DISCLAIMERS: I don't own Transformers. They came over from Hasbro to pester me. Boy, are they regretting that now. *evil cackle*
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Considering how long it is between updates, I thought I should actually change this message once in a while. I make no excuses for the long gaps in posting. Real life has a bad habit of assassinating anything that resembles free time.
This chapter is dedicated to my awesome beta reader and BFF Okami-chan.
Chapter Three
Sideswipe woke slowly. He couldn't remember ever hurting this badly as a mech, not even when he took a near point blank hit from Megatron's fusion cannon. Never thought he'd be remembering that fondly either. Oh yes, those were the days, when being injured only hurt halfway to the Pit.
He rolled onto his side, gritting his teeth against the searing agony, and attempted to sit up. Strong arms slipped under his and gently drew him up against a well muscled chest. Sideswipe looked over his shoulder into his brother's face. Sunstreaker had dark circles under his eyes and his skin was more white than its normal golden-pinkish colour. Definitely the scruffiest he'd ever seen his twin. Sideswipe caught one of Sunstreaker's hands in his and squeezed gently. They didn't need words for the other to know they had been missed.
"Sideswipe? Would you like some water?"
Sideswipe turned away from Sunstreaker, still leaning against him and smiled at Dee. "Hey sweetspark. Thanks." He accepted the cup the clone girl handed him. She smiled back and sat down beside him, snuggling under his arm. Sideswipe sipped his water, feeling content.
"Well, don't you look domestic," Bluestreak teased lightly as he sat down nearby, hands full of fruit. He passed them each a piece before biting into his own.
Sideswipe chuckled. "This is less about me being domestic and more about my intrinsic charm."
"Right, keep telling yourself that Sides," Bluestreak laughed, blue eyes sparkling. He turned to Sunstreaker. "And everyone always says you're the one with the huge ego. Sides has you beat there."
"Of course he does. Everyone just mistakes my natural beauty and talent for arrogance," Sunstreaker replied, tone as light and teasing as Bluestreak's. But Sideswipe still could hear the underlying weariness.
"Bro, you sound exhausted. Why don't you recharge a bit?" he asked.
"Because I wanted to clean up first. I've been waiting for you to wake up so we can go get showered," Sunstreaker replied.
"I'm flattered bro but you aren't really my type," Sideswipe quipped. It earned him a light swat. "Ow."
"Slagger," Sunstreaker growled affectionately. "You need a shower worse than me. Count yourself fortunate that I'm willing to wait to help you."
"What? I don't need your help to shower," Sideswipe growled back, indignant.
Sunstreaker merely glanced towards Bluestreak. "Should we let him fall on his aft first?"
"Nah, CeeCee's waiting for him. We could spend all day watching him fall on his aft." Bluestreak winked at Sideswipe as he finished his fruit.
"Ah slag. The complete lack of faith," Sideswipe swooned back dramatically. He looked up at Dee. "Hey sweetspark, you believe in me, right?"
Dee tilted her head as she looked down at him. "I don't want you to get hurt anymore." She lay down beside him, head on his shoulder, cuddling close.
Sideswipe hugged her, petting her hair with his free hand. "Ah, sweetie, it's alright."
Sunstreaker heaved a dramatic sigh. "I don't know whether to purge from cuteness overload or drag you two behind the crates to get it over with. Get up. I want that shower."
Sideswipe, with some help from Dee, sat back up. "Where is everyone?"
Silence. Sideswipe frowned, looking from Sunstreaker to Bluestreak to Dee. "What's going on?"
"Jazz and Prowl are missing. They woke up Hound, put him in charge and that was the last anyone saw of them," Bluestreak replied softly.
"Both of them? At the same time?" Sideswipe stared at the now-blond gunner in shock. Bluestreak nodded. "And Hound?"
"He took a team out to look for them a while ago. They aren't back yet." Sunstreaker supplied.
Sideswipe looked between his brother and Bluestreak, searching for a sign that they were just making a really bad joke at his expense. He knew that neither would actually do that but it was too horrible to contemplate Prowl and Jazz both being gone. What would they do if their commanders never came back?
A cold, heavy feeling filled him. "Slag," he cursed softly.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Hound glared at the ceiling. This was the room where he had been ambushed by Rumble and Frenzy. The clones called it the God Room because the Decepticons dropped off the food and supplies here. As far as he could tell with his stunted human senses, this room was at or near the top of the habitat they were trapped in. He slowly turned, looking for the minute but telling flickers of a hologram. Something had to be hiding the entrance. There was one, he had no doubt about that. But where? The smooth, featureless walls joined seamlessly with the ceiling. Just like every other room in this maze.
A light touch on his arm brought him out of his musings and made him aware of his companions once more. "Lord, we should head back."
Hound turned and looked at the clone boy gazing at him with too serious eyes. Boy? There really was no way to actually judge his age or the age of any clone. He had a hard enough time telling some of them apart, if they had been cloned from the same person. Even the whole idea of clones; creating exact replicas of some human just didn't sit right. How can you create an exact copy of a person?
The others in their search party gathered around him, all staring at him, waiting. Two of them, exact duplicates of the one that spoke. Hound hated to admit it but that creeped him out a little.
"Lord?" The brown eyed clone prompted. He seemed to be the spokesman for the group.
"Any of you ever see a drop off?" Hound figured it couldn't hurt to ask. "When the Decep... uhm... the Gods drop off food or gifts or new people?"
"I have Lord. It is why I volunteered to help you search." The spokesman answered him, absently brushing his long, dark hair out of his face.
"How does it happen? Is there an opening, something you can see out of?
"No Lord. It just drops into the room, appearing straight from Heaven. The only warning usually is the faint sparkles in the corners."
"Sparkles?" Hound stared at the brown haired boy a long moment before turning back to stare at the ceiling. "The corners sparkle and the delivery just appears?"
"It comes straight from Heaven. It is an amazing sight. Just don't be underneath when it appears. It descends very fast."
"Descends? Descends from where? How high up?"
"All the way Lord."
"Don't call me ... never mind." Ignoring the title for now, Hound mulled the problem over. "Is it coming through the ceiling?"
"It comes from Heaven Lord."
"I know, I know. But, as it descends from Heaven, does it look like it's coming through the ceiling?"
The clone boy thought about that for a few minutes before nodding.
"So that's how they do it. Thank you, uhm... what is your designation?"
"VNMG-331. I am called Venom."
Hound blinked. "Really? Wow. Well thank you Venom, what you've told me has helped a great deal." Maybe he didn't look so young after all.
"It is my pleasure to be of assistance Lord but it is time we headed back."
Hound glanced at the ceiling one more time. "Yes, yes it is."
OoOoOoOoOoO
From the hand of Hound, Master Scout of the Autobots
Date still unknown
This is Master Scout Hound, temporary commander of this unit of Autobots. Lt Cmdr Prowl put me in command just before he and Lt Jazz went MIA. Please return this journal to Optimus Prime if recovered.
Prime,
Prowl and Jazz are both missing and as I can gather from his previous entries, this is part of a plan to help us escape. I feel funny reading this journal and recording my own entry. It's like I'm violating Prowl's privacy. I know he probably wouldn't mind; if he did, he wouldn't have left the journal with me.
The four of us left are very worried for Jazz and Prowl. Jazz is barely healed from his last visit with Starscream and Prowl... well Prowl doesn't seem to be himself. Sorry Prowl, I appreciate what you are doing and why but where is the logic in depriving us of both our commanders at the same time? I'll take care of the others to the best of my abilities but I'm not you or Jazz.
I'm writing this entry to report on what's been happening. Sideswipe and myself are recovering. Sunstreaker is doing much better. Bluestreak, being the only one of us not injured or recovering has actually been doing most of the 'taking care' of us. I feel bad for leaning on him so much when this is my responsibility, even though he says he doesn't mind and needs to be busy.
After Prowl and Jazz went MIA, I scouted around looking for a trace of them or a way out. I think I have figured out how the Decepticons are making this place so secure and how Rumble and Frenzy are getting in and out. A cleverly placed hologram. We can thank a clone named Venom (I didn't ask) for the data that cracked the mystery.
The 'entrance' to these mazes is the ceiling to the God Room. The hatch is larger than the dimensions of the room and designed to look seamless when closed. When it is open, they engage a low level hologram to make the ceiling look like it is still there. Since holograms are just fancy illusions, the Decepticons could easily drop in the food and supplies or Rumble and Frenzy could fly in and out with captives.
Not sure how this will help but it's now recorded just in case something happens to me before Prowl and Jazz get back.
I pray to Primus for their safe return.
Hound put the pen and journal down with a sigh. He never liked being in command, even when the situation wasn't so dire. He shuddered, worried about his missing comrades but mentally shying away from what might be happening to them. Still too close. Primus below, how does Jazz handle stuff like this?
"Frag Sides! No wonder Ratchet threatens to reprogram you with a wrench! You are the worst patient!"
He shook himself out of his musings. His teammates were returning.
"Well you didn't have to use such slagging cold water!"
"I was standing in it too, dumb aft!"
Hound put his face in his hands. He really didn't need the Twins bickering right now.
"Can it guys, Hound's back!" Bluestreak's voice cut over the arguing pair, silencing them.
Hound stood and limped to greet the shower dampened trio. "How are you feeling Sideswipe? You are looking a lot better than you did when Bluestreak brought you in."
"Feeling better too. I've got a glimmering about why Sunstreaker likes to bathe so much. I'm even better now after the shower than I was before and what can I say? The Sunflower needs all the help he can get," Sideswipe quipped while trying to dodge a smack from his twin. "Ouch! Will you quit that?" Tried and failed.
Bluestreak shot a nasty look at the brothers and drew Dee with him as he approached Hound. "Any luck Hound? You find anything? Anything at all?"
"I solved one mystery Bluestreak. When everyone is settled, I'll tell you."
Hope lit into the gunner's eyes. "Jazz and Prowl?"
Hound shook his head. "Nothing yet. I'm praying to Primus we get them back soon. I... I can't even think about what they are going through." He shuddered, closing his eyes.
Two small arms slipped around him and hugged him gently. "Don't be sad Lord Hound. CeeCee says it will work out as destined."
Hound opened his eyes and hugged the girl back. "Thanks Dee. I'm sure it will. Now, how do we get at least you to stop calling me Lord."
OoOoOoOoOoO
The four human Autobots settled down with their adopted clone, unaware of the intense scrutiny of three sets of eyes.
"Are you certain they are Gods, CeeCee? They do not act like gods and actively deny it themselves. The Lord of Peace spent quite a bit of time trying to get us to call him just Hound. They all do that, except the golden Lord of Destruction. He just looks at us like we are mentally damaged." The male clone with long dark brown hair, known as Venom spoke quietly, addressing the woman in the centre of their group.
"I am quite certain, Venom. They are much like us, yet not like us at all. Stronger, faster, and full of knowledge the ancients may have rivalled but naive and childlike in many ways. Look at the things we had to teach them when we allied ourselves to them. And they still manage to surprise us." The blonde clone woman chuckled softly. "Yes, they are both ancient and childlike and in that, lay our advantage and hope."
"Are you certain about this CeeCee? That child... she's so naive and fragile. There is no way she could do what needs to be done." The third clone, dark of hair and eye, with coffee coloured skin glanced sidelong at his blonde comrade before focusing on the Autobot group again.
"She's the only one that can do it, Alpha. Dee and I are the only ones with any ties to the Lords of Light. In fact, Dee is more deeply integrated into their group. Her innocence has aroused powerful protective instincts in them, even the golden Lord Sunstreaker," CeeCee-37 replied firmly, eyes locked on the sight of Dee cuddled up to the red-haired Lord Sideswipe.
"She's as ignorant of our customs as they are."
"Then we'll teach her." CeeCee sighed. Dee had climbed into Lord Sideswipe's lap. He held her close, gently stroking her hair.
"CeeCee, I agree with Alpha. This child is cute but far too naive for what would be asked of her. How do we know they won't just abandon her? Leave her behind in some misguided attempt to protect her from the Beyond?" Venom turned and faced CeeCee.
"I'll handfast them together then. Alpha, Venom... it has to be her. She's the only other one that can get close to them." CeeCee bowed her head, her long blonde hair falling forward, obscuring her face. "And I'm out of time."
OoOoOoOoOoO
Sunstreaker watched his brother with the clone girl. He smiled and shook his head. Sideswipe was hopeless when it came to femmes. Especially cute little clone femmes that looked at him adoringly no matter what dumbaft thing he said. Good thing for him that she is so innocent, after that comment. Any of the female Autobots would have hung him up by his suspension.
"Your brother plays the fool well, Lord Sunstreaker."
Sunstreaker stiffened and glared over at the blonde clone woman that invited herself to sit. If she fragging touched him this time...
But CeeCee-37 didn't even glance his way. Her eyes were on Sideswipe and Dee. She chuckled softly and shook her head. "Amazing isn't it? In so short a time, she has come to trust him implicitly while he completely adores her and acts the fool around her.
Sunstreaker relaxed and looked back over at his twin. "It's not an act."
CeeCee-37 turned towards him, eyes wide with surprise. She grinned at him. "Truly?" When he nodded in reply, she burst out laughing.
Sunstreaker found himself laughing with her. It wasn't really that funny, but he felt a bit better when they were finally able to stop and catch their breaths.
"So what was so funny?" Sideswipe and Dee had wandered over sometime during the giggle fit he had shared with CeeCee-37. The befuddled look on their faces almost set him off again but he clamped down on it. Frag, he must be overstressed, he usually didn't lose it like that.
Taking a steadying breath, he looked Sideswipe in the eyes but before he could answer, Sideswipe spoke again. "You know what, don't tell me. I'm sure I probably don't want to know."
"Probably not, bro." Sunstreaker agreed.
"Amusement aside Lords, tell me, who leads while Prowl and Jazz are on their sacred journey?" CeeCee-37 cut in.
"Sacred journey? I'll be telling them how sacred their journey was when they get back," Sunstreaker muttered. "Hound is in charge for now but he's out with your buddy Venom again."
CeeCee-37 nodded in that infuriating know-it-all way that just drove Sunstreaker up the wall. Except instead of teasing him, she smiled mysteriously and winked before turning to Sideswipe and Dee. "Well then, Lord Sideswipe, undress and lay down. I might as well check your wounds while I'm here. Dee, you can assist me."
"Huh? What?" Sideswipe stared at the blonde clone. She just made a sweeping gesture at him then the floor. "Ok, fine. But over where we sleep, so I can lay on a blanket." He trudged off, Dee softly shadowing.
"You don't need to check his wounds again. You told us he was healing fine a couple of... uhm... rest times ago. Fraggit all! It's impossible to keep track of time in this blasted, Pit of a place!" Sunstreaker opened his mouth to continuing venting his built up frustrations when a slim hand touched his arm. He jumped a little and looked up into CeeCee-37's compassionate eyes.
"You are correct, I don't need to check his wounds. It is simply the best way to begin teaching Dee. Time is not something we worry much about, though there are ways to mark its passing. Tracked or not, there never seems to be enough." CeeCee-37 gazed at him a long moment, before mischief entered her eyes again. "Now come, I'm sure your brother would like you there to protect his virtue."
Sunstreaker snorted, mood dispelled for now. He followed her, more curious at the idea that Sideswipe actually had virtues to protect than interest in protecting him from CeeCee-37.
OoOoOoOoOoO
From the hand of Prowl, Lieutenant Commander, 2IC of the Autobots, Chief Tactician
Date Unknown
I am Lt Cmdr Prowl of the Autobots, second to Optimus Prime and if recovered, I would ask that this journal be sent directly to him.
Prime,
Mission accomplished.
Jazz and I had no problem getting ourselves captured, and as he surmised, we were able to gather a lot of data. Hound must be commended once again, for discovering the means of entrance and exit through less direct means.
It is certainly a preferable method to purposely getting captured.
We did get a lot of data and our combined presence had put Starscream in a fine monologue mode. Fortunately for us, he has an unbelievable need to flaunt and brag. He dropped all kinds of hints to his plans for us in specific and the Autobots in general. I will conspire with Jazz at a later time to record as much as we can remember in this journal. Right now, it is too close an experience. Insecurities aside, Starscream is still cruel and dangerous.
Jazz confirmed his original observations of the lab environs and is devising ways to use that knowledge to our advantage. My head hurts whenever I try to think of how we could use an environment many times too large for us to our advantage. I trust Jazz's improvisational skills to find what my tactical skills cannot.
Prowl put down his pen and scowled at the page, almost wishing the words to simply appear rather than having to write them out and relive the memories in the process. Though not an overly emotional or vain mech, Prowl did have his pride.
A slim arm slipped over his shoulder, embracing him and drawing a warm, feminine body to press snugly against his back. "Are you all right, my lord?" CeeCee-37 breathed into his ear.
A shiver ran down his back that had nothing to do with cold or fear and everything to do with the clone woman draped over him. He couldn't decide if he liked the sensation. "CeeCee, how is Jazz doing?"
"I do not understand why your people are so against sleep. It is healthy and comforting," CeeCee-37 plucked the journal out of Prowl's surprised hands and mindful of his injuries, slid half-way into his lap. "Lord Jazz is resting. As you should be." She shifted and leaned back against him, gazing curiously at the page he had just written. "Lord Prowl, what is this thing you work so diligently on?"
"It's a journal. I'm chronicling a report for my leader in the hopes that it will survive and reach him if I cannot." Prowl replied. He found he didn't mind this seating arrangement too much. He could relate to why Sideswipe cuddled Dee better now. But CeeCee-37 was nothing like Dee and he knew he had to tread cautiously with her. Why was it getting harder to keep that in mind?
"It is a sad duty to fulfil. Much like my duty of teaching the songs and stories to the children." CeeCee leaned against his shoulder and sighed. "So many are called on a sacred journey to the Creator. Few return. We have lost so much of ourselves. Telling all the stories is the only way to keep what we are alive."
"Are you the only storyteller to your people, CeeCee?" Prowl wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He understood her completely in that moment. A leader, trying to preserve her people and culture in the most extreme conditions he could imagine. He was once again amazed by the resilience and adaptability of the human species.
"No, that would be foolish. All the elders know the stories and we make the young ones practice them. Which reminds me. Dee is very far behind on her learning. She knows more about you than she does about her own people." CeeCee shifted again, sliding her arms around Prowl and looking up into his face. Prowl didn't think her mind was actually on Dee's education.
His suspicions were confirmed when she bridged the distance between them, softly pressing her lips to his. He stiffened, more in surprise at his sudden desperate longing for the woman in his lap than surprise at the kiss. He awkwardly tried to return it but she had already pulled back, looking at him with a slightly puzzled, slightly considering expression.
"Haven't been kissed before my Lord?" She moved again, this time kneeling between his legs.
"No. Kissing isn't something most of my people do. It is not unheard of, just not common." At the moment, he couldn't recall why he had never kissed before. Didn't seem logical if it was this pleasurable.
"That would explain why Jazz is familiar with kissing and you are not. We can easily remedy this." She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned towards him.
Prowl grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back, shock on his face. "How would you know Jazz is familiar with kissing?"
She grinned saucily at him. "How do you think I got him to go to sleep?" CeeCee grasped his hands and tugged gently but meaningfully.
Prowl shook his head. "I really should finish that journal entry."
"Lord, you were not working when I came. I watched you sit, lost in thought, staring at your journal for many moments. How is it that you are not done?" CeeCee looked at him with impatience.
"I... I know what I wanted to write. I just couldn't seem to get it out into the book." Prowl released her shoulders and looked away, trying to find a spot to examine that wouldn't make it look like he was avoiding eye contact.
"Can I help, my Lord? What story did you need to tell your faraway leader?"
"I don't think you can help with that, CeeCee. It's... it's about Hound and your clan mate Venom leading a team to rescue Jazz and I from the Demon clan." Prowl stared at a point on the wall on his right.
Prowl felt a hand on his chin and let CeeCee turn him to face her. She wore that amused smile she had when dealing with male clones or humanized Autobots acting silly. "My Lord, you are embarrassed by this. Why? Does being rescued by mere mortals upset you so much?"
"It's not that. We are now mere mortals ourselves, so it shouldn't be that. It's... more we should have been able to rescue ourselves. I am aware of how ridiculous I'm being but... " Prowl shrugged helplessly. Just because he had a better handle on his emotions than most Autobots did not mean he never fell prey to them.
"This is something I can help you with Lord Prowl. I know just the thing to cure your embarrassment and restore your confidence in yourself." CeeCee firmly took his shoulders and pulled him towards her, tilting her head to meet him in the middle.
"CeeCee, please," Prowl stopped her again, unsure himself of what he was asking. "What about you and Jazz? You've been flirting pretty heavily with him recently and you said you kissed him." Prowl shut his mouth quickly, ears burning. He mentally slapped himself. One foot, one mouth, insert.
"I have been flirting with you longer my Lord. And I only gave Jazz a long kiss goodnight to get him to sleep. Not that it wasn't enjoyable, of course." CeeCee grinned triumphantly at him.
Prowl had to concede she had the upper hand in this, whatever this was. "I should finish the journal entry," he protested weakly.
"You can finish it after you rest my Lord. It will be there when you wake and you'll be feeling much less embarrassed then." She leaned forward, sneaking under his guard to plant soft, teasing kisses on his neck.
His resolve didn't so much break as shatter into a billion pieces. He only had enough time to gasp out. "Okay, as long as you quit calling me Lord." Then she pounced on him.
After a day's break of procrastination and distraction, I am finally able to record the rest of my entry. Procrastination because of my personal embarrassment, distraction because CeeCee-37 can be very distracting when she puts her mind to it.
When we were returned, a rival human gang, one we have had bad relations with, found us first. They took us prisoner and tried to pick up where Starscream left off. They gave us the distinct impression that worse treatment was coming soon. Fortunately, Hound and a team of Tunnel Rats lead by Hound's friend Venom staged a successful rescue and brought us to safety.
A humbling experience even if we don't believe we are fallen divinity.
Sideswipe has almost fully recovered and Hound is completely healed. Dee is spending more time with CeeCee-37, Venom and another clone named Alpha, learning their oral traditions and customs. Sideswipe and Bluestreak were upset about this at first, thinking that she would stay with the other clones. They were extremely gratified to find that after Dee had dutifully attended her lessons, she would return to us.
I am grateful as well. Dee is one of the few bright notes in this horrible place.
OoOoOoOoOoO
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