinked in his periphery and, expecting it to be Smokescreen, he opened the line without hesitation.
::Out for a late night stroll, Prime?::
The shock of the words, the voice, nearly forced him to skid to a stop. His alt mode hiccupped over the road but continued on. Smokescreen honked once in concern, but Optimus sent him a quick message that he was fine.
::Megatron.::
::I assume the humans got my message to you?::
There was nothing but open road and empty desert in his vision. Smokescreen also didn't seem alerted to anything being wrong. Megatron must be high up in the air. Beyond their sensors.
::What is the meaning of this message? What do you want with Aj?::
::I think you know, Optimus.::
It was strange to hear him be called by anything other than Prime by Megatron. In fact, the tone alone was odd. There was no distaste or hatred. Megatron sounded tired.
::We will not hand her over to you. She will not be a victim or a sacrifice to this war.::
::Don't be so foolish. The war is over. Our quarrel is nothing compared to the one to come. Our new enemy is beyond a simple civil war.::
::I don't understand what is going through your processors! Explain to me the situation, Megatron. We can face whatever enemy you speak of together, as one.::
The comm link was silent for a moment and Optimus prayed one of his words made it through Megatron's thick, stubborn processors. If Megatron no longer claimed to be his enemy, if there was a new enemy on the horizon, Optimus needed to know. He needed to be able to protect his soldiers.
::I will handle this as I see fit. You will hand over Aj and the problem will be taken care of.:: A beat of silence.::Do you care for her, Prime?::
::She is my friend.:: Optimus snapped firmly. ::And you, Megatron, have taken enough friends from me. I will not let you end the life of another.::
Megatron chuckled ::You are a fool. Stay away from her, Prime. The universe depends on it.::
::What is that supposed to mean?::
::She will be your death. She means your destruction.::
::Aj would never harm me. It is not her nature.::
It was silent again and Optimus found himself more confused than before. Why would Megatron think that Aj would ever harm him? Perhaps Megatron had found a new side of insanity. He had somehow managed to paint Aj as the villain in his processors.
::You will hand Aj over, Prime. I'm sorry it has to be this way.::
::We will not.::
::You will. The United States Government will ensure you do.::
The comm link ended suddenly and dread filled his spark. He was three hours from UHAC still, but he needed to be there now. He revved his engine and increased his speed exponentially. Smokescreen followed suite.
My eyes fluttered open and glanced around my small bedroom. I slowly sat up and rolled my shoulders in an attempt to pop my back. Jazz was no longer in bed, but I could hear him in my kitchen. My eyes darted to the IV in my arm in disdain. Quickly, before Jazz could come in and stop me, I grabbed a few tissues from my bedside and went about pulling the IV out. It stung like a bitch, but I made quick work of it and kept pressure on the site to stop the bleeding. It had been nearly empty anyways.
I slid out of bed and wandered over to the kitchen where Jazz was making a sandwich. He looked up at me and I chuckled, "You hungry?"
"It's for you. Figured you'd be gettin' up soon." He pushed the plate towards me then motioned to my arm, "Just couldn' resist, could ya?"
I shrugged and started to eat while Jazz dug through my drawers looking for a band-aid to put over the wad of tissues I held on my arm. He took my arm in his hands as I shoved half the ham and cheese sandwich into my mouth. I thanked him, but the words were muffled by the food. Jazz chuckled and leaned against the counter beside me.
It was silent between us for a few moments while I finished up the sandwich he made for me. Honestly, it was a little weird how hungry I was. I had just eaten before this whole nightmare began, and yet it felt like I hadn't touched food for years.
"So.." I paused to finished up my last bite, "What happened with-"
"How has trainin' been goin'?" Jazz interrupted me.
I blinked at the sudden turn. This wasn't really what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to know more about what had happened to Sideswipe and Sunstreaker on their quote unquote simple mission. However, ignoring this question didn't seem like the right call. Especially since Jazz and I had just made up.
"Well, I'm learning to use swords."
Jazz narrowed his holoform's eyes, "Swords?"
I nodded once, "That's actually exactly what I said when- uh, when the twins said they were gonna teach me. I'm no good at guns. I mean, I'm alright-ish, but I won't be winning any awards."
"They're the best to teach you swords, at least." Jazz forced a smile, "Ain't no one this side of the universe that could go pede to pede with Sides and Sunshine."
It felt good to see Jazz putting in the actual effort of accepting the role I was now trying to play. In fact, I didn't realize how much I missed having him on my side until just now. It was like a weight I didn't know I was carrying was taken right off my shoulders.
"You were out for a while. It's a little after 9 at night." Jazz set his hand on the back of my neck and squeezed softly, "He told me not to wake you, said you needed some good recharge, but Sunstreaker woke up 'bout an hour after you passed out."
My eyes widened, "He did!?"
Jazz nodded, "Yeah. Want me to take you there?"
"Thank you, Jazz." I reached up and wrapped my hand around his wrist.
He tangled his hand with mine, squeezing it, and then pushed me toward my bedroom where I could change clothes. Jazz chuckled, "Don' think I'm too much of a saint. I'd love to hold you captive much longer and catch up, but Prowl's barkin' at me to check out some datapads."
It only took me a couple minutes to throw on a shirt and shorts then I was back in Jazz's alt mode. I readjusted myself in his driver's seat and set my hand on the brace I wore.
"You know, I miss wearing jeans." I thought aloud, "I can wear like my loose boyfriend jeans, but not skinny jeans anymore. They won't fit over this damn thing."
"Just give Jackie some time." Jazz chuckled through the radio, "I think he's already sent Percy some blueprints for the next upgrade. By time he's done with it the thing'll make you fly and make Ratchet's spark stop."
When Jazz got us downstairs, he immediately transformed. The seat rolled back and I felt myself falling for a quick second before I was in his hand and high up from the ground. A groan slipped my lips as I shook the dizziness off.
"You know I hate it when you do that."
Jazz laughed, "Whaaa? You do? How come you've never told me, sweetspark?"
I rolled my eyes at him but couldn't keep the smile off my face. He could flip me around while transforming a hundred times today. I was just glad me and him were talking again.
Jazz strolled into the medbay and Ratchet stuck his head out of his office with a light glare. I crossed my arms, "You should look more excited to see me."
"Anytime you come into my medbay you only bring trouble with you." Ratchet replied.
"That's fair, Hatchet."
Ratchet's glare deepened and I could feel Jazz biting back a chuckle. Jazz must have sent him a message over the comm system or something because the medic nodded once before leaning back into his office.
"Aj?" The soft voice was very familiar, but it was tinged with static. My heart skipped a beat and my brow furrowed in worry.
"That's my cue." Jazz whispered.
He crossed the medbay and into the makeshift room Sunstreaker was in. It was different this time. The area was lit more than it had been, and the second berth was pushed away from Sunstreaker's. The mech was also sitting up now. The berth had been adjusted so the back end was propped up slightly allowing Sunstreaker to lean up. He seemed to look even work in this light. All his wounds stood out even more so, and his face was twisted in discomfort. His eyes seemed less bright as well.
"Sunstreaker, how you feelin', mech?" Jazz asked. Sunstreaker grunted once with a nod. He stepped forward, "Feel like some femme company?"
Without waiting for an answer, Jazz set me down on the berth. I gave him a tight-lipped smile and he stepped back out of the room. When I turned back around Sunstreaker's eyes were focused on me. I walked a few steps forward and hesitantly set my hand against his hip.
"Sunstreaker", I sucked in a sharp breath, "God I-… Are you alright? I mean I know that's a stupid as shit question but-"
"I'm ok." His voice was a mix of TV static and pieces of metal in a blender. "You?"
I scoffed, "Me? Forget me. You look like slag."
He held out his right hand to me for to step on. I hesitated, worried about the injuries on his arm when he flinched at the movement, but he narrowed his eyes at me. As if daring me to argue. Carefully, I stepped onto his palm and sat down making sure to keep myself as far from his wounds as I could without falling off his hand.
Sunstreaker brought me to his chest and this time I didn't hesitate. I leaned forward and rested my head on his chest. His protoform felt warmer than usual, but that familiar rhythm was there. Strong as ever.
"I was so scared." I admitted leaving my head where it was, "And I didn't even know why I was scared, but then- then I saw you and… my heart just stopped."
"Everything is fine." Sunstreaker kept his voice low and that helped the static. "You were in our bond. I'm sorry, but Sideswipe had no choice. He just acted. Still, I wish we had a different option."
I leaned back to look up at him, "I know that. I don't blame him at all, or you. If I blame anyone it's whoever shot that fragging blue fireball at you."
"You need to talk to him. Soon." Sunstreaker said.
"I don't think he'll agree." I argued. "He said... He told me..."
"I know what he said. Just- Just please talk to him." Sunstreaker pleaded and I nodded. There wasn't a force in this universe that could keep me from clearing things up with Sideswipe. Like I had realized with Jazz, there was no room for grudges or unsettled arguments in this world. It wasn't worth the risk.
His face suddenly twisted up, but before I could ask him if he was ok, he spoke again, "Did someone tell you what happened?"
"What?" I shook my head, "Well…no. I just… I just know. Sunny, I had this… dream?"
"Tell me."
"I was standing on the road in the desert and- and I could see you and Sides driving toward me. I heard this loud noise, felt something behind me, and then I had to watch…" I sighed, "I watched this giant ball of blue fire hit you. Sideswipe moved, but you-"
Sunstreaker scoffed, "I wasn't fast enough. That wasn't a dream. I think that's what happened."
I tilted my head, "Think? Sideswipe didn't talk about anything-"
"It's because we don't know. Not for sure." He replied. "There is one thing though. Did you see who shot at us?" I shook my head no. There had definitely been someone behind me, but my sole attention was on the twins. "Do you remember hearing that loud noise?"
"Yeah. It was really familiar, but I couldn't place it."
Sunstreaker paused and I could tell he was biting something back. He wasn't sure if he wanted to say the thoughts on his mind. Finally, he spoke, "It was the sound of someone breaking the sound barrier." My eyes widened in recognition. He continued, "It was Thundercracker."
"TC shot you?" I breathed. The nickname slipped out without thought.
Sunstreaker shrugged but then flinched at the movement in both pain and annoyance, "I don't remember seeing him, but I know he was in the area. It's the only thing that makes sense."
"No, but…" I wanted to argue. My brain refused to accept the fact that Thundercracker would've hurt the twins. I had to remind myself though that this universe was different. Megatron tried to kill me. The seekers had killed Wes. Still, there was a part of me that refused to grasp the concept.
I tried to slip my head back into that dream, that memory.
The heat at my back, the screeching sound of Sideswipe swerving out of the way. Whoever it was shot from behind me. Just right behind me. I tried to turn. I tried to look behind me and look at whoever put my mechs in this kind of pain. Nothing should've happened. Yet, I was standing in the middle of the road and I could bring myself to slowly turn my head to the side. Still all I saw was bright, blue fire.
"Aj."
My focus returned to where I was. Sunstreaker's soft gaze was focused on me again. I offered him a small smile, "You need rest. You still look like you're hurting, can't Ratchet do something about that?"
"He did what he could. Spark pain can't be stopped, and you feel that everywhere."
His words reminded me how close I was to losing him and Sideswipe both, "Ratchet mentioned that. That it clipped your spark casing."
"I'm fine." He repeated himself.
"Has it ever been this close before?"
Sunstreaker paused in thought, "Not this close. I've had some bad injuries, but if this had happened in the gladiatorial ring there wouldn't have been a good enough medic to save me. To save us."
I shook my head, "Well if you ever scare me like this again, I'll beat the shit out of you as soon as Ratchet lets you out of the medbay. Got it?" Sunstreaker cracked a smile and chuckled. The chuckled made him flinch in pain and leaned my head against him, "Sorry. I'll stop making you laugh. I just can't help it sometimes. I'm very charming."
"Shut up." Sunstreaker said lightly with another soft chuckle.
The two of us sat like that for a while.
Talking occasionally, but mostly just enjoying each other's presence.
