Part 2-
"Sideswipe, wake up"
Crimson Racer yawned and onlined his optics, blinking slowly as he took in his surroundings. He found himself in his and Sunny's room and looked to his brother.
The Sun Killer was sitting on his berth, staring intensely at his brother.
"Morning Sunny"
"Don't call me Sunny" his brother instantly replied.
Crimson Racer chuckled and sat up, stretching before standing.
"Why'd you wake me so early?"
"We have a match in ten"
"Ah, gotcha"
Crimson Racer did his pre-match stretches and swung his sword that was identical to his brother's but with red markings instead of pale yellow.
"Match Starts in One Klick!" the small Minicon, Rusty, announced timidly to the bigger bots.
"Good, I'm itching to fight" their opponent grinned as he pounded his servos together.
Sun Killer grinned, "We're gonna stain the floors with your Energon!"
The Seeker scoffed, "you wish, Grounder!"
"Contestants to the Arena!" the booming sound of the mech Gladiatorial Regents voice echoed off the walls.
"Cya in the Arena, Plow" The Crimson Racer called over his shoulder plating.
…
Sideswipe groaned as he onlined, his helm pounded something fierce.
"Online already?" Lockdown gave a soft humming sound, "I must have forgotten your resilience to tranquilizers"
Sideswipe lifted his helm and glared at the 'Con, trying to be brave but feeling fear course through him.
'Where was his team? Did they leave him behind like-? Did he just dream they came to his rescue? Did Lockdown hurt them?'
Lockdown grabbed Sideswipe's numb arms and lifted him so that he was hanging from the ceiling. He clamped Stasis Cuffs to his bracers before letting go.
"Now, my collection will be complete" the bounty hunter purred, he scratched Sideswipe's chest plating with his hook, "I am going to carve your Spark out of you"
"You have the strangest pastimes" Sideswipe joked weakly.
"Joke all you want" his hook dug in even more and Sideswipe let out a groan, "but no one will come for you"
Sideswipe felt the Energon drip down his armour more than he did the pain. He hadn't felt pain in so long, not since Sunstreaker's frame perished, leaving him cold and desolate.
"No one ever came for me" the ruby mech commented, finally, his arms began to regain feeling and he was able to flick the hidden lock pick from the subspace in his wrist.
He easily unlocked the cuffs and kicked Lockdown before snapping it open and he dropped and ran, knowing he had no weapons, n0t that he needed them.
Lockdown grabbed him by his scruff-plating and slammed him into the wall a few feet away. Sideswipe was quick to his feet with his mind made up; this mech wanted to fight, fine he will fight and show no mercy.
Sideswipe allowed his broken bond to fill him, and lost time as he went Berserk.
.
When the Berserker Programming dulled and finally broke, Sideswipe was covered in Energon and lightly panting. His shoulder and side had a pressure on it and his optics kept getting blurry.
The ruby mech opened his comm. link and called the Scrapyard as his vision gave way and he collapsed into a pile of growing Energon.
.
Energon splattered against the yellow frame as he got between the blade and his twin.
"Sunny!" he heard his other half cry out.
He looked down; the sword penetrated his Spark Chamber.
Lockdown laughed darkly and pulled it out before leaving the room.
Sideswipe was by his side, saying something but the yellow mech couldn't hear him.
Hold on, Sunny!
Side's, I'm not going to make it.
Yes, you are!
No, leave, get out of here while you got the chance. Save yourself, brother.
NO! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!
Sideswipe, please. Please go. I love you, and I don't want anything to happen to you.
Tears fell from his brother's optics and he buried his head into the yellow chest.
I'm not leaving you behind Sunstreaker. Never ask me to.
Sideswipe...
A red chest opened and a beautiful rose-colored Spark called to him, the yellow chest opened and a sunflower-colored Spark was revealed.
Indigo optics met beautiful blue. An understanding passed between two individuals.
I'll have you back in no time brother, I promise
I know. But don't make it your life's work.
Goodbye Sunstreaker.
Goodbye Sideswipe.
The split-soul merged back into one.
.
Sideswipe let out a groan and went to sit up, only for a server to press his chest, stopping him.
"You were injured badly, relax and stay down" Bee's calm voice wafted over the younger bot.
"Hmn?" he looked up and smiled weakly, "wht happnd ths tme?"
He frowned; his voice was slurring way too much.
"You lost a lot of Energon and fifty percent of your body was covered in wounds" the leader informed.
Sideswipe hummed, rest his voice-box before speaking again, "you shouzz see the other guy"
"Sideswipe, what happened? When we got there, you were gone and there was evidence of a battle. Who took you?"
The lambo frowned, so he hadn't heard his team yelling his name, he just wished it to be and his processor tricked him.
"Well... I heard someone in the bushes and went on high-alert. It turned out to be the 'Con we were looking for, his designation is Plow if you were wondering, and he stated that he was hired to help..." Sideswipe rest his vocalizer again before continuing, "collect a bounty. That's when Lockdown entered the picture and began talking. I'll admit, I was kinda tuning his voice out until I heard him state that he wanted the pipsqueaks, so I told them to run and get you while I held the two off. They did and I was able to disable Plow before I got caught in one of Lockdown's nets. I woke up in a ship and was able to give Lockdown the slip, but he caught me on the way out. We fought... that was a blur... and I somehow ended up somewhere in the forest. That's when I radioed you passed out. I then woke up here."
Sideswipe gave a casual shrug, "that's all I remember 'Bee"
"Huh" Bumblebee frowned, seeming to contemplate something before asking, "are you sure that's what happened?"
"What?" the red bot gave the yellow bot a confused look.
"Oh, nothing. It's just that Slipstream and Jetstorm told us a different story is all"
"O-oh. W-what'd they tell you?" Sideswipe felt cornered.
"They told us that you recognized the first bot and that when you noticed the second bot, you ordered them to run. But that is before they revealed that you were the 'prize' they were after; and they were the side-benefit. Care to explain why they wanted you?"
The ruby bot gave a strained laugh, "'Bee-"
"Don't lie to me Sideswipe, tell me why those Bounty Hunters were after you!"
"No"
"What?"
"No" Sideswipe repeated.
"Sideswipe-"
"Bumblebee, I am not going to explain myself to you. You're my teammate and I trust you, but not with something like this... definitely not with this."
"We can help you..."
"If you really wanted to help me, you wouldn't have arrested me and brought me here!"
Sideswipe forced himself off the berth before limping/stalking away from his leader. Bumblebee stared after him with wide optics.
.
Sideswipe sat down heavily in the toaster and microwave area as he rubbed his chest. The beating of the merged Sparks was making him feel like his entire body was vibrating.
"How do normal bots deal with this?!" the crimson Grounder wondered, "it's ridiculous!"
His only answer was that of a crow flying high above.
"Yeah, yeah, screw you too Mr. Caw!" he shouted.
"Sideswipe?" Russel asked in an uncertain tone.
"Oh hi, Russel" he replied, "what are you up to?"
"Well, I came here to get something for my dad, and heard you yell at a crow. Is everything okay?"
"Yup! Everything is swell" Sideswipe grabbed a random item, luckily it was a small rock, and hurdled it towards the microwave in front of him.
"Oh..." Russel could sense that something wasn't alright with the bot and spoke, "well, if there is anything you need, even if it is just an ear, let me know."
Sideswipe turned to him in surprise before giving a small nod.
Russel grabbed the toaster that a client ordered and began carrying it away.
"Russel"
The boy stopped and looked over to the big bot.
"Thank you. I will take you up on your offer when I need to"
The brown-haired boy nodded and smiled, "I'm counting on it"
He proceeded to leave and Sideswipe looked up at the sky.
"How would you have dealt with this, brother?"