Bed Side Manner
AN: I don't know why but I just cant seem to keep the twins out of the brig. And for some reason, I keep thinking Sideswipe would torture his brother. Who would have guessed, right?
THANK YOU to all reviewers. You have made my day, weekend, week, and my gloomy times a bit brighter. All your thoughts and wonderful comments have been a saving grace and I want to THANK each and every one of you for your kindness and sparkfelt words.
This chapter isn't so long, but it was the only thing I had 'ready' and with so much happening, I don't want to give up on my only stress outlet. This is a little early but I need a breather and fanfiction is my only escape from reality at the moment. So, until I'm kidnapped by Lamborghini twins, I shall endeavor to type away to not only boost my mood but entertain my faithful and wonderful, readers.
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"Brig," Prowl said, pointing to his door, one doorwing fluttering. "Two weeks!"
"Two weeks?" Sideswipe whined as Sunstreaker spun on his heel and stalked toward the brig.
Sunstreaker knew that arguing would only make the Second In Command angrier, and he had every intention of keeping his wash rack privileges. If Sideswipe wanted to dig into his grave a little wider and deeper for comfort, then he could do it alone. Sunstreaker wasn't going to share the same fate. He left to the symphony of his twin whining and Prowl's growls. Funny how the two harmonized so well.
Sunstreaker sequestered himself in the far cell of the brig, the energy bars activating as soon as he stepped over the threshold. His joints ached, error messages bled through his vision, and an annoying systems alarm warned him of low fuel reserves. He had barely finished patrol when Sideswipe had grabbed him and marched him into the rec room. Sunstreaker thought his brother wanted to grab a cube together, but it turned out he only wanted back up because he had lost a bet and Smokescreen was demanding payment. The only reason why the Diversion expert wasn't sharing their punishment is because Prowl walked in just in time to see Sunstreaker holding Smokescreen by his bent doorwing and Sideswipe landing a solid punch to the Praxian's jaw. It took some wrangling, but Prowl was able to direct both front liners to his office, where he demanded an explanation and then enacted the punishment.
Five minutes after Sunstreaker lay down on his berth, he heard the energy bars disengage. He frowned, looking over to see Sideswipe's pouting face enter the cell, the bars flickering back to life.
"What are you doing in here?" Sunstreaker asked. He knew that it was protocol to separate the twins during confinement. The command element had learned that lesson after the first shared incarceration that lead to the entire cell block being decommissioned in Iacon.
"Prowl said that we have to share a cell until the other ones are back in operational order," Sideswipe said with a growl, slamming his fist into the wall. A dull clang rang throughout the brig, like funeral bells singing one to their rest.
Sunstreaker's optics narrowed, remembering the brig was going through a maintenance overhaul and were supplied with enough power to operate one cell at a time.
It was going to be a long two weeks.
"Whatever," Sunstreaker sighed, settling into a comfortable position on the berth. "Just keep the chaos to a minimum. I want to charge."
Sunstreaker's optics had barely shuttered, when he heard the creak of the other berth and Sideswipe's voice.
"Come here, little bitch," Sideswipe said in a gruff tone, his face twisted in mischievous glee.
Sunstreaker didn't bother onlining his optics. He knew Sideswipe was goading him into a fight. He could feel the giddiness in his spark like a disease. It really turned his tanks.
"I'm not now, nor will I ever be, 'your bitch'," Sunstreaker said flatly.
"Sure you are," Sideswipe said, trying his best to suppress his laughter. He lowered his voice into a gruff, sultry tone and added, "I bought you for a pack of cigarettes. Now, come over here and make your daddy happy."
"If my 'daddy' wants to be happy, he can entertain himself," Sunstreaker said, still refusing to look at his twin. "Because if he comes near me, I'll implant him into the wall."
Sideswipe snickered as he lay down on the opposite berth. The thick foam padding gave a little waft of air as he stretched but no other sounds permeated the small cell. A couple of minutes later, the lights flickered before casting the room into darkness.
"Lights out," came Red Alert's voice via the comm..
Sunstreaker offered a rude gesture to the dark and started the shut down sequence for a nice long recharge, when a sound halted his progress. A barely discernable creak was heard from the opposite side, quickly followed by the soft, though not completely inaudible footfalls of a sneaky twin.
"I'm warning you…." Sunstreaker growled before the world exploded.
Sideswipe let out a whoop and launched himself on top of his brother. He intended on pinning Sunstreaker down and maybe messing up his paint, just to get him fired up enough so he'd throw a punch. But it didn't go according to plan. Sunstreaker had been ready for the imbecile attack, and as soon as Sideswipe landed on top of his twin, Sunstreaker grabbed his shoulders and used all the power behind his frame to launch Sideswipe into the air.
Sideswipe screamed as he went flying through the dark. He landed against the wall with a dull ringing gong, his gravitational slide to the floor accenting the music with a beautiful screech.
"Oww," Sideswipe groaned when he finally landed, sprawled partially upside down against the wall. "You fragger! That's gonna leave a mark."
It took him a moment to gather his scattered wits and regain his pedes. He vented harshly, his optics shining in the darkness. Two evil pinpricks of violence. With a snarl he landed on his unsuspecting brother and the fight was on.
Sunstreaker had hoped Sideswipe had gotten the hint, but apparently his twin was in the middle of one of his psychotic breaks. The only thing to do in such situations was to pound the living slag out of him and then call Ratchet to deal with him. Ratchet scared everyone, even the twins. Sunstreaker briefly wondered why Prime didn't send Ratchet into the Decepticon ranks. The war would be over in no time.
The inside of the cell was filled with a collection of grunts, hisses, curses, shouts, and the sound of metal denting metal. With a growling yell, a body went flying across the room, landing on perfect target to the smear of red paint that already adorned the wall.
After the impact, there was the screeching sound of grinding metal, followed by the heavy thud of an unconscious body.
"Fragger," Sunstreaker hissed, returning to his comfortable position on the berth. He opened a comm. to Ratchet.
'Ratchet, your services are required in the brig,' he broadcasted on all frequencies, unsure which one the medic was currently utilizing.
'Now what?' Ratchet snapped.
'Sideswipe was asking for an aft beating, so I handed it to him,' Sunstreaker supplied, not remorseful in the least. 'His stupidity has caused some twinges in my joints. I think I will need some repairs as well.'
'I'm on my way,' Ratchet sighed in resignation.
It didn't take Ratchet long to get to the brig. He stormed down the hall, disengaged the energy bars and stalked into the cell. He glanced to Sideswipe, who still lay contorted against the wall, and offered an irritated huff, before turning his attention to Sunstreaker.
Sunstreaker's optics were dark, and there was a rattle in his vents. Sunstreaker remained still as he felt the diagnostic scans tickle his sensors. Ratchet mumbled a few choice words about twin idiots and the questionable intelligence of one in particular, then tried to ascertain their parentage that ended in the conclusion that they were from the Pit itself. Sunstreaker took the verbal bashing with ease, having been subjected to it for so many eons, he'd be lost without it. Ratchet may fuss and fume, but when he attended the more delicate circuitry, there was no mistaking his gentle care and seriousness in repairing the damage.
"Sunstreaker?" Ratchet said after a minute of optical and diagnostic scan. "You're showing a fifty percent weakness along two junctions and there's some considerable wear to your structural transformation seams."
"Extended patrols," was Sunstreaker's explanation.
"To med bay with you," Ratchet said, giving the golden warrior a nudge to get his attention.
"Punishment detail. Two weeks," Sunstreaker said, not bothering to online his optics.
"Well, Prowl can come and talk to me about the accommodations," Ratchet put in, physically grabbing the frontliner and pulling him into a sitting position. Sunstreaker offered a grunt in warning, but allowed the medic the invasion into his personal space. Aside from Sideswipe, Ratchet was the only one who could come close and not receive physical injury.
"What about Sides?" Sunstreaker asked, noting his brother was still unconscious against the wall. There was also a beautiful, Sideswipe shaped imprint on the wall. Looked rather artistic. Sunstreaker smirked. Even in the dark, he was good.
"I'll patch him up and he can stay in the brig," Ratchet answered, motioning to the exit. The energy bars hadn't reengaged since the medic entered the cell. When he left, the bars would reinitialize once again.
"He won't like that," Sunstreaker said, unable to keep the sadistic smirk off his face. His brother was an aft. He deserved a proper punishment.
"Tough," Ratchet said, kneeling down and scanning over the prone form. "He'll just have to live with it." When his scans displayed the results of just an unconscious mech, he hoisted the red frontliner up and threw him unceremoniously on the berth. His finger retracted, his favorite arc welder sliding into existence.
"What are you doing?" Sunstreaker asked, wondering if the medic had lost his processor.
"Gonna weld his aft to the berth," Ratchet said, setting to work. "If confinement doesn't work and he still has to cause problems, let's see what some immobility will do for him."
Sunstreaker arched a brow ridge and set off down the hall, hearing the soft fizzle noises that accompany a welder. Sideswipe hated inactivity. Ratchet knew that. It was going to be quite interesting over the next couple of weeks.
Sunstreaker smiled. Seriously, he was going to talk to Prime and recommend that Ratchet be on the front line.
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Another short one! Go figure! But I wanted to torture Sides and gives Sunny a break. It seems I like to torture one more than the other and I believe in balance and not showing favoritism so I changed it up a bit. :D
All feedback is appreciated! Fuel my muse! She, and myself, are running on fumes and I seriously need the positive feedback sent my way.
Ever feel as if there are a million barbed hooks shoved in every available place in your skin and you are being pulled in a million different directions at once? That's what I'm feeling right now… while in a well, in the middle of the jungle, up to my neck in slimy quicksand with a boulder on my head.
Next chapter may be a little longer in coming and it may be darker than normal. We'll see.
