Chapter Four: The Arrest
To strip someone of their free will is to sentence them to death - unknown
Sunstreaker sat by himself at break time. The sparkling didn't get along well with his peers. In fact, he disliked some of them to the point of hatred.
It wasn't common to see a sparkling so little have so much malice in his optics. It wasn't that he was cruel, it's that the other sparklings were.
It seemed he couldn't join into a conversation without earning a snide comment or a scathing look. It was hurtful enough that not only did he hate other sparklings, but he hated himself as well.
Sideswipe seemed to get along with some of the nicer sparklings, so during break Sunstreaker minded his business so Sideswipe could hang out with his friends.
He didn't know much about Cybertron, or anything yet, but he did know from the bottom of his spark that he would do anything for his twin.
Sacrifice anything. Even something as serious as someone to sit with during break.
Sunstreaker took another cautious sip of his energon, before adding a few more lines to the strange art in front of him.
Plenty of sparklings in their class did art. They scribbled all the time for their teacher, who proudly hung their work on the walls.
Sunstreaker liked to sketch. It wasn't a deep passion, but rather an amusing hobby. It passed the time, and gave him something to busy himself with so he didn't look quite so pathetic.
Sunstreaker was just finishing up when Sideswipe bounced over. His friends had not followed.
"Whacha doing?" He asked innocently, and plopped down in the seat beside him.
"Just sketching," Sunstreaker replied with a shrug. Sides liked looking at his things, but it never interested him long.
Poor Sideswipe couldn't draw to save his spark. He did however, enjoy reading very much. He was already reading datapads way beyond his age level.
"Why aren't you with your friends?" Sunstreaker asked, putting his pencil down. Sideswipe looked over at the small gaggle of sparklings.
"I wanted to check on you," he said through the bond.
"Why?" Sunstreaker shot back.
"Cuz you never talk to the other sparklings," Sideswipe complained.
"They look at me bad," Sunstreaker argued.
"My friends are nice, I promise," Sideswipe begged. Sunstreaker knew that despite having plenty of friends, Sideswipe was lonely without him.
Sunstreaker knew this to be true because he felt the same way without his twin.
"Fine," he grumbled aloud. He could feel Sideswipe's happiness through the bond and he rolled his optics.
Sideswipe was leading the way towards his band of sparklings when large leg struts walked in front of them.
The twins stopped, and Sunstreaker moved in front of his brother.
They both looked up with indignant indigo optics. Taller bots just didn't get that it was extremely RUDE to just walk in front of sparklings and block their paths.
"There's just no respect anywhere," Sideswipe complained.
"He probably wants something, it's the Headmaster," Sunstreaker pointed out. Sideswipe shrugged through the bond.
Their bond was very different from other Cybertronian bonds, it was like talking to yourself. You always knew what the other half was doing and thinking down to the smallest movements or the largest emotions.
"Mechs, come with me to my office," the Headmaster said, a grim look residing on his faceplates.
"Something's wrong," Sunstreaker realized.
"I hope Sire and Carrier are okay," Sideswipe replied back.
Sunstreaker didn't answer his twin, but he had a sinking feeling in his tanks.
The pair of them sullenly followed the Headmaster, dread churning in their sparks.
Starlander wrung her servos anxiously as her twins walked into the office. The Headmaster said nothing as she nodded her thanks and dragged them out of the education center.
"Carrier what's wrong?" Sideswipe asked as she transformed into her sleek blue and yellow van. Both twins climbed inside and she began to drive.
"Sire is at the local enforcement center," Starlander said softly. She didn't want to worry her mechs, but she couldn't lie to them.
"Did Sire break a rule?" Sunstreaker asked quietly.
"I don't know yet," Starlander admitted. She had simply gotten a comm from a police officer telling her that Cable was in custody.
She drove the remaining kliks to the enforcement center completely distraught.
When she arrived, she left the twins in the waiting room and went straight to the front desk.
"Name?" The femme in front of her asked without looking up.
"Starlander, I'm here to see Cable," she said hurriedly. The enforcer typed something into her datascreen and handed Starlander a slip of paper.
"He's in holding cell four," she said with little emotion. Starlander looked back at the twins who were gazing up at her with worried optics.
"Stay here," she told them, and marched off without waiting for an answer.
She made her way down the blue-lit hallway until she could see Cable's frame resting tiredly against the cell.
"Cable?" She asked, her voice breaking. Cable turned with a pained look in his optics.
"Starlander?" His voice was cracked and husky.
"Sweetspark what happened?" Starlander asked, rushing to grab his servo.
"I- I don't remember. I was in the mines, and I was angry and then. I don't remember, I just woke up here. Pit, why can't I remember anything?" Cable asked, his voice scared.
"Shh, it's okay love," Starlander said, stroking his servo and sending calming feelings over the bond. She noticed that the bond had come back full force again, and she could feel every terrified emotion Cable was having.
"I shut you out," he said suddenly, his voice barely a whisper. Starlander was silent for a minute. She recalled the sting of pain from before.
"It's okay. I'm fine," she said at last. She knew Cable hadn't been himself before. Whatever that odd job he'd been taken to do had messed him up bad. Luckily, it seemed whatever it was had run its course.
"It's not okay though," Cable said, his optics filled with guilt.
"It wasn't your fault," Starlander assured him. "We just need to figure out how to get you out of here. Whatever it was that you did I'm sure it wasn't that bad. They arrest miners all the time for no reason," Starlander reasoned.
Her processor was already firing away, trying to think of any bot that could help them through the situation. Cable gave a small nod from beside her.
Starlander could tell from the bond that he still felt awful about shutting her out.
Just then, another enforcer walked in.
"Officer, we'd like to know the charges, we think there was possibly a mistake," Starlander said immediately.
The mech looked her up and down and scoffed loudly.
"There's no mistake," he drawled. Starlander's spark lurched with worry.
"This mech has been arrested and charged for attempted murder."
Starlander had stayed at the enforcement center with Cable as long as they let her. An hour before curfew they forced her to leave.
Her spark felt numb the entire time. She couldn't feel her bond with the twins or Cable. She imagined it was what the medication must have felt like.
Attempted murder?
Surely not. No. Not her Cable. He was too gentle, too respectful, to ever try to kill another bot.
Granted, when she learned the mech he tried to kill was Chainpull she wasn't the least bit surprised, but it still wasn't something Cable was capable of.
He may have been a pretty big mech, but he was sweet. He reminded her of a sunny day in the crystal gardens. That was the kind of mech Cable was.
Not a killer.
She hadn't breathed a word of any of it to the twins. Her precious sparklings didn't need to worry their processors with thoughts atop of their anxious sparks.
Starlander was silent the entire way home, and silent as she walked into their complex. Noticing her absent processor, the twins helped themselves to their Energon.
"Carrier?" A soft voice came from the doorway.
Starlander finally looked up from the spot on the floor she was staring at. She was sitting slumped around the Energon table.
"What's wrong Sideswipe?" She asked quietly.
"Are you okay?" Sideswipe whispered. Sunstreaker stood quietly behind him.
"I'm fine," Starlander lied.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker crawled up to the table next to her.
"Why didn't Sire come home with us?" Sunstreaker questioned. Starlander felt coolant pile up in her optics.
She didn't think she could bring herself to tell her sparklings anything else remotely bad. They were so young and their sparks were still pure.
Why did Cybertron insist on destroying everything that was beautiful? It was moments like these that she found she hated her planet.
Before Starlander had a chance to open her mouth to speak however, there was a loud bang on the door.
The room froze.
More banging on the door came like violent knocking. Each loud sound make her and the twins flinch.
"Someone's at the door," Sideswipe whispered fearfully. Sunstreaker gripped his brother's servo.
"I'll get the door," Sunstreaker offered, but it was clear he too was terrified.
"No, stay right where you are," Starlander instructed. Her sparkling looked relieved.
Starlander walked cautiously at the door, almost stopping every time the bot banged on it.
Finally, she reached the handle and cracked it open.
"Cable?!" She exclaimed, opening the door fully.
"Star," Cable whispered, his voice even more hoarse than before.
Starlander took a step back. Cable looked different. Bad different.
Starlander took a minute to take in her Sparkmates appearance.
Cable's arms were slumped down low, and his chassis rose and fell raggedly as he vented trying to cool down.
Her gaze travled to his servos, which hung twitching at his side. It was then that she noticed they were covered in Energon.
Starlander had a terrible feeling her Sparkmate hadn't spilled a cube on himself. The Energon was sizzling on his servos, slick and faintly blue. It was fresh from an Energon line.
"Cable what happened?" Starlander asked, and she took a small step back.
"They said, I couldn't see you anymore," he muttered. He came further into the light and Starlander noticed another difference.
His eyes, which were usually a navy blue, were a deep violet almost crimson color.
"Cable your optics!" Starlander cried. Cable's faceplates fell into a glare.
"Let me in," he demanded. Starlander had not moved from the door. Her optics shot back to his servos, looking for some sort of cut or injury. There was none.
The Energon on his servos was not his own.
"What did you do?!" She shrieked. Cable shuddered violently.
"Let me in!" He said, his voice raising.
"Sire?" Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had come over from the table
"Mechs go back to your berth rooms!" Starlander demanded. They looked scared at her sharp voice, and they looked even more frightened of the demented image of their Sire standing in the door.
They stood behind her in fear for minute before Sunstreaker dragged Sideswipe down the hall.
"Let me in!" Cable yelled again.
"Tell me what happened!" Starlander demanded.
"They weren't going to let me come!" Cable shouted, and he growled loudly. The growl was what terrified Starlander the most.
"Something's wrong with you Cable!" Starlander screamed, and in her desperation tried to reach out through the bond.
The moment she touched Cable's side of the bond, her spark caught fire. Or at least, it felt like it. Nasty black and red filled her vision and she screamed.
She felt her sparklings flood of terror, and it was the only thing that kept her on her peds. She put two servos on either side of the door.
"Go away," she said hoarsely. The words broke her spark, but this was not her Cable.
"LET ME IN!" Cable roared, and reached forward a large servo. Starlander yelped and retreated into the house.
She ran straight to the twins room and scooped them up in her arms. They were almost too big for her to do it anymore, but she didn't let that stop her.
She heard Cable crash into the front room.
Both twins had coolant pouring down their faces and their optics were wide with fear.
"What's wrong with Sire?" Sideswipe cried.
"Did we do something wrong?" Sunstreaker asked fearfully.
"No, no sweetspark. But we have to leave," Starlander told them.
"Why?" Sideswipe asked, wiping his faceplates.
"Where?" Sunstreaker added. Starlander felt her spark break all over again. Why did she never have answers for her sparklings? She as good as failed as a Carrier.
"I don't know," she admitted guiltily.
She ran out of their room with the pair of them in her arms. Cable was by the Energon Table still growling loudly.
"Look at the door!" Starlander demanded to her twins. She didn't want them to see their deranged Sire.
Cable's head snapped over at her shout, but it was too late, she had already run out the door.
He screamed behind her.
"THEY'RE MINE!"
Starlander shuddered as she transformed, her twins landing in her back seats. The twins clung to each other tightly, coolant still drenching their faceplates.
Starlander began to drive and as she did so she heard Cable transform behind her. She sped up and turned quickly down a tight ally.
Cable followed her anyways, his truck alt mode scraping against the sides.
She looked through her review mirrors to see red hot sparks flying everywhere around her Sparkmates alt mode as he pushed through the alleyway towards her.
She pushed herself to go faster, and just as she could see the streetlight at the end of the dark alleyway, she felt servos grab her tires.
Her rear was lifted off the ground and her tires spun hopelessly. She opened her doors.
"Get out!" She yelled at the twins. They scrambled out of her door and looked at her with those wide indigo optics.
"Run!" She cried just as Cable's servos crushed her tires.
"But-" Sideswipe whimpered.
"Sunstreaker take your brother and run," Starlander demanded, knowing the smaller twin would listen to her.
Sunstreaker sobbed and ran over and lay his helm on her hood.
"I love you!" He whispered quietly. With that, he turned and grabbed his twin's servo and began running out of the alley.
Starlander transformed, causing Cable to lose his grip.
She turned and faced her Sparkmate.
"Cable," she whispered, her spark seizing painfully. Cable roared again. His optics were completely crimson red now, and they looked crazed.
"Are you even in there?" She wondered to herself.
Cable stalked towards her. He didn't even seem to recognize her like he had at the complex. Her spark screamed for her Sparkmate back.
"Primus," Starlander prayed. "Don't let him kill me."
Sideswipe screamed as his brother began to drag him away from the alley. He did not want to leave his Carrier.
"Come on!" Sunstreaker yelled at him, pulling him out of the alleyway. Sideswipe screamed at him again, trying to tug himself out of his brother's grip.
"No! No Sunny! He's gonna hurt her!" Sideswipe smacked his brother's helm.
"He's going to hurt us too!" Sunstreaker shouted out loud. This made Sideswipe stop.
He was young, and neither he nor his twin quite understood what was going on, but he did know that it didn't feel right in his spark to leave his Carrier the way they had.
Sideswipe loved with his whole being. He didn't hold himself back or hesitate. Once he knew he loved someone, he was ready to do anything to protect them.
He was ready to get hurt for his Carrier.
"I don't care!" Sideswipe shouted in his twin's audio receptor. Sunstreaker leaned back at the sudden volume giving Sideswipe the chance to struggle once more.
"She cares!" Sunstreaker argued. Sideswipe stopped again.
"But, she needs us," Sideswipe whispered.
"She wants us to be safe. Do you want to break her spark?" Sunstreaker asked. Sideswipe shook his head.
"She just wants us to be safe. If we go back and Sire gets us, she'll be really really sad," Sunstreaker explained.
In his spark, Sideswipe knew his twin was right, but he couldn't control the immense guilt and icky feelings that came with leaving their Carrier behind.
"You're a coward." Sideswipe spat.
Sunstreaker looked like he'd been slapped. Then his faceplates hardened into a glare.
"You're a glitch!" Sunstreaker shouted back. It was Sideswipe's turn to feel slapped.
Neither him, nor his brother had ever cursed before, since their Carrier told them not to, but other sparklings did it all the time. They knew the words.
"Go on sweetsparks," their Carriers voice flooded their sparks. All fighting was forgotten as they began running again towards the main road.
Then, steps away from safety Sunstreaker and Sideswipe felt something they never had before.
They felt their bond with Starlander snap.
One minute it was there, and the next it was just . . . gone.
They collapsed to the ground. Within them was a deep black hole that was rapidly filling with intense pain.
They couldn't move, they couldn't think, they couldn't even scream.
They remained motionless as a part of them just, died.
So um, yeah i said things were gonna get a little dark so here we are. Um, from here on out most of the story is just gonna be about the twins, i'm thinking i'll switch off point of views every chapter. Anyways, thoughts? Oh in case y'all were wondering what happened to Cable, that's actually a spoiler but i'll explain eventually i promise. Anyways, please Review cuz it's super helpful and encouraging!
Keep Writing Keep Reading Nova out ;)