FIC: Byplay (Human Series)
May. 24th, 2011 06:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
keelywolfeTitle: Byplay
Author: Keelywolfe
Fandom: Transformers: Bayverse
Rating: NC-17
Series: Human series
Summary: Chapter 46 of the Human Series.
~~*~~
Half-hidden behind one of the outlying supply structures, Sideswipe watched as his team and the humans went through the checkpoint gate. It was almost amusing, seeing the brilliant colors of the Cybertronians sandwiched between the bland green paint of the military vehicles. It made for an interesting visual.
Next to him, Sunstreaker was leaning against the building, arms crossed over his chest as he sulked like the brat that he was. Sideswipe didn’t bother to keep that thought silent, didn't even wince at the rough nudge of his brother's temper. If he was wrong then Sunstreaker had yet to prove it to him.
With a little frown, Sideswipe noticed that there were two military vehicles in front of Optimus, one behind, and wondered at it. Did they think that they were protecting Prime somehow? Of all of them, Prime was the one who least needed it. It was a human convention that the leaders stayed far from the frontlines but amongst Cybertronians, it would have been a sign of cowardice. Even Megatron led his troops on the field of battle. The Decepticon army would never have existed if he hadn't; hiding while smaller mechs fought battles for you just wasn't done.
::It's probably in case they feel the need to take us out. Prime would be a good starting point.:: A bitter little murmur straight to Sideswipe's processor and he winced visibly, turning to glare at his brother.
It had been a long, long time since their spark link had been strong enough for them to actually speak to each other through it without a comline connection, and Sideswipe found that he was remembering exactly why he'd kept it closed off. Speaking over the com links was one thing, feeling trace emotions through their bond, but having a Sunstreaker that he couldn't block out of his mind was aggravating, to say the least. Disturbing was more accurate and just lately he'd been having his brother's thoughts drift into his own while they were recharging. It was not something he was enjoying.
There hadn't been time for him to talk to Ratchet about setting up a few specialized firewalls for him. The lecture he'd have to endure would have been well worth it.
"Either use your mouth or the com system," Sideswipe muttered, not bothering to protest Sunstreaker's assessment of their human comrades, partly because he couldn't say it wasn't true; even a few Autobots he could name were a little xenophobic. He wouldn't be surprised to know a few of the humans were as well and didn’t blame them much, considering that the Decepticons were their first brush with Cybertronians. Megatron would challenge the acceptance of Primus himself.
Sideswipe half expected some vulgar comment about mouths to be deliberately sent through their connection and the fact that there wasn't one said something about how pissed off Sunstreaker still was.
Their connection went both ways and from his tentative brush against Sunstreaker's mind he got a rush of anger/bitterness/anger/anger. Yep, that was his personal ray of sunshine, all packed up in a very pretty form. At least it gave Sideswipe something to look at.
"Oh, come on, Sunny," Sideswipe gave him a little shove, flickering his optics as Sunstreaker scowled and glanced down suspiciously at his paint. "They need someone to protect the city. Who else are they going to leave, Jolt?" To be honest, Sideswipe rather liked Jolt but he was hoping Sunstreaker would get his point.
"They are going into the field of battle and leaving us behind," Sunstreaker declared, with all the dark drama his vocal processors were capable of dredging up.
The field of battle, right. Sunstreaker must've been watching those old war movies again. For someone who didn't like humans, he seemed to be endlessly entertained by their media. "They are going out to find what is probably one very hurt mech. Optimus talked to me about it, you know. Wanted to make sure I understood. They need us here, not standing around with our thumbs up our exhaust while Ratchet does his thing."
"Optimus talked to you, did he," Sunstreaker said coolly, not looking at his brother and Sideswipe vented a sigh, leaning in to wrap his arms around Sunstreaker, careful of his finish. He was, actually, trying to calm his brother down from solar flare back to a little ray of sunshine. Or as close as Sunstreaker ever got and scratching that sparkling armor wouldn't help his cause.
Sunstreaker had been looking exceptionally well-polished lately. Much as he didn't like the planet, Sunstreaker was developing a very fond relationship with their cleaning supplies. Just thinking about the glossy shine of his twin's armor was enough to give him ideas, tiny throbs of want that Sideswipe didn't bother to try to hide. He let it swell, let the warmth of his desire thread tendrils through his twin bond as he pressed his mouth close to his brother's auditory sensor. "Like Optimus could talk to you? I suppose he could talk but we both know you'd never listen."
His gyroscope gave a hearty whirl as Sunstreaker suddenly grabbed him and shoved him up against the side of the building. They were the same height and his optics were set on Sideswipe's, regarding him with disconcerting seriousness.
"They'll be at least twenty minutes just getting through the gate," Sunstreaker said aloud. The anger in his vocalizer was gone, replaced with that peculiar graveness. It was matched by Sunstreaker's touch, one hand rising to Sideswipe's cheek, his thumb tracing the line of his jaw with unusual, aching tenderness. It was the feeling in his spark that Sideswipe finally recognized; a throb of desire to match his own. Perfect.
Now that was a much better reaction. A horny Sunstreaker was much easier to deal with than a moody one. Sideswipe smirked at him, their optics still locked on the other. "I know. I was actually hoping for a little alone time…you know how it is when you need a little self-service."
"Oh?" Sunstreaker exhaled, his tone low and cool. His lip plates grazed Sideswipe's, another peculiarity that Sunstreaker had taken up lately. Kissing as a mech was strange and arousing, and usually led to other interesting things. "You think you can give better service than I can?"
"Maybe not," Sideswipe said, softly, letting his lips move against his twin's. "But sometimes I like to spend my time with someone a little prettier."
He knew the moment Sunstreaker processed what he said, felt it as Sunstreaker went utterly still, his optics narrowing to pinpricks of light. Oh, yes, that was perfect, nothing like a little emotional suicide before a battle. Sideswipe vented out a rush of hot air deliberately, letting the warm gust rush over his brother's armor, against his still-close face. A caress and a goad, all at once.
Just a little more, a little polish over his finish. "In fact, I think I still have some old vid files of Tracks tucked away somewhere…"
"You're dead," Sunstreaker said, almost apologetically, but the smirk curving his mouth was telling. "But I'll give you a head start," his smile twisted into something a little colder and Sunstreaker pressed their mouths together deliberately, sharing the hot, slick flavor of his own lubricants before he pulled back to whisper, harshly, "Since I love you so much."
Sideswipe's spark gave a little lurch but he was already shoving his brother away and transforming, careening through the empty streets. Better hope they didn't take the whole twenty minutes to get through the gates because once Sunstreaker caught him, Sideswipe had a feeling they'd be able to hear him screaming from the highway.
~~*~~
From deep inside the Main Administration's building, Bumblebee watched the twins speeding through the city, fishtailing around corners as Sideswipe played a dangerous game of keep away with his psychotic brother.
Bumblebee wasn't the most experienced of mechs but even he could easily recognize a little Cybertronian foreplay and with a shiver that wasn't…quite…disgust, he switched the view to another part of the city. Watching Sideswipe bend Sunstreaker over was not high on his list of must-watch video feeds. Then again, Sunstreaker had been the one chasing and…ugh. He froze that line of thought and buried it in the back of his processors, back where he kept the memory of the feel of Sunstreaker's mouth against his own. At the rate he was going, he was going to end up with a hefty packet flagged with 'Do Not Replay' tucked into his data banks. Where Ratchet would probably find it during a routine checkup, there was something to look forward to.
He heard Sam before he saw him, the familiar footsteps mingling with the well-known and equally well-loved beating of his heart. Bumblebee didn't look up as Sam came in, peering warily around the corner before carefully making his way through the cables that were neatly coiled around the room. Engineering wasn't exactly the most human-friendly of places.
"You're supposed to be in your quarters," Bumblebee chided him, but he still reached down to give Sam enough of a boost that he could climb up and sit on Bumblebee's bent knee.
"I know," Sam said agreeably, curling up to rest his elbows on his bent knees. "My parents are there and so's Mikaela."
"And they allowed you to leave because---?"
"I told them the truth, I need a charge," Sam said but his cheeky grin was at odds with his eyes. His concern was visible, the slighter higher than normal beat of his heart spoke volumes more to Bumblebee than his words. He turned to look at the monitors, streets that were normally bustling with military vehicles and Autobots alike, even the occasional civilian vehicle of a visiting scientist, were empty.
Bumblebee raised his optic ridges in surprise, "Since when do you know your energy levels? I thought you couldn't read them unless you were actively falling on the floor. "
Sam shrugged. "It's subtle. I start feeling edgy, like I've had too much caffeine. I think I'm starting to get used to this, you know?"
"I didn't want you to have to get used to it." In all honesty, that was precisely the last thing Bumblebee wanted. He hadn't wanted Sam to have to deal with these issues to begin with and getting used to it meant he was dealing with it for far longer than Bee had hoped.
Sam's smile was a little weary, a little edged, and it made Bumblebee ache to see it, but mostly it was the same lopsided little grin he'd always had. "Sorry, big guy, until Ratchet comes up with some kind of cellular vacuum cleaner, I'm stuck." He shrugged again, then blinked, narrowing his eyes as a flash of red, followed by one of yellow, blurred past one of the monitors. Luckily for Bumblebee's memory processors, they vanished just as quickly and Sam only shook his head, glancing back at Bumblebee with a raised eyebrow of his own.
"How's it going out there?" Sam asked, softly. The concern in his eyes was deeper, creasing the corners with lines that Sam was far too young to already have.
"Nothing to report yet. They all went through the checkpoint about fifteen minutes ago and they'll be an hour at least getting to their destination." Their personal short-range communication systems only went for about a twenty mile radius, more or less depending on the mech, but plugging into the mainframe boosted Bumblebee's range exponentially. He was currently linked to both Prowl and Ratchet, listening to the radio chatter with distracted amusement. Aside from talking with Sam, his attention was split in several directions, monitoring the city and the outlying territories, keeping tabs on the mission coms, very, very distantly tracking Sunstreaker and Sideswipe considering that both had gone suspiciously still on his locater.
Preoccupied as he was, it was perhaps understandable that he didn't notice at first that Sam was squirming a little, shifting on Bumblebee's knee. His fingers were curled beneath a segment of armor, gripping tightly. "So...you gonna give me a charge or what?"
Startled, Bumblebee pulled his focus slightly inward and gave his lover a bemused look. It was a reasonable question; normally, Bumblebee would already have formed a holo and would probably have Sam half-naked by now. Just the idea of taking Sam while they were both right in his own lap was stimulating, to say the least. But until Sam had said something, it hadn't even occurred to Bumblebee to do so because most of his processors were involved in scanning. And here was Sam, needing a charge and Bumblebee, the provider of those same charges, was currently otherwise occupied.
That stumped him. Optimus had left him behind to monitor but also to be here for Sam and it hadn't occurred to either of them that Bumblebee couldn't do it simultaneously. Well, this was what happened when they didn't let Prowl make all the plans.
"I don't think I can," Bee admitted. "I can't unplug from the mainframe and I can't use my holographic projector while I'm plugged in."
"You?" Sam laughed. There was already a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead, a visible sign of what was to come if Bumblebee didn't give him the charge his receptors needed. Well, this was horribly inconvenient timing! "The great multi-tasker is admitting that he can't do something?"
"You're going to be less amused soon if I can't help you," Bumblebee added a low curse in Cybertronian. "If I'd used half of the processing power I'd been sparked with, I would have thought of this and asked Sideswipe to run the monitors!"
"Can't he do it now?" Sam wet his lips, the faintest tremor running through him.
"I'd ask him but I believe he is otherwise occupied with something similar," Bee said, dryly.
Sam held up one hand with a little shudder that had nothing to do with his growing need, "I get it, please, you can stop right there. It's okay, we'll manage."
"Sam-"
"Nah, it's good, we're good. I have a handle on it."
He certainly had a handle on something and Bumblebee widened his optics, watching as Sam slid a hand into the loose waistband of his jeans. Sam closed his eyes with a sigh, biting his lower lip as his arm moved in a familiar, rhythmic motion and Bumblebee couldn't help but watch. Distantly, he kept monitoring with the highest processor power he could manage. In one instant he could test the city perimeters, hear Ratchet teasing Prowl, gloss over the heat signature of the twins doing something to each other and still, he could watch Sam. His Sam, jerking himself off as he lay sprawled over Bumblebee's knee.
"It's all right. I just...mmm..." Soft sound of pleasure as he clutched at the armor of Bumblebee's leg, no, rubbed against it, his touch bordering on desperate. Breathlessly, Sam asked, "Do you...do you mind....ohhhh...is this okay...?"
"Yes," Bumblebee agreed softly. Yes, it's okay, no, I don't mind. As if he could.
Never before had he gotten to see Sam so clearly. Not with his own optics and Bumblebee couldn't resist watching closely, recording every moment of it deep within his memory archives. A holo had better senses than the beings it was modeled after, true, but it was nothing like using his own. He could record every detail, every minute change in Sam's pheromones, every breathy little sound he made. Most were beneath the human audial range. A holo did not provide perfect senses, not nearly so well as he possessed in his true form and watching Sam touch himself, the lithe twist of his body, the flush of his skin as he gasped for breath, was the very definition of arousing.
Very, very carefully, ever aware of the delicacy of humans, Bee covered Sam with his hand. He slid a finger down Sam's chest, the finely tuned sensors registering his body temperature.
"Oooh," Sam moaned, arching up hard. He was panting, lips parted and damp, eyes closed tight. "I…I did this…with Sideswipe. Seemed to…ah! Seemed to work okay."
"I know," Bumblebee murmured. He couldn't suppress the confusing tumble of his emotions, a brilliant surge of mixed jealousy and arousal, part of him despising the very idea of Sam having to be with someone else. Another part of him couldn't help but wonder just how that would have looked. Sideswipe was undeniably pretty, as a mech or a holo, and just lately he'd been much closer than their friendship had ever allowed before. He remembered the feel of Sideswipe when they had linked together, medical necessity or not, and he had on some base level linked to Sam as well, given him a charge when he'd needed it.
It was a tantalizing, forbidden little fantasy, one Bumblebee doubted he'd ever admit to but the thought of seeing Sam spread out beneath Sideswipe, seeing him like this. He'd never ask, never, didn't really want to see it, but as a mental image, knowing they'd done something just like this—
Sam came with a sharp cry, heels digging into Bee's thigh plate as he arched and the very organic presence of semen was abruptly detectable in the air. Very gently, Bee stroked Sam's small body, felt his trembling as he relaxed back, his breathing returning to normal.
The bulk of his processing power was still on monitoring, noting that the others were close to their destination and that the twins were back in motion on radar, having finished whatever they had been doing. It was just a little unfair, Bee decided with wry amusement, that everyone left on base seemed to be getting an orgasm but him. On the other hand, Mikaela probably wasn't and while it was possible Sam's parents were, he doubted it. Probably better not to mention that possibility to Sam, either, he seemed to be disproportionally horrified by the concept of his progenitors engaging in the same activity that had resulted in him. Humans could be strange about such matters.
Well, he could take care of his orgasm issues later; Sam actually had a legitimate medical need for them and Bumblebee took a second to run a quick scan over the boy, checking to see if this little exercise had actually helped. If not, Sideswipe was probably available now. It was a little disappointing to find that Sam's energy levels were just as they should be. Ah, well, he consoled himself, later would come and Sam was usually very happy to assist.
"All right?" Bee asked, softly. Physically, he knew Sam was fine; it was his emotional levels that Bumblebee worried about. Worries that Sam quickly alleviated.
"Yeah," Sam groaned. He had one arm flung across his eyes, the rest of his limbs dangling somewhat limply from his precarious position on Bumblebee's knee. "No offense, buddy, but you aren't exactly comfortable."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind when it's time for my next upgrade—" Bumblebee started, his vocalizer cutting off with a blare of static as alarms flashed abruptly through his city-wide monitors, shrieking the highest level of alert through him.
"What?" Sam started, confused, sitting up, but Bumblebee couldn't answer him, all his processors focused on what the sensors were showing him.
"Oh, dear Primus," Bee whispered. He jerked into motion, snatching Sam up as he roughly unplugged himself from the monitors and dashed from the room, already transforming as soon as they'd cleared the hallway.
"In!" he snarled, and Sam scrambled to obey, his tires squealing as he shot down the hallway before even closing the door. He sent a high priority code to the twins, ordering them to meet him outside.
The lamps that lined the streets were still blazing, enough light even for a human to see decently through the darkness. Twin plumes of dust were visible before the twins appeared, their heat signatures cutting through the cool night air, and their battle masks were already in place as they transformed. Bumblebee opened his door and Sam took the hint, climbing out and they all waited as Bee transformed as well.
"Whatcha got, Bee?" Sideswipe asked briskly. The hum of his battle routines running, the low thrum of his energy swords charging to readiness should have been energizing. Even from Sunstreaker, the focus in his optics razor-sharp as he waited silently for orders, should have eased Bumblebee's inner shock. Whatever he personally thought of Sunstreaker, he was an excellent soldier, and paired with his brother, the two were amongst the best warriors left in existence, an unstoppable force. Optimus couldn't have left better protectors for the city.
If only they'd had any idea that no one could have protected them from this.
"We just lost communications," Bee said curtly, "One second they were there and then static but we've got bigger problems right now. Before we were cut off, I saw this."
Without another word, Bee flung out a hand and formed a visual of what the scanners had showed him, outlined in light to be visible even to Sam through the darkness. There was nothing to be said.
"Primus--" Sideswipe whispered, his battlemask snapping back as he took it in.
Sunstreaker was expressionless. "Well, that's unfortunate."
"What?" Sam asked, loudly. The glowing outline of what was approaching would make little sense to a human who hadn't seen one before. "What's going on?"
It was Sunstreaker who finally answered him, all of them looking at the rough outline of the lumbering shape that was moving closer as each moment went by. "If Bumblebee's scans are correct, and, regrettably, I have no reason to believe they aren't, then we're all about to die."
~~*~~
Strange as it seemed, Sam was actually kind of getting used to facing death. It wasn't a habit he'd wanted to get into but it didn't look like he was about to break it anytime soon.
The first time, his system had dumped about a years worth of adrenaline into his system and Sam hadn't even been capable of panic, not that there had been time for it anyway with a psychotic police car hunting him down. The second time had been Mission City and as far as he was concerned, that one was best forgotten. After that, they'd kind of blurred together with the endorphin rush and standing here now with the feel of sweat beading on his face from the still-warm desert evening, the coppery-warm taste of adrenaline in back of his mouth, Sam dimly contemplated the fact that he wasn't really scared.
He was afraid, sure, but there was no sweeping rush of panic. He stood next to Bumblebee, all of them focused on the hologram in front of them, and waited to hear what they should do next. With a hum of hydraulics, Sideswipe crouched down, peering at the glowing outline in front of them.
"A combiner team?" Sideswipe said, disbelieving, "I didn't think there was one left in the universe, much less in our backyard!"
Sunstreaker studied the holographic projection closely, moving in a slow circle as he took it in. The tip of one of his swords was trailing in the dirt, leaving a charred mark and filling the air with the smell of scorching earth. Sam had to squint against the heat of it as Sunstreaker rolled past him, keeping very still just in case the yellow mech wasn't paying attention to little humans moving around. "Mm, yes. I hate to say it, but I believe Prowl's confidence in us might be misplaced this time."
"What's a combiner team?" Sam asked, hoping against hope that it wasn't what it sounded like because what it sounded like was them being fucked, big time.
"Big," Sideswipe said, succinctly, making every one of Sam's fears true with a single word. "Prowl couldn't have even suspected this, he wouldn't have left us here alone. What's the point anyway? Why the hell would they be attacking with this much force? There's no one here but us and there's nothing in the city that important."
"There's one thing," Sunstreaker said, his tone icy. "They're here for him."
"What?" Sam blurted, disbelieving, as Sunstreaker gestured at him with one glowing sword. "Because I killed Megatron?"
Sunstreaker swung around to look at him, his gaze venomous, "You cannot possibly be that much of a fool."
"Sunstreaker--" Bumblebee started, warningly.
"He stands there in possession of the last remnants of the Allspark and thinks all they want is revenge?" Sunstreaker hissed.
"But--it's just a few receptors!"
"It's a fragment of the giver of life, you little human idiot! Can you think of no one they might want to give life?"
He could. It was too horrible to contemplate, but he could. "Megatron," Sam whispered.
"They'd delight in gutting you to get back their leader," Sunstreaker said bluntly, ignoring Bee and Sideswipe's angry hisses.
"How could they know that?" Sideswipe snapped. "They haven't been able to hack our network and it's not exactly common knowledge!"
Sunstreaker stepped in close, lifting his sword to hover just beneath Sideswipe's chin with easy precision that didn't even blister paint. "How do you think, brother?"
Sam could almost see Sideswipe mulling it over, the connection he had with his twin crackling visibly in his optics as he realized. "Barricade," he snarled, turning away with a vicious curse. "When his receptors defended us in the jail cell, Barricade would have noticed it! Probably didn't realize at the time what was going on or he would have snagged the kid then but when he analyzed it later—"
"We can't let them," Sam said, cutting in sharply. He could ignore the fact that he was the one in possession of them. That didn't matter, not with the entire planet at risk. Right now they had to do whatever it took to keep his receptors away from the Decepticons.
Even if he had to die for it.
He knew that Bumblebee realized it, his form stiffening as he looked from the holographic image to Sideswipe, the three Autobots considering their options. "Sideswipe..."
"You need to get them out of here, Bumblebee."
Bumblebee was already shaking his head, his mask descending as his own battle protocols blazed online. "You two can't hold them off--"
"And that is precisely why you need to go," Sideswipe said sharply. "The shield array isn't prepared for this kind of onslaught. We'll hold them off and give you time to get out of here."
"They'll be expecting it." From Sunstreaker, almost lazy contemplation as he studied the hologram again. It cut off abruptly as Bumblebee curled his hand into a fist but Sam could still see the glowing lines behind his eyes, the image briefly burned into them.
"Of course they will but hopefully Bumblebee's cloaks will hold long enough for him to get out of range." Sideswipe paced a few steps away, one hand out in a gesture that Sam recognized as scanning. "I can't even get a read on it; they've got us closed in tight. We have no other options. We're cut off."
"What about the Air Force?" Sam asked, uncertainly. Not that he was any great military planner but he knew the military guys had been prepping for Decepticon encounters.
Sideswipe was already shaking his head. "If we're cut off then they certainly are. Even if we could send a request for assistance, by the time their jets arrived, it would be over."
"Then you should go with us!" Sam shouted, ignoring that Bumblebee was looking away, out into the night. Sunstreaker was next to him, the mellow gleam of their yellow armor strikingly similar in the dimness of night. Standing together, they looked more like brothers than the true twins and Sam had to blink and look away from it, instead focusing on Sideswipe still in front of him.
Sideswipe gave him a careless grin, optics bright. "Nah. I think Sunny and I will stay a while."
Bumblebee turned back and hesitated; Sam wasn't quite sure about the Autobot military hierarchy but he knew that Bumblebee outranked the twins. Bee could make it an order.
He didn't. He knew they were right. They all knew it.
Sideswipe's smile faded, his optics on Bee as he said, softly, "Bumblebee, you have a better chance of getting out and cloaking on your own. You're the spybot, we don't have anything even close to your protocols."
"We don't need them," Sunstreaker said with familiar cool arrogance.
Sideswipe ignored his twin. "Get them out of here."
The briefest of hesitation and Bumblebee nodded curtly and transformed, his door swinging open.
Sam had one hand on the door frame when he paused, craning his neck to look up at the twins. They were probably going to die and there was nothing he could do about it, nothing he could say and words were choking him, a dozen things wanting to be spoken at once.
A brief shimmer and Sideswipe's holo was in front of him, hands in his pockets as he looked at Sam uncertainly.
From above, Sunstreaker's voice seemed oddly serious, no sarcasm or bitterness as he said, softly, "Better give the little human a last kiss, Sideswipe, you probably won't be quite so pretty the next time we see him." They both looked up at him in surprise and Sunstreaker's smile was surprisingly soft. "I'd offer to do it for you but I think he might bite my tongue off."
Both of them hesitated, time that they didn't have wasted between them and Bumblebee was silent, not a hint of encouragement or denial from that quarter. With a shake of his head, Sideswipe stepped forward, the cooling desert wind blowing his brilliant hair out behind him and then his hands were on warm on Sam's face, holding him still as Sideswipe leaned in and kissed him. There was nothing hesitant in this, his mouth firm against Sam's as he pressed his tongue between Sam's lips. Sam couldn't move, could only cling to Sideswipe's shoulders and for an endless moment there was nothing but that sweet, harsh kiss.
Then Sideswipe was pulling away, shoving Sam into Bumblebee and closing the door firmly behind him. One last, long look and then his holo vanished in a glimmer, and then there was nothing but two mechs standing beside him, their optics cutting brilliantly through the night.
"Sideswipe," Sam whispered, pressed a hand against the cool glass of Bumblebee's window.
"Go, GO!" Sideswipe gestured impatiently, showing no sign that he'd heard Sam. "I know you can mask your heat signature but that won't do any good if they are close enough to see you. Get the other humans and get out!"
"But--"
"Go!" Sideswipe roared and Bumblebee did, his tires screaming as he tore off towards Sam's quarters. Numbly, Sam heard him making a call to his parents and Mikaela, telling them to meet the two of them outside and to hurry.
Distantly, he heard a sound, a heavy vibration that registered even through the sound of Bee's engine and Sam shuddered, burying his face in his hands as he tried not to think about just what the twins were facing.
~~*~~
Main ops was nowhere near the entrance to the city and since that was where Bumblebee had detected the breech, that was where the twins were headed. They walked slowly towards it, sensors straining to catch the first glimpse of a combiner team of the likes that hadn't been seen in millennia.
Sideswipe ran a quick diagnostic over his weapons, testing their readiness and found them at one hundred percent. Perfect. He knew without asking that his brother was doing the same. Autobots didn't have anything as organic as adrenaline but battle protocols were very close, the low thrum powering through his systems as he tipped up his battle mask far enough to give his brother a wicked grin. "Ready to try dying again for beings you despise?"
Sunstreaker answered his smile with one of his own and there was no bitterness in it, only affection, as he saluted Sideswipe with one sword. "No. But I'm always willing to die for you."
The dwindling sound of Bumblebee's engine faded, the silence brief before a low roar echoed over the hard packed earth that surrounded their city. The two of them stood and waited, together, listening to the growing roar of death approaching.
Read Next Chapter
Author: Keelywolfe
Fandom: Transformers: Bayverse
Rating: NC-17
Series: Human series
Summary: Chapter 46 of the Human Series.
~~*~~
Half-hidden behind one of the outlying supply structures, Sideswipe watched as his team and the humans went through the checkpoint gate. It was almost amusing, seeing the brilliant colors of the Cybertronians sandwiched between the bland green paint of the military vehicles. It made for an interesting visual.
Next to him, Sunstreaker was leaning against the building, arms crossed over his chest as he sulked like the brat that he was. Sideswipe didn’t bother to keep that thought silent, didn't even wince at the rough nudge of his brother's temper. If he was wrong then Sunstreaker had yet to prove it to him.
With a little frown, Sideswipe noticed that there were two military vehicles in front of Optimus, one behind, and wondered at it. Did they think that they were protecting Prime somehow? Of all of them, Prime was the one who least needed it. It was a human convention that the leaders stayed far from the frontlines but amongst Cybertronians, it would have been a sign of cowardice. Even Megatron led his troops on the field of battle. The Decepticon army would never have existed if he hadn't; hiding while smaller mechs fought battles for you just wasn't done.
::It's probably in case they feel the need to take us out. Prime would be a good starting point.:: A bitter little murmur straight to Sideswipe's processor and he winced visibly, turning to glare at his brother.
It had been a long, long time since their spark link had been strong enough for them to actually speak to each other through it without a comline connection, and Sideswipe found that he was remembering exactly why he'd kept it closed off. Speaking over the com links was one thing, feeling trace emotions through their bond, but having a Sunstreaker that he couldn't block out of his mind was aggravating, to say the least. Disturbing was more accurate and just lately he'd been having his brother's thoughts drift into his own while they were recharging. It was not something he was enjoying.
There hadn't been time for him to talk to Ratchet about setting up a few specialized firewalls for him. The lecture he'd have to endure would have been well worth it.
"Either use your mouth or the com system," Sideswipe muttered, not bothering to protest Sunstreaker's assessment of their human comrades, partly because he couldn't say it wasn't true; even a few Autobots he could name were a little xenophobic. He wouldn't be surprised to know a few of the humans were as well and didn’t blame them much, considering that the Decepticons were their first brush with Cybertronians. Megatron would challenge the acceptance of Primus himself.
Sideswipe half expected some vulgar comment about mouths to be deliberately sent through their connection and the fact that there wasn't one said something about how pissed off Sunstreaker still was.
Their connection went both ways and from his tentative brush against Sunstreaker's mind he got a rush of anger/bitterness/anger/anger. Yep, that was his personal ray of sunshine, all packed up in a very pretty form. At least it gave Sideswipe something to look at.
"Oh, come on, Sunny," Sideswipe gave him a little shove, flickering his optics as Sunstreaker scowled and glanced down suspiciously at his paint. "They need someone to protect the city. Who else are they going to leave, Jolt?" To be honest, Sideswipe rather liked Jolt but he was hoping Sunstreaker would get his point.
"They are going into the field of battle and leaving us behind," Sunstreaker declared, with all the dark drama his vocal processors were capable of dredging up.
The field of battle, right. Sunstreaker must've been watching those old war movies again. For someone who didn't like humans, he seemed to be endlessly entertained by their media. "They are going out to find what is probably one very hurt mech. Optimus talked to me about it, you know. Wanted to make sure I understood. They need us here, not standing around with our thumbs up our exhaust while Ratchet does his thing."
"Optimus talked to you, did he," Sunstreaker said coolly, not looking at his brother and Sideswipe vented a sigh, leaning in to wrap his arms around Sunstreaker, careful of his finish. He was, actually, trying to calm his brother down from solar flare back to a little ray of sunshine. Or as close as Sunstreaker ever got and scratching that sparkling armor wouldn't help his cause.
Sunstreaker had been looking exceptionally well-polished lately. Much as he didn't like the planet, Sunstreaker was developing a very fond relationship with their cleaning supplies. Just thinking about the glossy shine of his twin's armor was enough to give him ideas, tiny throbs of want that Sideswipe didn't bother to try to hide. He let it swell, let the warmth of his desire thread tendrils through his twin bond as he pressed his mouth close to his brother's auditory sensor. "Like Optimus could talk to you? I suppose he could talk but we both know you'd never listen."
His gyroscope gave a hearty whirl as Sunstreaker suddenly grabbed him and shoved him up against the side of the building. They were the same height and his optics were set on Sideswipe's, regarding him with disconcerting seriousness.
"They'll be at least twenty minutes just getting through the gate," Sunstreaker said aloud. The anger in his vocalizer was gone, replaced with that peculiar graveness. It was matched by Sunstreaker's touch, one hand rising to Sideswipe's cheek, his thumb tracing the line of his jaw with unusual, aching tenderness. It was the feeling in his spark that Sideswipe finally recognized; a throb of desire to match his own. Perfect.
Now that was a much better reaction. A horny Sunstreaker was much easier to deal with than a moody one. Sideswipe smirked at him, their optics still locked on the other. "I know. I was actually hoping for a little alone time…you know how it is when you need a little self-service."
"Oh?" Sunstreaker exhaled, his tone low and cool. His lip plates grazed Sideswipe's, another peculiarity that Sunstreaker had taken up lately. Kissing as a mech was strange and arousing, and usually led to other interesting things. "You think you can give better service than I can?"
"Maybe not," Sideswipe said, softly, letting his lips move against his twin's. "But sometimes I like to spend my time with someone a little prettier."
He knew the moment Sunstreaker processed what he said, felt it as Sunstreaker went utterly still, his optics narrowing to pinpricks of light. Oh, yes, that was perfect, nothing like a little emotional suicide before a battle. Sideswipe vented out a rush of hot air deliberately, letting the warm gust rush over his brother's armor, against his still-close face. A caress and a goad, all at once.
Just a little more, a little polish over his finish. "In fact, I think I still have some old vid files of Tracks tucked away somewhere…"
"You're dead," Sunstreaker said, almost apologetically, but the smirk curving his mouth was telling. "But I'll give you a head start," his smile twisted into something a little colder and Sunstreaker pressed their mouths together deliberately, sharing the hot, slick flavor of his own lubricants before he pulled back to whisper, harshly, "Since I love you so much."
Sideswipe's spark gave a little lurch but he was already shoving his brother away and transforming, careening through the empty streets. Better hope they didn't take the whole twenty minutes to get through the gates because once Sunstreaker caught him, Sideswipe had a feeling they'd be able to hear him screaming from the highway.
~~*~~
From deep inside the Main Administration's building, Bumblebee watched the twins speeding through the city, fishtailing around corners as Sideswipe played a dangerous game of keep away with his psychotic brother.
Bumblebee wasn't the most experienced of mechs but even he could easily recognize a little Cybertronian foreplay and with a shiver that wasn't…quite…disgust, he switched the view to another part of the city. Watching Sideswipe bend Sunstreaker over was not high on his list of must-watch video feeds. Then again, Sunstreaker had been the one chasing and…ugh. He froze that line of thought and buried it in the back of his processors, back where he kept the memory of the feel of Sunstreaker's mouth against his own. At the rate he was going, he was going to end up with a hefty packet flagged with 'Do Not Replay' tucked into his data banks. Where Ratchet would probably find it during a routine checkup, there was something to look forward to.
He heard Sam before he saw him, the familiar footsteps mingling with the well-known and equally well-loved beating of his heart. Bumblebee didn't look up as Sam came in, peering warily around the corner before carefully making his way through the cables that were neatly coiled around the room. Engineering wasn't exactly the most human-friendly of places.
"You're supposed to be in your quarters," Bumblebee chided him, but he still reached down to give Sam enough of a boost that he could climb up and sit on Bumblebee's bent knee.
"I know," Sam said agreeably, curling up to rest his elbows on his bent knees. "My parents are there and so's Mikaela."
"And they allowed you to leave because---?"
"I told them the truth, I need a charge," Sam said but his cheeky grin was at odds with his eyes. His concern was visible, the slighter higher than normal beat of his heart spoke volumes more to Bumblebee than his words. He turned to look at the monitors, streets that were normally bustling with military vehicles and Autobots alike, even the occasional civilian vehicle of a visiting scientist, were empty.
Bumblebee raised his optic ridges in surprise, "Since when do you know your energy levels? I thought you couldn't read them unless you were actively falling on the floor. "
Sam shrugged. "It's subtle. I start feeling edgy, like I've had too much caffeine. I think I'm starting to get used to this, you know?"
"I didn't want you to have to get used to it." In all honesty, that was precisely the last thing Bumblebee wanted. He hadn't wanted Sam to have to deal with these issues to begin with and getting used to it meant he was dealing with it for far longer than Bee had hoped.
Sam's smile was a little weary, a little edged, and it made Bumblebee ache to see it, but mostly it was the same lopsided little grin he'd always had. "Sorry, big guy, until Ratchet comes up with some kind of cellular vacuum cleaner, I'm stuck." He shrugged again, then blinked, narrowing his eyes as a flash of red, followed by one of yellow, blurred past one of the monitors. Luckily for Bumblebee's memory processors, they vanished just as quickly and Sam only shook his head, glancing back at Bumblebee with a raised eyebrow of his own.
"How's it going out there?" Sam asked, softly. The concern in his eyes was deeper, creasing the corners with lines that Sam was far too young to already have.
"Nothing to report yet. They all went through the checkpoint about fifteen minutes ago and they'll be an hour at least getting to their destination." Their personal short-range communication systems only went for about a twenty mile radius, more or less depending on the mech, but plugging into the mainframe boosted Bumblebee's range exponentially. He was currently linked to both Prowl and Ratchet, listening to the radio chatter with distracted amusement. Aside from talking with Sam, his attention was split in several directions, monitoring the city and the outlying territories, keeping tabs on the mission coms, very, very distantly tracking Sunstreaker and Sideswipe considering that both had gone suspiciously still on his locater.
Preoccupied as he was, it was perhaps understandable that he didn't notice at first that Sam was squirming a little, shifting on Bumblebee's knee. His fingers were curled beneath a segment of armor, gripping tightly. "So...you gonna give me a charge or what?"
Startled, Bumblebee pulled his focus slightly inward and gave his lover a bemused look. It was a reasonable question; normally, Bumblebee would already have formed a holo and would probably have Sam half-naked by now. Just the idea of taking Sam while they were both right in his own lap was stimulating, to say the least. But until Sam had said something, it hadn't even occurred to Bumblebee to do so because most of his processors were involved in scanning. And here was Sam, needing a charge and Bumblebee, the provider of those same charges, was currently otherwise occupied.
That stumped him. Optimus had left him behind to monitor but also to be here for Sam and it hadn't occurred to either of them that Bumblebee couldn't do it simultaneously. Well, this was what happened when they didn't let Prowl make all the plans.
"I don't think I can," Bee admitted. "I can't unplug from the mainframe and I can't use my holographic projector while I'm plugged in."
"You?" Sam laughed. There was already a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead, a visible sign of what was to come if Bumblebee didn't give him the charge his receptors needed. Well, this was horribly inconvenient timing! "The great multi-tasker is admitting that he can't do something?"
"You're going to be less amused soon if I can't help you," Bumblebee added a low curse in Cybertronian. "If I'd used half of the processing power I'd been sparked with, I would have thought of this and asked Sideswipe to run the monitors!"
"Can't he do it now?" Sam wet his lips, the faintest tremor running through him.
"I'd ask him but I believe he is otherwise occupied with something similar," Bee said, dryly.
Sam held up one hand with a little shudder that had nothing to do with his growing need, "I get it, please, you can stop right there. It's okay, we'll manage."
"Sam-"
"Nah, it's good, we're good. I have a handle on it."
He certainly had a handle on something and Bumblebee widened his optics, watching as Sam slid a hand into the loose waistband of his jeans. Sam closed his eyes with a sigh, biting his lower lip as his arm moved in a familiar, rhythmic motion and Bumblebee couldn't help but watch. Distantly, he kept monitoring with the highest processor power he could manage. In one instant he could test the city perimeters, hear Ratchet teasing Prowl, gloss over the heat signature of the twins doing something to each other and still, he could watch Sam. His Sam, jerking himself off as he lay sprawled over Bumblebee's knee.
"It's all right. I just...mmm..." Soft sound of pleasure as he clutched at the armor of Bumblebee's leg, no, rubbed against it, his touch bordering on desperate. Breathlessly, Sam asked, "Do you...do you mind....ohhhh...is this okay...?"
"Yes," Bumblebee agreed softly. Yes, it's okay, no, I don't mind. As if he could.
Never before had he gotten to see Sam so clearly. Not with his own optics and Bumblebee couldn't resist watching closely, recording every moment of it deep within his memory archives. A holo had better senses than the beings it was modeled after, true, but it was nothing like using his own. He could record every detail, every minute change in Sam's pheromones, every breathy little sound he made. Most were beneath the human audial range. A holo did not provide perfect senses, not nearly so well as he possessed in his true form and watching Sam touch himself, the lithe twist of his body, the flush of his skin as he gasped for breath, was the very definition of arousing.
Very, very carefully, ever aware of the delicacy of humans, Bee covered Sam with his hand. He slid a finger down Sam's chest, the finely tuned sensors registering his body temperature.
"Oooh," Sam moaned, arching up hard. He was panting, lips parted and damp, eyes closed tight. "I…I did this…with Sideswipe. Seemed to…ah! Seemed to work okay."
"I know," Bumblebee murmured. He couldn't suppress the confusing tumble of his emotions, a brilliant surge of mixed jealousy and arousal, part of him despising the very idea of Sam having to be with someone else. Another part of him couldn't help but wonder just how that would have looked. Sideswipe was undeniably pretty, as a mech or a holo, and just lately he'd been much closer than their friendship had ever allowed before. He remembered the feel of Sideswipe when they had linked together, medical necessity or not, and he had on some base level linked to Sam as well, given him a charge when he'd needed it.
It was a tantalizing, forbidden little fantasy, one Bumblebee doubted he'd ever admit to but the thought of seeing Sam spread out beneath Sideswipe, seeing him like this. He'd never ask, never, didn't really want to see it, but as a mental image, knowing they'd done something just like this—
Sam came with a sharp cry, heels digging into Bee's thigh plate as he arched and the very organic presence of semen was abruptly detectable in the air. Very gently, Bee stroked Sam's small body, felt his trembling as he relaxed back, his breathing returning to normal.
The bulk of his processing power was still on monitoring, noting that the others were close to their destination and that the twins were back in motion on radar, having finished whatever they had been doing. It was just a little unfair, Bee decided with wry amusement, that everyone left on base seemed to be getting an orgasm but him. On the other hand, Mikaela probably wasn't and while it was possible Sam's parents were, he doubted it. Probably better not to mention that possibility to Sam, either, he seemed to be disproportionally horrified by the concept of his progenitors engaging in the same activity that had resulted in him. Humans could be strange about such matters.
Well, he could take care of his orgasm issues later; Sam actually had a legitimate medical need for them and Bumblebee took a second to run a quick scan over the boy, checking to see if this little exercise had actually helped. If not, Sideswipe was probably available now. It was a little disappointing to find that Sam's energy levels were just as they should be. Ah, well, he consoled himself, later would come and Sam was usually very happy to assist.
"All right?" Bee asked, softly. Physically, he knew Sam was fine; it was his emotional levels that Bumblebee worried about. Worries that Sam quickly alleviated.
"Yeah," Sam groaned. He had one arm flung across his eyes, the rest of his limbs dangling somewhat limply from his precarious position on Bumblebee's knee. "No offense, buddy, but you aren't exactly comfortable."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind when it's time for my next upgrade—" Bumblebee started, his vocalizer cutting off with a blare of static as alarms flashed abruptly through his city-wide monitors, shrieking the highest level of alert through him.
"What?" Sam started, confused, sitting up, but Bumblebee couldn't answer him, all his processors focused on what the sensors were showing him.
"Oh, dear Primus," Bee whispered. He jerked into motion, snatching Sam up as he roughly unplugged himself from the monitors and dashed from the room, already transforming as soon as they'd cleared the hallway.
"In!" he snarled, and Sam scrambled to obey, his tires squealing as he shot down the hallway before even closing the door. He sent a high priority code to the twins, ordering them to meet him outside.
The lamps that lined the streets were still blazing, enough light even for a human to see decently through the darkness. Twin plumes of dust were visible before the twins appeared, their heat signatures cutting through the cool night air, and their battle masks were already in place as they transformed. Bumblebee opened his door and Sam took the hint, climbing out and they all waited as Bee transformed as well.
"Whatcha got, Bee?" Sideswipe asked briskly. The hum of his battle routines running, the low thrum of his energy swords charging to readiness should have been energizing. Even from Sunstreaker, the focus in his optics razor-sharp as he waited silently for orders, should have eased Bumblebee's inner shock. Whatever he personally thought of Sunstreaker, he was an excellent soldier, and paired with his brother, the two were amongst the best warriors left in existence, an unstoppable force. Optimus couldn't have left better protectors for the city.
If only they'd had any idea that no one could have protected them from this.
"We just lost communications," Bee said curtly, "One second they were there and then static but we've got bigger problems right now. Before we were cut off, I saw this."
Without another word, Bee flung out a hand and formed a visual of what the scanners had showed him, outlined in light to be visible even to Sam through the darkness. There was nothing to be said.
"Primus--" Sideswipe whispered, his battlemask snapping back as he took it in.
Sunstreaker was expressionless. "Well, that's unfortunate."
"What?" Sam asked, loudly. The glowing outline of what was approaching would make little sense to a human who hadn't seen one before. "What's going on?"
It was Sunstreaker who finally answered him, all of them looking at the rough outline of the lumbering shape that was moving closer as each moment went by. "If Bumblebee's scans are correct, and, regrettably, I have no reason to believe they aren't, then we're all about to die."
~~*~~
Strange as it seemed, Sam was actually kind of getting used to facing death. It wasn't a habit he'd wanted to get into but it didn't look like he was about to break it anytime soon.
The first time, his system had dumped about a years worth of adrenaline into his system and Sam hadn't even been capable of panic, not that there had been time for it anyway with a psychotic police car hunting him down. The second time had been Mission City and as far as he was concerned, that one was best forgotten. After that, they'd kind of blurred together with the endorphin rush and standing here now with the feel of sweat beading on his face from the still-warm desert evening, the coppery-warm taste of adrenaline in back of his mouth, Sam dimly contemplated the fact that he wasn't really scared.
He was afraid, sure, but there was no sweeping rush of panic. He stood next to Bumblebee, all of them focused on the hologram in front of them, and waited to hear what they should do next. With a hum of hydraulics, Sideswipe crouched down, peering at the glowing outline in front of them.
"A combiner team?" Sideswipe said, disbelieving, "I didn't think there was one left in the universe, much less in our backyard!"
Sunstreaker studied the holographic projection closely, moving in a slow circle as he took it in. The tip of one of his swords was trailing in the dirt, leaving a charred mark and filling the air with the smell of scorching earth. Sam had to squint against the heat of it as Sunstreaker rolled past him, keeping very still just in case the yellow mech wasn't paying attention to little humans moving around. "Mm, yes. I hate to say it, but I believe Prowl's confidence in us might be misplaced this time."
"What's a combiner team?" Sam asked, hoping against hope that it wasn't what it sounded like because what it sounded like was them being fucked, big time.
"Big," Sideswipe said, succinctly, making every one of Sam's fears true with a single word. "Prowl couldn't have even suspected this, he wouldn't have left us here alone. What's the point anyway? Why the hell would they be attacking with this much force? There's no one here but us and there's nothing in the city that important."
"There's one thing," Sunstreaker said, his tone icy. "They're here for him."
"What?" Sam blurted, disbelieving, as Sunstreaker gestured at him with one glowing sword. "Because I killed Megatron?"
Sunstreaker swung around to look at him, his gaze venomous, "You cannot possibly be that much of a fool."
"Sunstreaker--" Bumblebee started, warningly.
"He stands there in possession of the last remnants of the Allspark and thinks all they want is revenge?" Sunstreaker hissed.
"But--it's just a few receptors!"
"It's a fragment of the giver of life, you little human idiot! Can you think of no one they might want to give life?"
He could. It was too horrible to contemplate, but he could. "Megatron," Sam whispered.
"They'd delight in gutting you to get back their leader," Sunstreaker said bluntly, ignoring Bee and Sideswipe's angry hisses.
"How could they know that?" Sideswipe snapped. "They haven't been able to hack our network and it's not exactly common knowledge!"
Sunstreaker stepped in close, lifting his sword to hover just beneath Sideswipe's chin with easy precision that didn't even blister paint. "How do you think, brother?"
Sam could almost see Sideswipe mulling it over, the connection he had with his twin crackling visibly in his optics as he realized. "Barricade," he snarled, turning away with a vicious curse. "When his receptors defended us in the jail cell, Barricade would have noticed it! Probably didn't realize at the time what was going on or he would have snagged the kid then but when he analyzed it later—"
"We can't let them," Sam said, cutting in sharply. He could ignore the fact that he was the one in possession of them. That didn't matter, not with the entire planet at risk. Right now they had to do whatever it took to keep his receptors away from the Decepticons.
Even if he had to die for it.
He knew that Bumblebee realized it, his form stiffening as he looked from the holographic image to Sideswipe, the three Autobots considering their options. "Sideswipe..."
"You need to get them out of here, Bumblebee."
Bumblebee was already shaking his head, his mask descending as his own battle protocols blazed online. "You two can't hold them off--"
"And that is precisely why you need to go," Sideswipe said sharply. "The shield array isn't prepared for this kind of onslaught. We'll hold them off and give you time to get out of here."
"They'll be expecting it." From Sunstreaker, almost lazy contemplation as he studied the hologram again. It cut off abruptly as Bumblebee curled his hand into a fist but Sam could still see the glowing lines behind his eyes, the image briefly burned into them.
"Of course they will but hopefully Bumblebee's cloaks will hold long enough for him to get out of range." Sideswipe paced a few steps away, one hand out in a gesture that Sam recognized as scanning. "I can't even get a read on it; they've got us closed in tight. We have no other options. We're cut off."
"What about the Air Force?" Sam asked, uncertainly. Not that he was any great military planner but he knew the military guys had been prepping for Decepticon encounters.
Sideswipe was already shaking his head. "If we're cut off then they certainly are. Even if we could send a request for assistance, by the time their jets arrived, it would be over."
"Then you should go with us!" Sam shouted, ignoring that Bumblebee was looking away, out into the night. Sunstreaker was next to him, the mellow gleam of their yellow armor strikingly similar in the dimness of night. Standing together, they looked more like brothers than the true twins and Sam had to blink and look away from it, instead focusing on Sideswipe still in front of him.
Sideswipe gave him a careless grin, optics bright. "Nah. I think Sunny and I will stay a while."
Bumblebee turned back and hesitated; Sam wasn't quite sure about the Autobot military hierarchy but he knew that Bumblebee outranked the twins. Bee could make it an order.
He didn't. He knew they were right. They all knew it.
Sideswipe's smile faded, his optics on Bee as he said, softly, "Bumblebee, you have a better chance of getting out and cloaking on your own. You're the spybot, we don't have anything even close to your protocols."
"We don't need them," Sunstreaker said with familiar cool arrogance.
Sideswipe ignored his twin. "Get them out of here."
The briefest of hesitation and Bumblebee nodded curtly and transformed, his door swinging open.
Sam had one hand on the door frame when he paused, craning his neck to look up at the twins. They were probably going to die and there was nothing he could do about it, nothing he could say and words were choking him, a dozen things wanting to be spoken at once.
A brief shimmer and Sideswipe's holo was in front of him, hands in his pockets as he looked at Sam uncertainly.
From above, Sunstreaker's voice seemed oddly serious, no sarcasm or bitterness as he said, softly, "Better give the little human a last kiss, Sideswipe, you probably won't be quite so pretty the next time we see him." They both looked up at him in surprise and Sunstreaker's smile was surprisingly soft. "I'd offer to do it for you but I think he might bite my tongue off."
Both of them hesitated, time that they didn't have wasted between them and Bumblebee was silent, not a hint of encouragement or denial from that quarter. With a shake of his head, Sideswipe stepped forward, the cooling desert wind blowing his brilliant hair out behind him and then his hands were on warm on Sam's face, holding him still as Sideswipe leaned in and kissed him. There was nothing hesitant in this, his mouth firm against Sam's as he pressed his tongue between Sam's lips. Sam couldn't move, could only cling to Sideswipe's shoulders and for an endless moment there was nothing but that sweet, harsh kiss.
Then Sideswipe was pulling away, shoving Sam into Bumblebee and closing the door firmly behind him. One last, long look and then his holo vanished in a glimmer, and then there was nothing but two mechs standing beside him, their optics cutting brilliantly through the night.
"Sideswipe," Sam whispered, pressed a hand against the cool glass of Bumblebee's window.
"Go, GO!" Sideswipe gestured impatiently, showing no sign that he'd heard Sam. "I know you can mask your heat signature but that won't do any good if they are close enough to see you. Get the other humans and get out!"
"But--"
"Go!" Sideswipe roared and Bumblebee did, his tires screaming as he tore off towards Sam's quarters. Numbly, Sam heard him making a call to his parents and Mikaela, telling them to meet the two of them outside and to hurry.
Distantly, he heard a sound, a heavy vibration that registered even through the sound of Bee's engine and Sam shuddered, burying his face in his hands as he tried not to think about just what the twins were facing.
~~*~~
Main ops was nowhere near the entrance to the city and since that was where Bumblebee had detected the breech, that was where the twins were headed. They walked slowly towards it, sensors straining to catch the first glimpse of a combiner team of the likes that hadn't been seen in millennia.
Sideswipe ran a quick diagnostic over his weapons, testing their readiness and found them at one hundred percent. Perfect. He knew without asking that his brother was doing the same. Autobots didn't have anything as organic as adrenaline but battle protocols were very close, the low thrum powering through his systems as he tipped up his battle mask far enough to give his brother a wicked grin. "Ready to try dying again for beings you despise?"
Sunstreaker answered his smile with one of his own and there was no bitterness in it, only affection, as he saluted Sideswipe with one sword. "No. But I'm always willing to die for you."
The dwindling sound of Bumblebee's engine faded, the silence brief before a low roar echoed over the hard packed earth that surrounded their city. The two of them stood and waited, together, listening to the growing roar of death approaching.
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