18. Kick Ass

Forwards time skip - Decepticon Base, Sector M-8691-2

"E.T.A. is half a breem."

The call comes over their comm. systems and the brothers silently note it. Sideswipe's hand tightens around the support ring. Beside him, Sunstreaker shows no emotion at all, though Sideswipe knows him well enough to see the tension in his frame. He's good at disguising it. Himself, not so much.

Sunny turns his head and gives Sideswipe a once-over. Sideswipe feels the unspoken question and grins.

"Ready, bro?" he says. Sunny nods and Sideswipe cackles. The hatch gunner stares from his post, his optics a little wide.

"0.2 breem."

The shuttle rocks as it's battered by the fierce winds outside. Sideswipe reaches out to steady Sunstreaker; his brother doesn't protest the contact for once, instead, reaching up to grab Sideswipe's shoulder for support.

The engine thrum is getting lower and louder and the two feel it begin to slow. Their comms crackle and both twins feel the electric build-up dance over their frames; they can sense the ionization of the alien atmosphere as the storm rages outside.

"0.1 breem. Prepare for drop."

Both 'bots move towards the hatch gunner who is only too happy to give them room. Sunstreaker goes first and Sideswipe sidles up right behind him. He runs a few system checks on the jet pack—it would be the shortest mission of their lives should that fail to ignite. Sunny shifts a little and though Sideswipe can't see his face he knows that Sunny's optics glow a hot white like his own.

"Counting five…"

Sideswipe shifts.

"Four…"

The shuttle rocks again.

"Three…"

Sunstreaker starts to roll forward in slow motion. He doesn't bring his weapons up yet; the wind sheer would just rip them off.

"Two…"

Sideswipe primes the jet pack for ignition.

"One."

The hatch slides open. The gunner backs away completely. Sideswipe registers a drop in pressure but his energon and coolant lines automatically adjust. Sunstreaker tucks and rolls and is gone into the dark red clouds outside. Sideswipe shouts an incoherent battle cry and hurls himself after him. Even before he clears the bottom of the shuttle he can tell it's picking up speed to get out of the storm.

Sunny has a small head start. But he spreads his arms and legs wide as Sideswipe tucks himself in and plummets. In the middle of the clouds there is very little light. Everything is a hazy red. Around them, the atmosphere crackles and a big bolt of lightning arches beneath him. He sees Sunny's outline just below. The sound wave hits hard and he's sure that had he not cut power to his audios, they would have blown out. Then he's passing through the charred air.

Sideswipe catches up to Sunstreaker. He doesn't have to say anything, which is good considering that neither of them are capable of hearing right now anyway. Sunstreaker reaches up and his hands latch onto Sideswipe's. He flips himself vertical in tandem with Sideswipe and the red twin locks his arms just under the yellow twin's shoulder struts. Sunstreaker then folds his own arms across Sideswipe's and grabs on. Sideswipe wraps his legs around Sunny who folds his own up underneath them both as moisture condenses on their frames and runs up towards their faces. Their position is totally undignified and he knows that Sunny will complain about it later, but right now they need to be as small a target as possible. So Sunstreaker keeps his grumbling to himself and Sideswipe doesn't goad him about it.

They burst from the strange clouds right into a war zone. Ion grenades explode around them as Decepticon and Autobot Flier Drones engage each other. The air is so charged by the storm and the artillery going off that lightning flashes almost continuously in a bizarre web of light all around.

A Decepticon Seeker screams by so close that Sideswipe could have reached out and grabbed his tail fins. His fingers twitch, but he can't let go of Sunstreaker and has to watch it go with a small whine of disappointment.

Until the back end explodes.

As the Decepticon lets out a screech and spirals away, Sideswipe follows the smoke trail back to Sunstreaker, who's calmly folding his missile launchers back into place.

"Nice," Sideswipe says.

He feels Sunny smirk.

They're still dropping. They'd reached maximum velocity nano-kliks after leaping out of the transport and their frames are rattling. Sunstreaker's shin guards are starting to burn a little. The ground is getting bigger fast and Sunstreaker spots their target. It's a small fortified landing pad on the edge of a Decepticon base. Even from their altitude he can see the flashes of pulse rifles coming from the group of Autobots clustered around a ruined transport. Answering flashes come from the Decepticons on the walls and as he watches, more spill out from the base itself. He estimates that the Autobots have less than two breems before they'll be overrun. Above and behind him he hears Sideswipe laughing low and deep and he knows that his brother has seen the same thing.

"All set, Sunshine?" Even though Sideswipe's chin is practically on top of Sunstreaker's helm, his brother still has to shout to be heard past the rushing air.

They're still too high. Their only chance is to come in hard and fast and get below artillery range, drop in before anyone figures out what the funny red and yellow object falling through the sky is. So far, it's working.

"Oops," Sideswipe says.

It takes a moment for him to figure out what Sideswipe is talking about. He knows he has better vision, but it's Sideswipe who spots one of the cannons swiveling in their direction. They've been spotted. He suspects it has something to do with the missile he blew up that Seeker's aft.

Oh well.

The cannon fires. Sunstreaker can track the pulsing ball of energy as it hurtles up at them. Sideswipe's jet pack is rumbling, he can feel it through his brother's frame. Sideswipe spins them to the right and the shot just misses Sunstreaker's legs; his epidural sensors tingle at the static charge. More cannons turn. Sunstreaker can see Decepticons pausing, looking up. He can make out individual features now.

Sideswipe ignites his jet pack and Sunstreaker is glad he's holding on as the sudden strain almost rips his arms out. Sideswipe squeezes his legs around Sunstreaker's waist; his own legs fly out beneath him. Metal creaks, joints groan, and the ground still rushes up. He can see the expressions on Decepticon faces. They're coming in right between the two largest pieces of the smoking transport and the Autobots stop firing and look up to see what the sound is—

Sunstreaker's feet hit first. Sideswipe immediately lets go. Sunstreaker rolls to the left, absorbing most of the impact without damage as Sideswipe mirrors him, coming up on the right.

There are four Autobots: Mirage, a light-purple mini-bot, some Special Ops mech Sunstreaker doesn't recognize, and, or course, the Head of Special Ops himself.

"Nice to see you two could make it," Jazz says.

"Nice to be invited," Sideswipe says.

Sunstreaker just takes aim on the closest 'con and blows his leg off at the knee.

"Trouble with the shuttle?" Sideswipe says.

"You could say that."

Sideswipe lets loose a barrage of pulse blasts and says, "Well, I'm no specialist but I'd say it looks pretty fragged. You might want to look into getting a new one."

Jazz laughs. The Decepticons are gathering at the north-east wall, just outside the main building and Sunstreaker can see that they mean to make a mass charge. Several of them outweigh him, with armor thick enough to withstand an cannon shot. His missile launchers would have no trouble piercing them, but he has a limited supply and there are too many targets.

"So, either of you got a plan?" Jazz says and pops up from the wreckage to nail a 'con right in the optics. The mech falls to the ground writhing. Sunstreaker meets his brother's gaze.

"Not really," Sideswipe says.

Mirage makes a "hrmph" sound.

"Well, that's okay. I came prepared," Jazz says and reaches down and fiddles around for a moment before a panel opens up on his right thigh. He fishes out a small object. Sunstreaker recognizes it instantly as en EMP-wave grenade.

"You know those things are illegal, right?" Sideswipe says and he's grinning.

"Good thing I'm getting rid of it, then, huh?" Jazz says, presses the detonation button, and chucks it towards the amassing Decepticons.

Sunstreaker reaches over and grabs the mini-bot be the back of his neck, pushing him to the ground. The mine explodes. The transport is built with EMP shields and hunkered down in the wreckage as they are, all Sunstreaker feels as the invisible waves rolls overhead it a faint tingling. Then it's passed and he's the first one to stand.

The majority of the Decepticons are lying in a tangle by the building. There are still some standing and so he takes a few shots before turning to join Sideswipe, who has by this point vaulted over the makeshift barrier and has opened fire on the 'cons atop the wall.

He has to haul the mini-bot to his feet. The mech is slow on the up-link. He's been hit pretty bad at some point and is leaking energon down his side.

"You get any of that slag on me and you won't have to worry about the Decepticons," Sunstreaker says.

The mini-bot stares at him with wide optics before scrambling after the others. Sunstreaker watches him for a nano-klik—making sure the glitch doesn't trip himself—and turns to take out a few more 'cons, then hurries after his brother.

They run flat out, weaving through the debris and enemy fire. They're nearing the wall when a massive 'con drops from the sky, nearly flattening Sideswipe. Sunstreaker sees his brother throw himself out of the way, dragging a startled Mirage with him. The huge 'con lifts an ion-cannon the size of Sunstreaker's leg and aims at the mini-bot who has chosen the perfect moment to freeze.

"Move!"

Sideswipe has enough time to shout before Sunny is all over the 'con. All Sideswipe sees is a yellow blur. His brother leaps up, wrist-blades unsheathed, and buries them into the 'con's cannon arm. The 'con grunts and reaches up but Sunny is already dropping back. He hits the ground, knees bent, and slashes at the thin, exposed line of wiring where the 'con's leg meets his body. Bright energon spews but Sunny is already spinning away, his arm transforming back to his pulse rifle.

As the 'con staggers, Sunny stands and jams his weapon in between the torso plating over the 'con's spark chamber, reaching up with the other to pull the big fragger closer. There's a bright flash and a shower of sparks and the 'con screams something garbled. Then he's falling. Sunny shoots him in the head twice more for good measure—until the 'con stops twitching—and then turns. Before anyone can stop him he marches over to the still frozen mini-bot and punches him on the head.

"You stupid glitch! Look what you made me do!" he says and points to the dripping patch of energon on his right arm.

"S-s-sorry!" the mini-bot says.

"Not now you're not! You wait until we get back to base! Next time, I'm letting them blow your ugly face off!"

It's the most concern Sunny has ever shown for another mech. Sideswipe isn't sure whether to feel proud or just laugh at the horrified expression on the mini-bot's face. The moment is cut short, however, when someone fires a rocket. As shrapnel dings off their armor and vents suck smoke, Sideswipe hears Jazz saying, "Alright. Time to get moving!"

It takes another few nano-kliks for the brothers to throw the four Autobots up to the top of the wall where Jazz attaches a grappling cable and starts scaling down. Sideswipe turns to Sunstreaker as the last one disappears and opens his arms wide.

"Shall we?" he says.

Sunstreaker fires his last missile—a garish purple 'con takes it to the face—and nods. Sideswipe fires up the jet pack again and grabs Sunstreaker under the arms. The two lift off amidst a stream of enemy fire. Jazz is the only one left on top of the wall. He waves and the two watch as he leaps off right before the closest 'con grabs at him, latching onto the cable about halfway down and spinning the rest of the way to the ground.

"Not bad," Sideswipe says, rolling to the side to avoid an ion blast.

"Meh."

They have to get out of range of the big ion cannons before the Autobots can risk a shuttle to pick them up. The sky is still full of Seekers and the twins can see the line of Decepticon reinforcements converging on a low rise between them and their escape. Sideswipe speeds up, blazing over the heads of Jazz and his team.

"I've got seven," Sideswipe says.

"Eight," Sunstreaker says.

"What?! You've only got six!"

"The big one counted for two."

"The slag he did!"

"He did."

"He didn't."

"He almost got your sorry aft," Sunstreaker says.

Sideswipe is flabbergasted for a moment. Then he rumbles, "Fine. But that still only makes seven."

"And that Seeker."

"Hey! We weren't even on the ground yet! It doesn't count."

"We don't have to be on the ground! Who started that Jet Judo slag?"

For just one nano-klik, Sideswipe considers dropping his brother; they're not that far off the ground. "Whatever. We'll see who wins when we hit that next batch up there. The loser has to take the next sentry shift."

"You're on," Sunny says.

And then they're over the Decepticons who open fire and Sideswipe lets Sunstreaker go and they hit the ground shooting.

Thus concludes Busting Heads Week. I'm a little dodgy about this chapter, but, well, it's long(er). Does that count for anything?

Next chapter: Drinking Energon