Streaking for Dummies
AN: THANK YOU GIRAFFECHAN and RAP BEAR for your continued support and feedback!
AN2: Apologies for the late-ish update but I was able to get this scribbled out fairly quick. Sorry for any mistakes. Wanted to get something posted before my readers rioted and forced me into hiding! :D
-o-o
o-o-o
"Dare I even ask what you're holding?" Sunstreaker said, eyeing the small circular device in Sideswipe's palm.
"It's one of Bombshell's cerebro-chips," Sideswipe said, flipping the silver disk with the ease of a referee about to start a professional sports game. "Found it yesterday after we tangled with the Insecto-Creeps."
"You thought it would make a nice…what? Memento of the battle?" Sunstreaker crossed his arms over his chassis and leaned on the support beam of their quarters. "Isn't Kickback's leg memento enough?"
Sunstreaker nodded toward the hidden subspace locker of their quarters were contraband was stored to keep it away from nosy SICs.
"No, not a memento," Sideswipe said, holding up the shiny disc. The overhead light glinted off the silver surface and reflected the navy mischief in the Lamborghini's optics.
Sunstreaker's tank clenched. That look was never good on Sideswipe. Sure it made him even more handsome, very few things made the Lambo brothers ugly, but there was something strut melting, oil freezing, energon clogging, fuel pump pausing gleam of wickedness that made a bot bolt in the opposite direction out of self preservation. Sideswipe could be utterly terrifying when scheming. He was also good at his pranks.
At least, partially. Occasionally his execution needed work.
Getting caught meant failure, but to Sideswipe, it meant he had to work harder to avoid detection, honing his pranking skills.
Prowl was responsible for Sideswipe's ever increasing skills.
Sunstreaker should smack the tactician for being so slagging good at finding out Sideswipe's schemes and figuring out how to countermand and nullify their effects.
At least, in part.
Prowl's ability to foresee and create fast counter moves and diversionary tactics may have started out with a high ratio, but Sideswipe had ruined his reputation. It was a friendly battle between the two, both upping their game and wrecking some serious havoc on the mental stability of the crew.
And the combatants.
Sideswipe became more devious and Prowl was commonly placed into an apoplectic spitting rage that had him testing his expanding vocabulary (courtesy of Ratchet.) It was amazing how many eons the two had been at odds and learning and subsequently, pushing each other, testing boundaries no mortal was ever meant to push.
But here they were, some millions of years past their activation date, locking metaphorical horns and attempting to outdo the other. Sideswipe was the red cape and Prowl was the bull.
After millions of years of such physical jousting, Sunstreaker remained unsure who was actually winning.
"This little baby has the ability to override a mech's free will,' Sideswipe was saying, pulling Sunstreaker out of his thoughts. "I figure it needs a little tinkering and it can be used for good."
Translation: something funny and not remotely practical
"So, instead of making a Con see the error of their ways, turn on Megatron and end this war, you're going to use it for a prank?" Sunstreaker hazard.
Sideswipe grin spoke volumes.
"Yeah, why end the war when we can have a laugh on the battle field?" Sunstreaker asked nonchalantly. Honestly, he didn't know why he bothered talking to his twin half the time.
Sideswipe was deranged. Maybe all those hits to the helm affected his circuits? Sunstreaker should look into it. Course, most of Sideswipe's cranial damage was due to the medic and his temperamental wrenches.
Ratchet had a mean dosage system. Set to metric.
"Needs a little tinkering…" Sideswipe muttered, subspacing a handful of tools he stole from Wheeljack and settled down at the dented desk he used for assorted projects.
Sunstreaker recognized the gleam of a certifiable genius (and lunatic) at work, decided it was wise to put distance between himself and his idiotic half.
"I'll be in my studio," Sunstreaker said, heading to the door. He called over his shoulder, "Try not to blow yourself up."
Sideswipe waved airily, already engrossed in the delicate circuitry of the cerebro shell.
-0-0-0-
Weeks passed. Sunstreaker forgot all about Sideswipe's intentions. Sideswipe never revealed the chip nor his success or failure in whatever crazy scheme he originally planned.
Battles were fought. Injuries sustained and healed, other pranks offered distraction.
Until some 8 months later…..
Sideswipe landed on Skywarp's fuselage, cutting his jet pack so he wouldn't go flying off the jet's back. Before Skywarp could react, Sideswipe cracked open the cockpit and dropped in the silver disc.
There was a hum as systems recalibrated and Skywarp's CPU received the pre-recorded information loaded onto the chip. He gave a sputtering stall of his engine, Sideswipe steering the pliant jet toward the distant hills, riding him to the ground where the jet transformed. Skywarp clutched his head, optics strobing between red and white, appearing as glitchy as Red Alert.
Sideswipe crouched nearby, blaster in hand, ready to return fire if the jet regained his faculties. Sideswipe was only half confident in his work. The cerebro chip proved more complicated than he thought, electrocuting him into unconsciousness twice, and requiring months of tinkering.
Sideswipe remained as immobile as a statue, watching patiently to see if his reprogramming had worked. He sent trepidation over the bond with his twin, receiving worry and burning anger in response.
Sunstreaker must be having fun. His joy was nearly burning a hole in Sideswipe's chest.
In fact, Sunstreaker was having fun.
A lucky shot disabled Blitzwing, sending the triple changer into the distance, clutching his smoking aft plates. Sunstreaker tussled with Mix Master, finally gaining the upper hand and shooting the mixing truck in the chest. A large smoldering hole appeared, but Sunstreaker couldn't take the time to continue the fight, as the rest of the Constructicons were trying to get him cornered. He was good, but he wasn't that good. At least he could rest in the knowledge they'd be unable to form Devastator and wreck their usual mayhem.
Speaking of mayhem, Sideswipe was flooding the link with juvenile exuberance. The source of the jubilation came a moment later when Sideswipe pelted through the middle of the battlefield, Skywarp hot on his heels.
And the jet was lacking his armor.
As in, striped to his protofom.
The insane jet was shouting, "Come back here you wasscally wabbit," while Sideswipe hooted and darted between battling couples.
Slowly, the fights faded, everyone pausing to stare at the naked jet chasing a Lamborghini. Though most were staring at the absurdity of the situation, a few were taking in details, mainly, the vibrant scars adorning the jet's body. Most of them old, pewter with age.
Sideswipe continued to whoop, taunting the jet as they raced around the combatants in a strange variation of an obstacle course.
"Wabbit!" Skywarp bellowed, charging past Blaster and Soundwave who were in a battle of the beats, their sonic woofers silenced by the craziness circling them.
Megatron paused mid-struggle with Optimus. Prime's optics went wide as Sideswipe was nearly caught by the naked jet.
Megatron's arms dropped, Prime mirroring his actions as the two simply stared at the Lamborghini laughing hysterically while a naked jet chased him.
"Coming through!" Sideswipe yelled, racing between the enemies. Skywarp's wings nearly clipped both leaders in his haste to catch his wascally prey.
Megatron looked Prime dead in the optics, "What did you soldier do this time?"
"Hard to tell," Optics said with a sigh through his vents. "I'm just glad he's using it on you and not his teammates."
"Cruel," Megatron retorted, sighing heavily. Out loud and over comms he commanded his troops, "Decepticons, retreat!" He glanced to Prime and added, "This is too weird to continue."
Skywarp came running by, aerials flapping in the wind, his bare protoform shining in the pale sunlight.
"Agreed," Prime muttered.
"Starscream, Thundercracker!" Megatron yelled, taking flight, his troops following his example and abandoning their fights. "Grab your idiot trine member and get him back to base." To Optimus (and to save face,) Megatron added, "Keep control of your soldiers, Prime!"
The two jets hurried to catch their now warping trinemate, who was giggling, evading capture.
"And someone find his armor!" Megatron said gruffly as Skywarp flew past him, smacking the warlord on the aft plates and laughing uproariously as he warped from view.
Autobot optics focused on Sideswipe, who had quieted somewhat, standing alone in the middle of the battlefield, staring up at the sky where his playmate disappeared. He sighed and grinned at his teammates.
"What?" he asked.
It was Sunstreaker who spoke.
"The unlimited potential to use the mind control chip, to have it affect Megatron and possibly find a way to end this war….and you program it to make Skywarp get naked and chase you around?"
Sideswipe offered a one sided shrug. "Well, I was right in one aspect."
"Oh?" Sunstreaker asked, not bothering to warn his brother of a white plated demon sneaking up from behind with a wrench.
"Yeah, it was hilarious!" Sideswipe barked.
Clang!
Sideswipe's laughter followed him into unconsciousness.
o-o
-o-
o-o-
Be sure to click that little button there and let me know what you think! LOVE hearing from my readers. I answer signed reviews, so check your message boxes!
