Author's Note: Sorry it took me forever to post another chapter. I'm going to wrap this story up with a few more chapters since I have too many unfinished projects that also need my attention. Thanks for sticking with me you guys! I appreciate your reviews.
Chapter 16
"Come out wherever you are!"
A small hand covered a grinning mouth as the being in question did his very best not to giggle from his hiding place. If he vented even a sigh of air he would surely be caught!
"I know you are somewhere in this room, Sideswipe. Come out and then you can help me find your brother!"
Again, silence filled the room and Optimus Prime scanned his surroundings with piercing blue optics, searching for his prey. The little red youngling was remarkably good at this game and so far, he had left decoy clues to throw Optimus off of his trail. At one point, the great Autobot leader managed to pounce upon a fake youngling composed of sheets, pillows, and other oddly assorted items to make the thing under the blanket in the recreation room look like one of the younglings was hiding there. Sideswipe set a trap that triggered some sort of sound recording behind a recharge berth in Ratchet's med-bay the moment Optimus set foot through the door. It sounded like a giggling youngling but there was the apparent lack of a body in the room. This only served to confuse the Autobot leader until he found the recording device placed in a clever spot between the recharge cables next to the wall.
He was a very sneaky youngling and too smart for his own good.
Optimus soon found the clue he was looking for and grinned in triumph.
"I see your foot sticking out from your hiding place Sideswipe. The game is over, I found you!"
The foot twitched at the statement and then a little red youngling stood up from where he had been hiding behind a box of storage items with a pout on his young face.
Optimus laughed with mirth at the little one's expression and knelt down so he could be more level with him.
"You did a marvelous job hiding Sideswipe! You were very clever with your decoy tricks. Now I've been having a difficult time finding Sunstreaker. Will you help me find him?"
Sideswipe's optics lit up at the prospect and nodded his head eagerly with a small smile.
"Alright, let's go find him then."
The two walked out of the storage room and down the hallway. Optimus was about to keep walking but stopped when Sideswipe piped up from behind him.
"He's in this room!"
Optimus turned around and saw that Sideswipe was pointing excitedly at a room labeled "Medical Storage".
They both entered cautiously and looked for Sunstreaker. No wonder Optimus was having such a hard time finding him. The little yellow youngling was curled up cutely in an empty box, deep in recharge. He was snuggling with his red blanket and didn't hear his brother or Optimus enter the room. The red twin giggled from where he stood observing his sleeping brother and looked up to Optimus.
"I suppose he got tired of hiding…"
"Hide and go seek can be a tiring game sometimes," Optimus agreed with a smile while he bent down to scoop up the exhausted youngling from out of the box. Once he had Sunstreaker nestled safely in his arms he headed for the door with Sideswipe hot on his heels. When they arrived at their quarters, Optimus gently placed Sunstreaker on the recharge berth he shared with his twin and tenderly tucked him in. Sideswipe watched a few feet away and then frowned when Optimus turned on him with a look that brooked no argument.
"Time for a nap little one"
"Aww…come on Optimus, I'm not tired!"
"No arguing youngling. After your nap we can play some more if time permits."
Sideswipe scowled with his arms crossed over his chest as Optimus plucked him up off of the floor and tucked him in next to his slumbering brother. He shot his elder a sour look before rolling over and proceeded to stare at the wall in bitter silence, not at all pleased with nap time. Optimus sat across from the twins with a smirk on his faceplates as he watched over them while they recharged. A few minutes passed and soon, Optimus heard soft snores coming from Sideswipe and he grinned as he listened a moment longer.
"I know you are faking recharge Sideswipe," Optimus spoke softly so he wouldn't wake Sunny.
Sideswipe rolled back over to give his elder an incredulous look of shocked awe.
"How did you know?"
Optimus's grin widened at those words and he gazed fondly down at him.
"It's my job to know."
"But I thought your job was leader of the Autobots!"
Optimus shushed Sideswipe and pointed at his sleeping twin with a look that made Sides lower his voice.
"As your caretaker, I know many things little one. And I know something else, want to hear it?"
Sideswipe nodded his head enthusiastically, wondering what sort of secret Optimus Prime was going to entrust him with.
"I know…that you are very tired and need to recharge."
Sideswipe pouted again at those words and shook his head stubbornly.
"I'm not tired!"
"Suit yourself."
Optimus leaned back against the wall and closed his optics and appeared to be resting. Sideswipe stared at him in disbelief. Then he got a brilliant idea…
If Optimus was busy recharging, maybe he could sneak off and see what Wheeljack was up to.
Sideswipe took his time inching his way to the edge of the recharge berth and when he thought the coast was clear, hopped down and made a break for the door. He squeaked out angrily when a large hand caught him up into a set of loving arms.
"Hey! Put me down, I don't wanna recharge!"
"Please cooperate little one and rest."
Sideswipe let a feral growl escape his vocal processor and curled up in Optimus's arms, finally relenting as the leader continued to hold him.
"Fine."
"Thank you Sides."
The red youngling settled down back in his original spot and shuttered his optics with a small sigh. Maybe he would close his tired optics for just a few minutes…
Sideswipe fell into a peaceful recharge, unaware that Optimus Prime continued to watch over his two sleeping charges with a contemplative expression. The leader of the Autobots had a feeling that those two younglings would grow up to be great warriors one of these days. He could use them on his team when they were old enough to fight. Sideswipe already displayed great ingenuity and Sunstreaker's equally creative mind made them both great assets for the Autobots. He just had to continue to protect the two of them and make sure that Megatron never got his evil mitts on his younglings.
After watching them for a while longer, Optimus found himself nodding off but his peace was cruelly shattered by the warning klaxon sounding on the ship. He swore and bounded hastily out of the door to see what the commotion was about. Wheeljack ran past him and slid to a stop to shout a warning over his shoulder before the inventor continued on his way.
"Sir, Decepticon ship has been sighted!"
Optimus locked the door of the quarters behind him so that the two little trouble makers wouldn't get into any mischief while he was busy dealing with the Decepticon threat on the bridge. When he got there, Prowl gave him an updated report while Optimus watched the Decepticon flagship on the forward view screen like a hawk.
"What could they possibly be up to out here?"
"Sir, they have just launched three smaller vessels, boarding craft from the looks of them."
"Put this ship on red alert, every Autobot to their battle stations!"
Prowl relayed the order and the Autobot crew ran to their designated stations. Ironhide was arming himself in the event the Decepticons managed to board their ship, Jazz and Mirage were currently manning turret stations to fire upon the approaching boarding craft. Optimus took command, Prowl kept his optics on the radar and the positions of every Decepticon out there while Ratchet and Wheeljack stood by for further orders.
"Target those boarding craft and take them down!"
Jazz and Mirage let loose a volley of plasma fire, knocking one of the three boarding vessels out of commission and destroying one of the other two. Optimus didn't like this one bit…this was too easy.
Then as if in answer to his silent musings, something collided with the rear of their ship.
Prowl swore as his sensors finally registered a new presence.
"The Decepticon flagship just warped in behind us, one of their boarding craft has just been launched and a squadron of seekers is also inbound."
"I want Mirage, Jazz, and Ironhide to engage them with the rear turret batteries."
As soon as Optimus spoke those words, the enemy opened fire and set off an explosion on the exterior of their ship. A resulting shockwave rippled through their vessel, sending more warning sirens off.
"Sir, the rear turret batteries have been destroyed. Those rear turrets are inoperable!"
"Do we have any drones?"
"Yes sir, approximately two dozen."
"Then have Ratchet and Wheeljack, send them out to engage the seeker squadron. Jazz and Mirage continue to engage the forward ship. Ironhide see what you can do about that rear boarding craft! Prowl, get us out of range."
"Yes sir."
Slowly but surely, the Autobot battleship moved out of range, no longer sandwiched between the two Decepticon ships, all of the operational turrets firing relentlessly at the first ship that was now limping away from the battle after sustaining heavy damage and all three boarding craft were destroyed. Now Optimus understood perfectly. Megatron must have sacrificed some of his troops by using them as a diversion so that he could maneuver in behind the Autobots while they were distracted.
Clever strategy but Optimus felt confident that he was still one step ahead of his arch nemesis.
That was until Ironhide shouted through the ship com system.
"OPTIMUS DECEPTICONS BOARDING!"
Optimus remained calm as he opened up a private channel with his weapons specialist.
: Where are they Ironhide? :
: They sent one boarding craft that had to be using a cloaking device to our storage level and the other to our rear is heavily damaged. It's docking down in the detention level. :
: Affirmative. Engage whichever boarding craft arrived first, the rest of us will come help you out soon. :
: I'm sorry I couldn't take down the boarding craft Optimus :
: Don't worry about that now, old friend. Just focus on the task at hand! :
: Yes sir:
"Prowl, we have a problem."
"Tell me about it," Prowl answered dryly.
"Remain here on the bridge. If that damaged Decepticon warship tries anything, shoot them out of the sky. For the time being, focus all firepower on the Decepticon Flagship. I want every other battle ready Autobot engaging the Decepticon boarders! Send Jazz and Mirage to aid Ironhide in the storage level. Wheeljack, Ratchet, and I will engage the intruders in the detention area."
With those last set of orders, every Autobot scrambled to obey them and to defend their precious cargo.
There was only one reason why the Decepticons were bold enough to board their ship like this.
They were after the younglings…
TO BE CONTINUED!
Author's Note: Sorry this was short, hopefully will have another up soon!