In answer to the question in a review, yes, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are still brothers in this story. Sunny will show up later.
Argh. This chapter had to be written, and I hate myself for it. I'm sorry, Sides. I really am. BIG WARNING on this chapter. This is one reason for the Author's Note in the prologue, especially since the edit. If you skipped that, I recommend reading it before you continue. You read it and you're still here? Okay. Seriously, I'm sorry about this.
Chapter 3
Abandoned Autobot Outpost
Sideswipe poked his head into the hall and looked around carefully. ::Soundwave, it's all clear. I'm in.::
Complete silence.
::Soundwave? I'm in.::
"Oh, sweetie, he can't hear you."
Sideswipe whirled and almost ran into Riella. The femme's sharp dentas were bared in a smirk as she grabbed his wrist, twisted until his gun clattered on the floor, and then twisted a little further. The struts and cables snapped with a sickening crunch. Sideswipe's face twisted in startled pain as Riella leaned in close, applying pressure to his broken arm.
"Guess you didn't get the memo," the femme smirked. Her free arm snaked up across his chest, fingers pinching deep into the cables of his neck. He made a quiet, pained sound as everything went limp and his optics started to darken. Riella's purr was the last thing he heard. "We knew you would come."
Dungeons, Optimus Prime's Headquarters, New Iacon
Sideswipe's optics onlined to darkness. The only light came from Ricochet's headlights – the Autobot bodyguard was leaning over him and securing his wrists to something heavy and solid. Sensing movement, Ricochet smirked down at him. "Oooh, look who's awake."
The younger mech rolled his optics and shifted his good wrist, attempting to pull it out of the cuffs. Ricochet snickered and jerked the cuffs tight, causing Sideswipe to wince as his broken arm was crushed against the wall with a disturbing crunch.
"That all you got?" Sideswipe muttered, through gritted dentas. You're not gonna get anything out of me.
A heavy servo landed on his shoulder from behind as Wheeljack growled wordlessly. Riella's headlights flicked on as she knelt in front of the chained Decepticon. "Do you want to know the answer to that, Sideswipe? Do you really? We can do this the easy way or the hard way," she murmured, leaning forward so that her lips brushed against his audio.
Sideswipe tried to twist away and only succeeded in getting a cramp in his neck. "You already know what I'm going to say. Just get whatever you're going to do over with already."
"Hard way it is." Riella stood up and took a step back, her seductive purr switching to a crisp tone. "Where is the Decepticon base?"
"Disney World." Sideswipe smirked up at her. The smirk disappeared a second later as Wheeljack's fist smashed into his face, almost shattering one optic. Sparks and phantom black spots flickered in front of his remaining optic.
Riella's voice snapped sharply through his daze. "Where is the Decepticon base?"
Still trying to recover his vocalizer, Sideswipe just shook his head. The next blow caught him right over the fuel tanks, drawing a strangled grunt and forcing him to double over as far as possible with his arms chained to the wall in an effort to avoid throwing up.
"Where is the Decepticon base?"
Once again Sideswipe shook his head. Ricochet delivered the blow this time, so hard Sideswipe's head smacked into the wall again It was followed by a second blow, then another, and another, some to the face, most to the torso, a few hitting his broken arm, until the Decepticon was slumped against the wall, streaked with energon and trying not to either choke or scream. He was pretty sure he was bleeding internally, somewhere.
Riella leaned down and mockingly brushed energon from Sideswipe's forehead. "You know, this isn't actually the hard way. Not yet." One fingertip extended into a tiny, razor-sharp blade. "Where is the Decepticon base?"
Sideswipe raised his head and spat energon from his split lips directly in her optics. "Bite. Me. Bitch."
The tiny blade swiped across his forehead, opening a gash from one side of his helmet to the other. Riella brushed the energon off her face and shook her head. "You really didn't want to do that. Wheeljack, I've got somewhere to be..."
The scientist's grin was particularly eerie in the dim light. "Understood."
"I'll be back," Riella purred into Sideswipe's audio. The Decepticon gritted his dentas and glared at her back until she faded into the shadows. A door clanged somewhere in the distance, and Ricochet slid back into Sideswipe's line of vision, his grin widening as he slid a narrow single-edged knife out of subspace and tested it against one fingertip.
"Don't worry," he hissed. "You'll survive us. You might not want to, of course..."
Medbay, Optimus Prime's Headquarters, New Iacon
"Ratchet!" Riella glanced around the empty infirmary, tapping her sharp fingertips impatiently on the wall. "Ratchet!"
The door to the back room slid open and the medic stepped out, red optics glinting with pleasure when he saw her. "Ah…it's been a long time since I've seen you in here, pretty girl. Did you miss me?"
She slapped him across the face as hard as she could.
"Well, now, what was thatfor?" Ratchet stared at her in surprise and a hint of amusement. "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing, but if you want…"
Riella glared at him. "Would you like to explain why Optimus Prime, who hasn't shown any interest in my existence for a hundred years, knows who I've been sleeping with and why?"
Ratchet stared at her and started to laugh. "Prime? Prime actually cares who you sleep with? What'd you do this time?"
"Nothing," Riella snapped. "He raised the topic. So, who else do you talk to about me?"
"Sweetie, you've got it wrong." Ratchet went to pat her shoulder, but she glared at him until he backed off. "I told you discreet, I meant it. I haven't said a word to anyone on the subject, and believe me, it's been hard."
"Then how did he know?" Riella narrowed her optics.
Ratchet shrugged. "He's got his sources, everyone knows that. Maybe Prime's more interested in you than you think, hmm? Not that I blame him." He looked her up and down deliberately. "Mm-hmm. Lovely. I'd be interested too if I were him."
The femme rolled her optics. "Not now, Ratchet, please." She turned on her heel and stormed out, activating her comlink. ::Arcee!::
::Whatwhatwhat?:: Arcee chirped mockingly. ::I've got your intel on Prowl and 't's useless. Jus' meetings and a fight wi' Jazz. You want the vid clip?::
A fight? Beyond the one over her? "Yes please. Leave it on a data chip in my room." Riella started back toward the entrance to the dungeon. "I think I've left Wheeljack and Ricochet on their own long enough." At Arcee's groan, she chuckled. "Don't worry! I won't forget about you."