Author's Notes: Now it's time for a chapter filled with the cornerstone trope of this story: flashback dream sequences. Yay! A wave of inspiration hit me and I was able to write this chapter fairly quickly. There's a lot of plot elements to juggle in this story, and I hope it doesn't come back to bite me later. LOL! Anyway, thank you for tuning in once again, and if you feel like doing so please review :)

Chapter 33

Nothing Can Keep You From My Dreams

Many Vorns Ago

It had been four deca-orns since Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had been shipped off to the Solus Foundling Home in Iacon. It wasn't far away from their hometown of Praxus, but it felt like another planet. The twins thought they would like not going to school and having no deranged sire to dictate their every move, but the truth was the foundling home was hostile and boring.

Most of the sparklings in the home were younger than the twins, but despite that many were bigger and more durable. It made sense, given the twins' tower frames and diminished size due to sharing a spark. It also meant they frequently got into fights with the other sparklings. Since the twins were already athletes however, they could usually handle themselves. This was especially true of Sunstreaker, who quickly became the new sparkling to be feared.

Their caregiver was a kindly yet sometimes blunt femme named Cable, who was bulky, light purple, and made of rough materials. Clearly a lower caste femme, and likely someone who had grown up in this building. Everything about the foundling home felt dirty and strange, which put the twins on edge.

"Hey Sunny, look what I snagged from Slugfest," Sideswipe proudly bragged as he held up a silver tarp, "New thermal blanket. Now we don't have to feel cold when we recharge anymore."

"You tricked him, didn't you?" Sunstreaker inquired with an approving smirk.

"Only a little," Sideswipe dismissed, "I traded him a rock for it. Told him the rock was a scraplet head that had been fossilized. If he was willing to trade a perfectly good blanket for that, then he deserves to be cheated."

"Fair enough," Sunstreaker replied airily.

Just then the door opened, and the twins heard Cable say "Hello, Dr. Ratchet. And who is this little cutie?"

Sideswipe gulped, remembering the horror stories kids at school would tell about Bluestreak's sire Ratchet. Some said Ratchet would whack naughty sparklings with wrenches and make their optics fall out. Others said he was secretly a spark eater. Still others said he was best friends with Megatron; the evil Decepticon leader. A few even thought he had pet scraplets in his basement. No matter which story was true, Sideswipe didn't wanna mess with another adult that could shove shock cables into his undercarriage and make him disappear, so he hid under the new thermal blanket. Even without seeing him, Sideswipe could still feel Sunstreaker's disapproving glare over the spark bond.

"This little newspark was abandoned outside the medical lecture hall," Ratchet explained to the caregiver, "Her coding isn't complete, but there is a designation. 'Arcee'. We're hoping to find her biological parents, but if that isn't possible then-"

"Say no more," Cable replied as she scooped the femmeling into her arms, "We get these all the time. It's the energon shortage. Poor mechs and femmes can't afford to feed their newsparks. Merge-sparks are generally the ones discarded like this, since no one goes to the Allspark by accident.

"I wish I could do more, but I can barely keep up with my own son's needs, let alone another mouth to fuel," Ratchet explained apologetically, "Not to mention the all-night crying. I'm getting too old for that."

"I understand, doctor," Cable replied without judgment, "Times are hard for all of us. Iacon may have a lot of wealth, but not a lot of mechs benefit from it. I promise we'll take good care of little Arcee until she finds a loving home of her own."

"There is something else," Ratchet added, "A few deca-orns ago two sparklings came in by the names of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Are they still here?"

"Yes, they are," Cable nodded, "We had a femme interested in adopting Sunstreaker, but we can't separate split-spark twins. House policy. Besides, I suspect she just wanted to sell him for his gold frame. Some people these orns are just sick, so we have to screen carefully. Oh, I'm sorry! You didn't ask about any of that."

"It's alright. My son gets distracted when he talks as well," Ratchet replied goodnaturedly.

Ratchet then walked in the direction of the play area, and Sideswipe (who had been peeking out of his blanket) flipped the cover back over his helm to keep himself concealed.

"Hello, Sunstreaker," Ratchet greeted the gold twin with neutral professionalism, "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine," Sunstreaker replied stiffly, "How'd you know we were here? We told everyone we were going to live with Aunt Shimmer."

"I have connections in the police force, if you'll recall," Ratchet said with a wry smile, "Prowl found out where you were, and I wanted to check on you."

"Why? You don't like us," Sunstreaker pointed out, "You think we're corrupting your sparkling."

"I never said such a thing," Ratchet refuted.

"You don't have to say it to say it," Sunstreaker replied as he crossed his arms over his chassis, "I can see how you look at us. Like we're covered in rust."

"Shut up, Sunny!" Sideswipe shouted; his voice muffled by the cover, "He'll feed us to his scraplets!"

This actually caused Ratchet to chuckle, which only lent credence to Sideswipe's theory that Ratchet kept scraplets around to do his evil bidding. Sunstreaker mentally slapped him over the bond for such a stupid notion, and Sideswipe mentally pushed him in return.

"I don't have scraplets," Ratchet finally managed to say after he stopped laughing, "But I understand how younglings spread rumors. I used to think the old mech across the street from me collected sparklings' dental plates. Turned out he was just a dentist. I'm just glad you can still fear mundane things, given everything you've gone through."

"How is Bluestreak?" Sunstreaker asked.

"He is well," Ratchet replied, "Prowl is watching him today. He told me your sire was sentenced to 500 vorns imprisonment for three counts of attempted murder of a sparkling. Don't worry. You'll probably never have to see him again."

"Fine by me," Sunstreaker shrugged, "Oh, and tell Prowl thanks, okay? We owe him big time."

"Dr. Ratchet?" Sideswipe piped up.

Ratchet turned to see Sideswipe take the blanket off his body, but the sparkling's blue optics never looked up at the older mech. He then used his hand to lift up the blanket toward Ratchet.

"Give this to Bluestreak," Sideswipe requested, "I know it's not a video game, but we didn't get to bring most of our stuff with us when we left. I want him to have it, to remember us by. We won't be going back to school until we're adopted."

"If we're adopted," Sunstreaker scoffed bitterly, "Moonracer says older sparklings are never adopted. She's been waiting for 4 vorns and she's still here. We're not leaving until they kick us out, and then we'll probably have to beg on the street and punch each other in the face for coins."

Sideswipe then sharply turned to his brother and with an incredulous voice asked "Do you even know what being a bum is?"

"I can't take your blanket," Ratchet interjected as he handed the silver tarp back to Sideswipe, "Bluestreak has enough. You don't. In fact, one reason I came here was to give you this data pad. It's mine, and it's full of books you can read to pass the time since you're not in school anymore. Tell me younglings, is there anything else I can get you? Anything at all?"

Sideswipe still wouldn't look at him. He was confident around other sparklings, but shy and withdrawn around authority figures. He never knew when one could hurt him like his sire did. He did take the data pad however, and looked down at a long list of books too complicated for him to understand. Sunstreaker however was a bit more coherent.

"Anything at all?" Sunstreaker asked, and Ratchet smiled comfortingly, "Well...polish. I want some armor polish since I wasn't allowed to go back in our house and grab mine. This place is disgusting, and I look like I just visited Planet Junk. If we look good, then we'll get adopted."

Ratchet's spark went out to the young mechs, and Sunstreaker could tell the medic was weighing something in his processor. He looked uncomfortable and thoughtful at the same time, and Sunstreaker quirked a brow ridge; certain that he couldn't be thinking...

"If you would like to get out of here as soon as possible, I can adopt you," Ratchet told them.

"But you said you didn't have room when you brought in that newspark," Sideswipe argued, "Suddenly you're the Hotel Ratchet?"

"Newsparks require constant care," Ratchet explained, "You boys are halfway through your second frames. You know how to do things for yourselves, so it won't be as difficult taking care of you as it would a newspark...I hope," Ratchet muttered that last part, but the twins still heard him.

"You would really adopt us?" Sideswipe asked softly, "And not just to feed us to your scraplets?"

Ratchet just sighed and shook his helm in exasperation. Sunstreaker elbowed Sideswipe to make him shut up, and Sideswipe tackled Sunstreaker, who then proceeded to wrestle with Sideswipe as they both started screaming at each other! Ratchet backed away, surprised by the sudden display of aggression, and bumped into a smirking Cable.

"Don't worry, Ratchet. Split-spark twins grapple for dominance all the time," Cable explained, "My money's on the gold one to win."

"By the Allspark..." Ratchet groaned, "I'm just grateful my sons don't behave in such a manner."

For a few more kliks Sunstreaker and Sideswipe battled, and then they stopped after they both got too tired. Sunstreaker checked to make sure Ratchet was still there, and Sideswipe checked to make sure his blanket was still there. Ratchet had remained, as had the blanket, which caused both twins to sigh in relief.

"If you want to come home with me you'll need to stop doing that," Ratchet calmly stated.

"We'll stop," Sideswipe was quick to reply, "I wanna go. I wanna be Blue's brother and hang out all the time."

"A brother that doesn't steal my stuff and a sire that doesn't shock us with prods and wires?" Sunstreaker pondered, "I'm in."

Ratchet smiled, and the twins wondered if he was about to hug them. Before anything else could take place however, one of the young femmes screamed and ran into the room crying for Cable. It was Moonracer, which wasn't much of a surprise. She was a very emotional youngling.

"Ms. Cable! Ms. Cable! We're all gonna die!" Moonracer sobbed.

"What are you talking about, sweetie?" Cable asked as soothingly as she could.

"The bad guys are close and they're gonna kill us!" Moonracer wailed at the top of her vocalizer, "Praxus is gone!"

"What do you mean, gone?" Ratchet asked disbelievingly.

"Look!" Moonracer pointed to the next room, where the broadcast screen was set up.

The adults and twins followed Moonracer like a magnet, and saw that a few orphans were already in the room watching. It was a news broadcast, and the picture was of a city in ruins. Everything was either melted or turned to powder, with a few smoldering ashes scattering in the breeze. It looked like a war zone, which in fact, it was.

"Unmute it," Ratchet ordered a nearby sparkling.

"...devastation. The Decepticons have claimed responsibility for the complete destruction of the Crystal City; Praxus," The news anchor reported, "Most of Praxus' citizens have been reported as killed, while dozens remain missing. Volunteers are already searching through the wreckage in a desperate hope of finding survivors. So far only a single mech has been reported as having survived the assault, a young junior police officer by the name of Prowl."

Ratchet shuddered a breath, relieved to hear that against all odds his eldest son had survived an attack so vicious. The twins couldn't keep their optics off the screen. Praxus was only 30 kliks away from Iacon. How could something so horrible happen so close to them? Praxus was rich and beautiful. How could it simply be turned to dust and slag?

"When asked, the survivor stated that he had been babysitting his younger brother when they felt what seemed to be a planetary quake," The news anchor continued, "He dug himself out of the rubble, but was unable to recover the body of his brother. He was confronted by a Decepticon, which confirms earlier statements that this is terrorist activity on behalf of the former gladiator turned politician: Megatron. Back to Boom Mic with sports."

The broadcast screen went back, and the twins turned to see that Ratchet had shut it off. His optics were wide and cleaning fluid ran down his face plate. It was only beginning to register with the twins as it had with Ratchet.

"Bluestreak..." Ratchet whispered shakily.

Without another word Ratchet ran out of the foundling home. The twins could hear him transform outside and speed off, but neither twin left the broadcast room to watch him go. One by one the room cleared, leaving only three sparklings to deal with their feelings on the situation. Sideswipe wouldn't cry, but he wanted to. He would be an emotional brick wall and stop being a newspark, but inside his spark was breaking. Bluestreak's final words to them had been about how he considered them his brothers. Bluestreak was their best friend...

"They're coming for us next," Sunstreaker said amid the silence and the shock, "The Decepticons want to hit important and densely populated areas, and Iacon is considered a holy city."

"You don't think they could really do it though, right?" Moonracer asked, "I mean, Iacon is so well protected."

"No, they can do it. They just proved they can do it," Sunstreaker said with conviction, "Megatron wanted to send a message. Join us, or die. We're from a high caste, so Sides and I would be killed on the spot. In fact, they might blow up this whole foundling home just to send a message."

"No!" Moonracer gasped, "Can't the adults just give him what he wants?"

"This is what he wants," Sunstreaker countered, "He wants us to be afraid of him."

"Check," Sideswipe interjected nonchalantly, "I'm practically leaking already."

"Seriously, we have to get out of Iacon," Sunstreaker told the others.

"But how?" Moonracer asked, "We're just kids."

"You heard Ratchet. We're old enough to do things on our own," Sunstreaker proclaimed, "That means we're grown up. All we have to do is go to the other side of the world and get upgraded. Then we can start our new lives."

"Where's the other side of the world?" Sideswipe asked.

"There's lots of places," Sunstreaker told him, "There's the pits of Kaon, the beaches of Kalis, and if we really wanna go all the way to the other side, we can go to Tyger Pax."

"There's nothing in Tyger Pax," Moonracer pointed out, "It's just a stuffy old military base."

"Hm, that might work, actually," Sideswipe pondered, "No matter which side wins, they'll want a piece of Tyger Pax. If we set up a good business people want to shop in or something, then we'll be protected by whichever side wins."

"Even if it's 'Cons?" Moonracer asked worriedly.

"Sure. Why not? 'Cons gotta eat too," Sideswipe shrugged easily.

"Then it's settled. We're going to Tyger Pax!" Sunstreaker declared, "Cable's too busy with the newspark to notice us. We can just walk out. Right now. To freedom."

"Yeah! We're gonna own Tyger Pax!" Sideswipe cheered enthusiastically.

"I can come too, right?" Moonracer asked for clarification.

"Sure. Why not?" Sideswipe shrugged, "Besides, I happen to know Sunstreaker has a crush on you."

"I do not, you slag heap!" Sunstreaker yelped before tackling Sideswipe, leading to another fight.

After they fought and eventually packed away some energon and supplies in their alt mode trunks, the trio set off to find new opportunities away from Iacon. No way were they sticking around to let the Decepticons blow them up...

...The fog of recharge only lasted a few seconds, yet it was enough time for confusion. He always forgot which twin he had been. Oh, right. His name used to be Sideswipe. The twin bond had been so strong that they shared each other's memories, which made it difficult to figure out who was who at times.

Another piece of the dream he remembered was Ratchet. That was Optimus Prime's lap dog. It was amazing how much his frame had changed. Now he looked so...old. Then again, everyone was starting to look a little obsolete in the current climate of oppression and never-ending war.

When he rose from his berth he was disappointed to see purple walls and dim lighting. The Nemesis. Just once he wished he didn't wake up on the Nemesis. Just once he wished he woke up in Tyger Pax with Sunstreaker and Moonracer. Just once he wished he wasn't another tiny insignificant piece of the unending mass that was the Decepticon army.

He left his berth and went to the wash racks. It was a routine born of drudgery, but no way would he allow Lord Megatron to see him slouching off in his duties; including his duty to decent personal appearance. Besides, if he looked like a slob what would Sunstreaker think of him?

This caused a sigh from the former Sideswipe. Sunstreaker. Separated forever. Stuck on the Nemesis. Stuck as an unfeeling cog in the death machine. Stuck sharing the wash racks with so many Vehicons and Eradicons that they were likely spreading more toxins to each other rather than getting clean. Stuck without the other half of his spark and a bond that had been empty for far too long.

Of course, Megatron would never be allowed to know any of this. He could not know about Sideswipe, nor about his empty spark. He couldn't know about Sunstreaker, or about his memories of a past that didn't include serving the Decepticons. No, these were precious treasures in a universe that held so few.

He stayed in the wash racks longer than he should have. He sat on the floor of his sonic shower waiting for everyone else to leave. He was feeling melancholy today, and didn't want to have to face Megatron and his goons like this. When he was sure everyone else had left, only then did he deign the mirror worthy of his attention.

He wiped away the fog and looked at his reflection. It wasn't a bad face, as far as faces went, but oftentimes he didn't recognize himself. Then again he had trouble with that anyway. Was he Sunstreaker or Sideswipe? Sideswipe. He had definitely been Sideswipe in his past life. The fun mech that played pranks on bullies, supported his friends, and always had a witty remark. The mech that really needed Sunstreaker in order to be brave and strong.

"They can take you from my life," He said to Sunstreaker, "But they can never keep you from my dreams. I remember you. I remember us. I remember Cybertron. My name is...is..."

He sighed harshly, realizing that he couldn't say it. Soundwave would hear him, and then it would all be over. Oh, what would Sunstreaker think of him now, seeing him as this nameless simpering stooge? He supposed he wouldn't have to find out. The Sunstreaker in his dreams understood him perfectly.

Blaster entered the Vehicon servant class barracks feeling like the luckiest piece of equipment on the ship. Being Frenzy's personal assistant was a breeze. Frenzy wasn't always demanding something since he stayed on Soundwave's back and soaked up his host's energy whenever he could. When Frenzy did want something however, it was usually something fun.

This time Frenzy had wanted to go for a drive. Frenzy wanted to see earth and wanted Blaster to show it to him. Now, Blaster didn't know anything about the planet since he had never actually gone down there, but he knew how to fake it. He just drove around, pointed out some random things, and then made up names and/or stories about those things. Frenzy bought it, and had a great time driving around with Blaster.

When he arrived back at his barracks two other Vehicons were there; ICN-8675 and TGP-3006. ICN-8675 was covered in grime, possibly from mining all orn, and TGP-3006 was cleaning him off.

"Hey, PLX-7204!" TGP-3006 greeted him excitedly, "We found so much energon today! Soon Lord Megatron will have enough of a stockpile to starve out the Autobots. Isn't that great?"

"I guess so," PLX-7204 shrugged, "Also, you can't call me that anymore. Officer's orders. I have a name now."

"A name?" ICN-8675 asked skeptically, "As in a real designation? You realize only two Vehicons have ever earned names, and they had to be Shockwave's lab animals to get them."

"Yeah, well I got one, and it didn't cost me anything. My name is now Blaster."

"Wow, that's a cool name!" TGP-3006 exclaimed, "Congratulations. Why did Lord Megatron name you?"

"He didn't. Frenzy did."

"Frenzy? Soundwave's new brat?" ICN-8675 asked.

"He's not new, and he's not a brat!" Blaster snapped defensively, "He's a troubled mech, and he needs me to be his personal assistant."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," TGP-3006 replied sympathetically, "I know how terrifying Soundwave is. If you mess up he'll snuff you. You'll disappear like Refit."

"Who?" ICN-8675 asked.

"Don't listen to him, it's just a story," Blaster dismissed, "Refit didn't disappear. He's a pretender. He's probably just hiding."

"No, we would notice," TGP-3006 replied firmly, "Makeshift was a pretender, yet everybody knew where he was. Makeshift might have been redesigned, but he also knew his place. Refit didn't, and that's why Soundwave made him disappear."

"What are you saying?" Blaster asked as he lowered his helm to glare at TGP-3006.

"I'm saying don't act like a real mech," TGP-3006 warned, "You might have a name, but you're just as replaceable as we are. Shockwave made two pretender class Vehicons. One died honorably on a mission, and the other...well, I haven't seen Refit in what? Three years? Maybe four? We get to this planet, start mining for energon, and suddenly Refit starts questioning Lord Megatron. Next thing you know, no more Refit. No explanation. He's just...gone."

"Oh, come on. Refit was a nice guy," Blaster defended.

"Yeah, nice and curious," TGP-3006, "I only say this because I like you. Don't ask Frenzy questions. Whatever you two do together, keep your distance. The moment you start thinking he's your friend, he'll rip out your actuators and feed them to you. Be careful. We can't afford to lose any more servant class drones."

"Fine, I'll be careful," Blaster relented, "I'm going to recharge. Don't wake me."

The other two Vehicons just stared at each other with a look that said 'Yeah, he's a dead mech' and went about their business.

Blaster powered down while thinking about all the fun he had with Frenzy. Having a smaller mech rely on him and make his day brighter felt so right. Blaster had never thought of himself as a caretaker, but the role was starting to grow on him. Now he understood what Soundwave saw in it...

..."It's the bottom of the night. You've gotta pitch it to the sky if you want to win," Eject said to Rewind as Blaster watched them play together.

"But Eject, we're playing cards," Rewind pointed out timidly.

"Are we? Because you've been sitting there in your penalty box for over 5 breems!" Eject hollered, "Seriously, why does this take you so long?"

"Sorry. I'm just thinking," Rewind replied apologetically, "There are currently six plays I can make that would increase my chances of winning, but I don't know which one I like."

"Sometimes I think you do this to get me to forfeit," Eject groused.

"That would be helpful," Rewind replied, and it was hard to tell whether or not he was joking.

Blaster smiled as he watched his twin symbiotes complain and argue. Well, more like watched Eject argue. It felt like between the two Rewind got all the processing power and Eject got all the gumption. Blaster saw bits of himself in both, as was typical when one stared back at a piece of their very spark. Eject had his attitude and righteous indignation at injustice, and Rewind had his curiosity and hacking skills. Together they were a perfect team.

Blaster looked around at their ramshackle tent and wished he could do more for his young minibots. They were refugees from the Decepticons in Polyhex, who had invaded their home and tore down Blaster's radio station for daring to speak out against them. If only they knew the full extent of his involvement with the Autobots. Optimus Prime himself had often asked Blaster and his kin for their decoding skills, or sometimes would ask them to jam a frequency or two. Thankfully they had never been caught.

"I win! In your face, boy!" Eject shouted triumphantly as he danced around the table.

"Good game, Eject," Rewind replied graciously, "It was worth losing to see you dance like that."

The merriment was interrupted by a comm frequency Blaster received. The symbiotes could hear it too since all three comms were linked to keep them in touch with one another when everything was jammed. Blaster responded, and he wasn't too surprised by who was on the other end.

"Blaster, we require your assistance," Prowl said in a detached tone, "Reports are coming in of a secret Autobot detention camp in Polyhex run by the Combaticons. We need someone to document the location and conditions of the prisoners."

"We're on it, sir," Blaster replied; all business.

"Very good. We knew we could count on you. Prowl out."

The comm line was disconnected abruptly, and Blaster and his symbiotes looked at each other with concern.

"Blaster, you can't go!," Rewind pleaded, "You're spark is about to split soon. You're in no condition to take on a mission. Let me go. I'm small, and I can sneak around undetected. Please don't put yourself at risk."

Blaster knew his symbiote had a point. Splitting was a lot like carrying was for femmes, with the major difference being that splitting took longer to recover from but caused no symptoms before the split. If he was forced to bring forth another symbiote during a mission, it would probably kill him.

"Why should he go alone?" Eject asked Blaster indignantly, "I'll go too! Rewind and I will pull off the trick shot that will win this thing! You'll see. He can do mapping, and I can do pics."

"I can't send both of you," Blaster replied, "If my spark splits I'm going to need help. Rewind asked first, so he gets to go. Eject, you'll be our base communications hub."

"Again? I'm always the hub!" Eject pouted, "Eh, I guess it'll be okay. Just come back in one piece, okay Rewind?"

"Of course. I still want a rematch on that card game," Rewind replied playfully.

...

...It had been two orns without word from Rewind. Blaster and Eject could still feel him over the bond however, so they weren't too concerned. They figured that Rewind was probably trying to keep his cover and maintain radio silence. He was very responsible that way. That was one reason why Rewind always wanted to work with the equally responsible Prowl, while Eject preferred working with Jazz, who was more fun.

By this time Blaster and Eject had found out the Decepticons were moving closer to their camp, so they along with over 100 other Autobot refugees were packing up their things and leaving. Blaster and Eject were still inside their tent, hoping Rewind would return soon, but if he didn't they would have to pack up the tent and bug out.

"Should we contact him over the bond? The Decepicons can't hear that," Eject suggested.

"I tried. He's too far away," Blaster replied, "I can still feel him though. We just need to wait a little longer."

Blaster and Eject decided to pass the time by listening to the music broadcasts on low volume and then playing a game that involved trying to flip little silver disks into a cup. Blaster won every time, much to Eject's competitive chagrin. Eject at least had a chance of winning when he played against Rewind.

When Eject was trying to make a shot into his red cup to score another point, he suddenly felt a slight tug at the bond. Rewind seemed frightened, and also disgusted.

"You feel that?" Eject asked Blaster.

"Yeah," Blaster nodded.

"Think he saw a Decepticon without their armor?" Eject joked.

All jokes went out the window with what happened next. Suddenly both of their sparks could feel a burning sensation, like their frames were covered in phosphorus flames, and they knew it was coming from Rewind.

"AAAAHH!" Both mechs screamed uncontrollably. They knew a Decepticon battalion could possibly hear them, but the pain was too intense to ignore. Mixed with the pain however was panic, as they knew whatever torture this was, it was happening to Rewind. Eject grabbed Blaster's leg for support, and Blaster tried to stop writhing in pain so he didn't kick his symbiote.

After a few moments the pain subsided. Both mechs panted and recollected themselves mentally after what had just happened, and then they both tried frantically to comm Rewind. No matter what frequency they used however, there was nothing. In fact, there seemed to be an empty space in the bond.

"They got him," Eject whispered into the silent air as he laid on his back on the ground, "They killed Rewind."

Blaster didn't have the strength to cry, or to scream, or even to get off the ground. He just laid there next to his symbiote staring up at the green cloth that made up their ceiling. They would have to move on, and quickly.

"Blaster," Eject said after a quiet moment, "Promise me you'll never leave me."

"I promise. I'm here, mech," Blaster assured him even as he tried to catch his breath, "So, how do you feel about a beast frame for your new brother? I'm torn between a predatory cat and a horned equine."

"You make him a unicorn and he'll never forgive you," Eject chuckled, trying to think of more positive things, "I like rhinos. Maybe make him a rhino. Those are tough."

"Yeah, I guess they are," Blaster agreed, "Do you want him to be red like you and me, or-?"

"Yellow. Like Rewind," Eject replied before Blaster could finish, "I like yellow. It adds a splash of color when you wear it."

"Alright then. Yellow," Blaster breathed tiredly.

They heard footsteps outside, but the duo paid it little mind. Refugees were moving out, so of course there would be activity. Neither one had the strength to move anyway. That lack of caution cost them however, as when the tent flapped was pulled back it revealed several Vehicon troops with their weapons raised and aimed at them.

"Blaster and Eject, you are under arrest by the order of Lord Megatron," A Vehicon announced to them, "You are charged with treason and distribution of extremist broadcasts."

"Megatron has no authority over our world," Blaster replied in subdued rage, "He is a thief, taking everything that rightfully belongs to those who worked for it. If it's treason to speak the truth, then I'm guilty and proud of it!"

The Vehicons were unmoved by his speech, which wasn't surprising to Blaster; given that these were just automated drones. Blaster turned his hand into a cannon and tried to fend off the Vehicons, but they quickly grabbed Eject and held him up as a hostage. Eject struggled, but it was no use. He was unarmed.

Defeated, Blaster retracted his weapon and surrendered, knowing he and his symbiote were most likely doomed. He would keep his promise though. He would never leave Eject.

PLX-7204 awoke from that dream feeling sad and scared. Sad because of the contents of the dream, and scared because he was starting to develop the glitch that cause weird dreams and delusions of personhood.

He convinced himself that he had such an odd dream because his new boss is a symbiote. That meant he would be thinking about symbiotes. The feeling of the broken spark bond felt so real however. And Eject. He remembered the name Eject. And...Rewind! That was the other one. He could see them clearly in his processor a moment ago, but their images were already starting to fade as he onlined. If only he could remember...

No! Don't remember! Blaster knew he was broken, and he knew that despite the medic's previous promise Knockout would be very displeased by this news. Then again, he wasn't just any Vehicon anymore. He was Frenzy's Vehicon. He was special, like a favored pet or a servant that is trusted to test for poison. Knockout wouldn't hurt him. He would fix him.

Just as Blaster got up to head to Knockout's medbay, TGP-3006's voice came rushing back to him. Don't act like you're real. Don't ask questions. Remember Refit. You will disappear...

No. He couldn't fix this. He would just have to live with the dreams and go about his daily life as if he were fine. Other Vehicons had learned to manage. Why not him?