It's been so long since I wrote ANYTHING for this story and I feel SO bad for not doing anything. My muse went walkies and I felt nothing but guilt for letting it happen in the first place. If anything, I owe you guys a massive apology for letting my worries get the better of me.
I apologise for this chapter being short, but you can call it an aftermath chapter. You get some insight on Sideswipe and some Optimus POV. Been wanting to write in the big guy's head for quite some time since I started the story in the first place.
Again, not a very big chapter, it's just getting some stuff out of the way before we move on.
Chapter 4
Ashes to Ashes
Sideswipe folded his arms across his chest plates, a disturbed frown mounted on his face plates. If there was one word to describe the Autobot base, it was 'inadequate'. This definitely didn't look like the best place to even have a hold up for an entire Autobot army, let alone a good area to even settle down. To say that Headquarters was a dump in front of all the Autobots would only add insult to injury, as much as he hated to say it.
He tapped his digits impatiently against his forearms, glaring at the closest thing he could see: a glass wall.
Well, it wasn't exactly glass, it was a two-way mirror, something that the Autobots kept in place so that only those who wanted to watch the interrogation could see while the interrogated could not.
The silver warrior was leaning against the wall while Sunstreaker sat impassively on the floor, fiddling with his golden brass knuckles. Sunstreaker hadn't spoken a word across the sparklink since the end of the battle, causing worry to flutter in his spark, but he didn't let it show to his brother, least he knew what he was thinking.
What surprised Sideswipe the most was that he hadn't exactly cleaned the energon from his knuckledusters nor his golden plated chassis. Sideswipe still remembered how he was so determined about keeping his paint from getting scratched, but now that the battle was over and that the Decepticons had retreated back to Kaon, the feeling of bloodlust still tickled through their connection. It sent shivers down his back plates, but he didn't mention it to his brother. He didn't really need to. Even though they had just been given life, they felt closer than ever before.
In front with his back turned to them stood Optimus Prime, on his left was Ironhide, and on his right was Ultra Magnus. The three had been eyeing the mirror very carefully, watching the interrogation that was taking place.
Sideswipe tilted his head slightly to get a better view and he was none too impressed.
Prowl was standing in front of the handcuffed Barricade, stalking up and down in front of him, doorwings erect, legs stiff, optics focused. He looked more like one of those cyber-cats, ready to pounce at any moment. Sideswipe couldn't make out what was being said because only Optimus, Ironhide, and Ultra Magnus were wired in to the conversation, making it almost impossible for him or Sunstreaker to make out.
Finally, after what seemed like minutes, Prowl turned and walked out of the room. From the way he carried himself, and the straight line on his lip components, he was losing his patience. He stepped into the room and the three elders glanced in his direction.
"He's not going to break," Prowl huffed, biting his lower mouth. "He's tougher than I gave him credit for."
"Barricade is one of Megatron's top lieutenants," Ultra Magnus said, frowning. "I'm not surprised he didn't tell you anything."
Sideswipe flexed his digits. So, the aft head was going to tell them anything, huh?
"You want me to resort to a different method, Sir?" Prowl asked.
The Autobot leader remained quiet, it was as though he was in another world. Sideswipe shifted his optics from Prowl, then to Optimus, and then back at Prowl again. From the way the interrogation had been going, Prowl had been trying to get information about why Megatron had wanted the protoforms. Not only that, but the whereabouts of energon deposits. Lately, the Autobot forces were at an all time low of energon and had been struggling to locate mines that would benefit them in the war. Unfortunately, Megatron had been finding a lot of them and had been guarding them fiercely with his large forces. Things weren't looking too good for the Autobots at all.
"Optimus, if we don't get the information soon," Ironhide spoke up, his gears whirring with impatience as he stomped around, puffs of air escaping his nasal plates, "then we're as good as finished."
"Ironhide's right, Prime," Ultra Magnus agreed, "without the knowledge, we'll lose this war and everything we've been fighting for would all be for nothing." He balled his hands into fists.
Sideswipe shook his head and he pushed himself from the wall. He stepped closer to the commanders and they all turned to him, optics widening as though they had just realised he was there. "You want information from that piece of slag?" he asked, gesturing to the silent Barricade.
Neither of them said anything.
The silver warrior snorted. "Figured as much. I'll get it for you. Besides, I doubt none of you have the tank to use the necessary force."
"We do not use violence for interrogation, Sideswipe," Optimus rumbled calmly.
"Maybe you don't," Sideswipe smirked, "but I on the other hand…"
Sunstreaker looked up from checking his knuckledusters, instantly sensing his brother's dark thoughts through the sparklink. Before he had a chance to stop him, Sideswipe passed through the door and straight into the room next door. He locked it behind him and stormed right up to the chained Barricade.
"Well, well," Barricade said when he saw Sideswipe coming, "Prowl couldn't do it, so he got a youngling to do the job for him."
Sideswipe ignored him as he came closer until he was hovering right over him.
"Not much of a talker, are you?" Barricade chuckled.
"Oh, I am a talker," Sideswipe replied coldly and he allowed his blades to shift from his forearms. "But I don't need words to get what I want."
The Decepticon gnashed his dental plates. "Sure you do," he said. "All you Autobots do is talk."
Sideswipe started sharpening his left blade on his thigh armour, sparks dancing. "First of all, you piece of slag," he sneered as he drew closer, "I'm not an Autobot. Not yet anyway. Second, I don't talk like they do. I don't need to use words to force someone to spill their tanks out. I and my brother just came online, probably only several micro-cycles ago."
"Wait…" Barricade said and he squinted his blood red optics and then they widened in realisation. "You were the protoforms we were sent to capture?"
"One of them actually," Sideswipe confirmed. "But why would I tell you that? I'm not here to talk, you son of a glitch. I'm going to get information whether you like it or not." His blade cut through the air in a flash of silver and the tip pressed itself against Barricade's exposed neck cables. "Now then… I'm going to make this absolutely clear… why were you after me and my brother?"
"Go frag yourself," Barricade sneered.
'Wrong thing to say,' Sunstreaker's voice whispered through the sparklink.
Suddenly, Barricade found himself thrown onto his back with a loud clang of metal and pinned beneath the feet of a ferocious silver warrior. Sideswipe leaned over him, blue optics flashing dangerously. "If Optimus were right in front of you right now, he would not be doing this. Unlike him…" He pressed his blade closer to his neck, energon dripping down, "I'm not as soft."
Barricade struggled in his handcuffs, but he could not get himself free. He was trapped beneath a crazy mech who had the intention to possibly kill him. What were the Autobots doing? Weren't they going to stop this?!
Sideswipe's voice turned colder. "Since you don't want to talk," he growled, "how about I work my blade into your spark chamber?" He lowered the blade until it was hovering over his chest panels. "Or…" he moved it above his hips. "I could slice off the very thing you mechs cherish so much."
A whimper escaped from Barricade's vocal cords and his armour rattled with fear.
"I'm sorry," Sideswipe grinned wickedly, "I didn't hear you."
He dragged the blade across the Decepticon's chest, leaving a long scratch in his paint job.
"Megatron wanted the protoforms to add a better chance of killing the Autobots," Barricade suddenly blurted. "He said the protoforms were too valuable and that if anything happened to them he would kill those who were responsible!"
Sideswipe's brow furrowed. "He didn't say anything else?"
Barricade shook his head quickly.
"Now that wasn't so hard was it," the silver mech whispered and he got off. He grabbed him by the collar of his armour and placed him back down on his seat. "I also want to know if there are any energon deposits Megatron's been closely guarding."
Barricade vented a sigh. "I don't know…"
A foot planted itself into his chest panels, denting them, and Barricade emitted a terrified gasp of pain. "That was the wrong thing to say to me," Sideswipe growled. "Lie to me again and this blade goes straight through your spark chamber."
"Okay…" Barricade wheeze. "The closest energon deposit is in the Badlands. Megatron was going to send an army to take it before the Autobots could get wind of it, but then the knowledge of the protoforms got to his audio receptors and he just had to get to it first."
Sideswipe grabbed him by the shoulders and leaned in closely, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper. "What are the coordinates?"
"I just transmitted them to one of your Autobot friends," Barricade hastily replied. "That's all I know, I swear!"
Sideswipe nodded and he pulled away, but not before he curled his palm into a fist and threw a punch straight into his face plates. Energon spluttered from his mouth and he spat it on the floor at Sideswipe's feet. "You're… you're different from those goodie Autobots," Barricade coughed. "I like you. You should… become a Decepticon."
"Why would I want to join them?" Sideswipe grinned. "I think I'd prefer to stick with the Autobots. They offer me more battles than what you two-bit-faced aftwipes can possibly do. Besides, I think I enjoy kicking all your afts and sending you whimpering back to your master with your tailpipes between your legs."
He then turned and left the still bleeding Barricade and returned to his brother's side.
Ultra Magnus was gobsmacked when the silver warrior returned. If anything, Sideswipe thought he looked more shocked at his brutal interrogation. Ironhide just had his arms folded across his chest, while Optimus had an unreadable expression in his optics.
"You got the cords?" Sideswipe simply asked.
Optimus nodded. "We did," he answered and turned to Prowl. "Prowl, take Barricade and lock him in a cell. Have a guard stand posted."
Prowl saluted. "Yes, Sir."
He turned to leave, but not before he shot a glare at Sideswipe from the corner of his optics and then proceeded to escort Barricade to the brig. Once the doors closed, Optimus lowered his head and vented deeply. For the first time in his short life, Sideswipe realised how much the Prime had been holding back his emotions. He looked older than he already was, perhaps even older than Ironhide and Ultra Magnus combined.
"Do you have any orders, Optimus?" Ultra Magnus asked.
"For now, Magnus," Optimus replied softly, "we'll gather the offline on the battlefield and have them returned home. Many brave soldiers were lost on this dark solar cycle."
"It's because of us, isn't it?" Sunstreaker's voice cut through the open com-link.
"They lost their lives to protect innocents who were not aware of the horrors of war," Optimus corrected. "If it were not for their sacrifice, you would not be standing here right now. You would be in the servos of Megatron and we would all be gone."
"So it is our fault," Sideswipe stated.
Optimus shook his head. "No, Sideswipe, it isn't. They knew of the risks to protect the protoforms, and I'm sure many more lives will be lost if we do not stop Megatron once and for all."
Magnus nodded. "I'll gather a force and we'll begin gathering the dead."
Optimus turned to Ironhide. "Old friend, see if you can escort these two to their quarters. I'm sure they need a good recharge after a solar cycle of excitement." A warm smile crossed his lip components and Ironhide emitted a chuckle.
"Yeah, no problem," he said and took the lead with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker following close behind.
To Optimus Prime, the battlefield was just like any other. Scorch marks from weapons, splatters of energon, and worst of all, the bodies of both Autobot and Decepticon littered the entire field. It was almost difficult to tell who belonged to which faction, but at long last his Autobots managed to gather what was left of their forces.
At the sight of a dead femme being carried by two mechs, Optimus could not help but feel a twinge of guilt in his spark. No doubt she had had a whole career ahead of her, probably fresh out of training and just getting the taste of war. Had his people really resorted to having their own children fighting their war? A war that could've been avoided right from the start if Megatron hadn't become so corrupted by power?
"Optimus."
He turned at the sound of Ironhide's voice and he saw the black mech making his way over to his side. "This could have all been avoided," Optimus muttered.
"None of this could have been avoided, Optimus," Ironhide snorted. "If the Allspark hadn't activated and brought the twins to life, we wouldn't be standing here right about now. Plus the Allspark would've ended up in Megatron's servos. Thank Primus that didn't happen."
"The very ones you brought to life," Optimus replied.
Ironhide opened his mouth to make a sharp retort but then took a double take. Arguing with the commander would only just bring trouble and he wasn't in the mood for another argument. "Yeah, I brought them to life without even having to use Chromia," he grunted.
Optimus gave a small smile.
Ironhide shifted his optics to the sky at the setting twin suns. "If anything, I'm grateful that they belong to me."
"You are not going to tell them that you are their creator?"
The old mech shook his head. "If I told them, it would only put them in danger. No, better to keep it in the dark. Besides, I'm not sparklinked to them, and I'm grateful for that. If they so much as felt a trickle of my thoughts, they'll instantly know. Who knows what they'll think if they found out."
Optimus nodded in agreement and he placed a servo on his friend's shoulder. "Your secret is safe with me," he promised.
"Thank you."
