Character Streaks
Request for Blitz-Krazi-1, who apparently sees the twins as jailbirds and enjoys delving into their layered psychology. Hope this is what you had in mind, dearie!
AN: Sorry for the disappointing post last week. Apparently I need to work on my 'drama'. :) I will keep it in mind for future postings.
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"And we're to stay in here until we learn our lesson," Sideswipe said, rocking to one leg and giving the Praxian a lopsided smirk. "But we know how well that actually works, so there's no use in lecturing us on the scrap that doesn't stick in our processors."
Prowl gave an annoyed flick of his doorwings, glaring at the two mechs now behind energy bars.
"Why do you keep doing things that require me to punish you?" he asked.
"We kinda like it," Sideswipe grinned, earning a growl of warning from the adjacent cell. Sunstreaker didn't find the expression amusing.
"Three days," Prowl said spinning on his heel and leaving the two alone.
"Why does he even bother?" Sunstreaker asked, going to his berth and settling down onto its all too familiar surface.
"Beats me," Sideswipe said.
"I will when I get out," Sunstreaker promised, earning a thrum of affection from his twin. Honestly the mech must have a pain fetish. He either invoked the wrath of his brother or the medic, and both didn't hold their punches when correcting the ruby Lamborghini. It was like he enjoyed the pain.
Sideswipe plopped down on his own berth, feeling the connection to his twin through the reinforced wall. It was strange, loving and yet hating each other at the same time. They fought, argued, and throttled each other on a regular basis, but yet, they held a deep connection neither could quite identify, let alone name. It was definitely a familiar bond, seeing how they wanted to kill each other on a regular basis but fretted horribly when one was truly slagged.
They settled onto their berths, perfect copies of each other. It felt good to have the barrier between them. They could feel each other, but still have the distance they needed to soothe their processors. It was difficult to constantly feel another presence inside your mind and soul. Even if they were the other half of your soul, it's still a very tiring physical strain.
Both had mature adult sparks now, but there was always the need to draw to one another. They were each others strength and weakness, and yet, they were a catalyst for chaos. Peace and silence didn't exist in their world. Since their creation they had been surrounded by noise and hatred, and strangers and the utter craziness that comes from growing up orphaned on the streets of a very inhospitable environment. Scraping by with weak frames, under developed bodies, lacking proper upgrades, unable to have decent, sustainable maintenance and the fact that both went great lengths of time before refueling. It was a grueling existence, but it also taught the twins to be creative. They depended on each other to survive. Yet, when both were safe and fed and under no threat of termination, their energy files buzzed like hyper active hornets. When they got within close proximity, it was like atoms smashing together. There was always an explosion, both sharing equal blame from the eruption.
Wheeljack could take notes, but then again, he would be even more dangerous than he already was. Thank Primus his spark didn't split and he had a twin.
Sideswipe rolled, planting his back against the wall, feeling the soft resonance of his brother's spark through the metal. It didn't matter what was placed between them. They could still feel each other. They may fight and argue, but the other spark was what soothed them in times of true distress. The knowledge that their other half was near, ready at a seconds notice to ease the torment and suffering that dwelled in darker moments.
Sunstreaker's back was against the wall, his optics offline as he recalled the numerous times their owners had separated them in punishment. The first hundred times or so had hurt like the pit, causing both younglings to cry and thrash. When they weren't reunited soon enough, convulsions would rack their tiny frames until they were placed together. Then both would split their chest plates and merge, falling into the abyss of each other and drowning in the torment. When they revived it was to endear the threats of separation from a loathsome master.
When the twins joined up and as inevitable the command staff found out about their unique disposition, much to the twins surprise their first stint in the brig, Prowl had put both in the same cell. Still angered and frustrated with each other from a perceived slight, both promptly beat the slag out of each other until Ratchet had to be called in and rush them into emergency surgery. When Prowl walked into med bay the next morning, it was to find both twins sharing a berth, Ratchet shrugging, unable to explain how the one had crawled across the ward to join his brother.
There were the few times, moreso as of as the twins started to mature, that they could handle being together for an extended period without trying to thrash the other. The command staff noticed it, Prowl even logging in the exact date and times for historical records. But it was as if the war calmed them down, gave them a focus that suited their abilities. They could work out their aggression against enemies and though Prime loathed the idea of taking a life, the twins were allowed free reign to bring down the decepticons. It was war after all.
Smokescreen, the know-it-all bastard, had a theory. He proceeded to schedule the twins for sessions, hoping his keen interest wouldn't unleash a homicidal rage with him in the epicenter.
With such horrible fights, devastation of global proportion, and the mentality that comes with those who put themselves habitually in harms way, it was a ticking bomb. It was wise to keep a trained audio on all of those who were exposed to the more dirtier sides of war. All units that Prime led had to undergo psyche evaluations, lest some bot snap and attack their leader. Prime himself wasn't exempt from these sessions.
The twins became the exception.
The first session Smokescreen thought was going great, until he realized the two were jerking his drive train. When their motives were uncovered their true personalities came out. And Smokescreen was unable to duck in time. He got knocked cold by a decoration that was suddenly 'airborne.' The next session, both twins barely made it over the threshold before flying into a temperamental rage and beating the slag out of each other.
Because of Sideswipe's latest little practical joke, the twins were stuck in the brig and one third of the troops had been lost before hailing a hollow victory. Sunstreaker's anger over being stuck in the brig for one of the more epic battles the Prime's unit had ever faced, was shouted with such vehemence, Smokescreen thought paint peeled from his walls.
But Smokescreen couldn't delve into the golden mechs psychology after that because an errant fist knocked him flat.
The third session had both twins stomping into the room, thudding their frames down into the seats, glaring at Smokescreen with such an intensity he found is door wings flickering despite himself. His anxiety only doubled at Sunstreaker's cruel, knowing smirk. He tried to still the tattling appendage but his pede started jumping from nervous habit and Sunstreaker's grin turned feral. Smokescreen shivered at the predatory look in the navy optics and Sunstreaker had offered a sneer before pouncing on the unsuspecting Praxian.
Before Smokescreen could call for help, Sunstreaker ran his hands over the sensitive door panels, and having shown his expertise with the frame type, pinched the focal sensors on each wing that caused a cascading sensory overload that put the Praxian in a reboot, his sensor grid screaming in pain when he woke up.
And found his office empty and crude language elegantly painted across his chassis.
Next session he turned off all sensors and earned the worst look yet. When he refused to budge under Sunstreaker's glare, Sideswipe initiated a punch fest that ended up into an all out brawl that earned Smokescreen busted furniture, door ripped completely off the hinges, and every window shattered.
How they managed to shatter impact glass used for interstellar travel, Smokescreen would never know.
Their last session and Smokescreen was treated for severe burns and trauma. So now when the twins fitness report came across his desk, he automatically passed them through.
But there was some truth to his theory. The twins had settled considerably since joining the Autobots
Smokescreen had started a betting pool that neither would last the war. Ratchet had scoffed, putting a hefty credit toward their continued existence. Smokescreen had to wonder sometimes if Ratchet didn't bring the twins back from the brink of the death just to keep from losing his bet.
But as time went on, the twins settled. Now they could be around other bots for extended periods and not beat the bolts out of them. Sunstreaker had started to socialize more, even letting some mechs watch him work when he stationed himself on the mountain and painted the mornings. Some had even commissioned pieces, buying Sunstreaker expensive wax and offering to buff his usually immaculate plates. The adulation kept him happy and the fights rarely brought out. But when they did, neither twin had problems with putting anyone under Ratchet's care, including each other.
The twins powered down, feeling safe inside their cages. Wheeljack had reinforced the brig after the twins' first stint a that burnt the place to the ground. After that, they were sheltered in a cell more befitting their violent nature.
And much to the twins surprise, not once did Prowl offer to separate them further than a cell or two apart. At best he stationed them on opposite sides so they could still see each other while speaking. When they realized his understanding of their unique, and rather volatile nature, they respected him. They hadn't burnt down the brig since, though a few cells had been known to have a few extra holes in their walls, curtsey of Sideswipe and his pile drivers.
"Do you think he will ever learn?" Sideswipe asked the darkness.
"Doubtful." came Sunstreaker's voice both over comms and out loud.
"I guess we'll have to keep at it," Sideswipe said, a smile on his face plates.
"I'm getting tired of training him," Sunstreaker muttered. "He should already be able to understand us."
"He's a work in progress," Sideswipe said, back pressed against the wall as if it was his twin.
Silence fell for a few moments; the only sound was the gentle hum of two bodies resting in their cells.
"I really didn't mean what I said," Sideswipe said, sending an apologetic wave over the bond.
"I know," Sunstreaker said, allowing the apology to flow through and sending a short nudge of affection before shutting down the emotion with a snap. It was enough for Sideswipe to latch onto.
"I always knew were you were a soft spark," Sideswipe grinned as if seeing his twin before him.
"Shut up," Sunstreaker snapped only half threatening.
Silence reign again for several long moments before Sideswipe broke through the Sunstreaker's drifting thoughts.
"Did you see where my aft plates went?" Sideswipe asked, feeling a draft along his back side.
He really didn't mean to taunt his brother into enacting a human expression. Sideswipe was sure there were tire marks across his protoform where his brother tried to exercise his flexibility in an attempt to shove his pede up his brothers aft.
Perhaps they went too far in their reenactment this time?
"I think Ratchet picked them up," Sunstreaker said, feeling a soreness in his pede. His brother's aft matched his helm in that both were dense. He wasn't going try that again! Leave it to the humans to think of an impossible feat that just ached to be exploited.
There came a soft grunt and hissing noises from Sideswipe's cell before his voice rang out. "I think you did some damage with your pede. My aft is killing me."
"My pede isn't feeling too good either," Sunstreaker admitted flexing his leg in an attempt to ward off the dull ache.
"But know you, that was still funny as the Pit!" Sideswipe grinned. His mirth was infection, bleeding over to Sunstreaker who matched his twin's sentiments.
"Yeah, I thought Prime was going to blow a gasket at the humans shocked looks," Sunstreaker added.
"It was fragging hilarious," Sideswipe said, sensing jovial affection over the bond, which was reciprocated.
"Agreed," Sunstreaker added.
"I had planned on doing that prank when it was only the American president visiting,' Sideswipe said, hearing laughter form the other cell. His brother should laugh more often. He had a nice laugh. And it was finally starting to come out, all thanks to the Autobots.
And now the poor, unsuspecting humans.
"I don't think I've seen so many appalled faces in all my life," Sunstreaker said. "It almost scrambled my circuits trying to keep up with all of their translators!"
"Me either," Sideswipe said with a snort.
"It was a brilliant plan," Sunstreaker said, earning a pleased feeling in return. It wasn't often Sideswipe was complimented on his pranks.
"Wonder who we should prank next?" Sideswipe asked.
"Everyone will be expecting something," Sunstreaker said feeling his systems start to power down for charge. "But whatever you come up with, will be brilliant."
Sideswipe beamed in the darkness. "Love you, Sunny."
'Love you too Sides,' Sunstreaker said over their link, refusing to say the words out loud.
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Reviews would be loved.
