Fic: Medical Investigations
It's too hot to think and write... bah! Sorry for the long wait.
TITLE: Medical Investigations
SERIES: Imperfection Deviation - Off Balance
AUTHOR: Macx
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me, sadly. They are owned by people with a lot more money :)
FEEDBACK: Loved
SUMMARY: “This has never happened before in any of the mechs I had under my care! It’s physically impossible to fragment a spark and splice it to another.”
final installment in this series
prior fics:
Wrong, Awkward, Malum in Se - Wrong in Itself, Compensating, Can of Worms, Mutual Understanding, Split Complications, Past the Point of No Return, Bruises, Fragile Tensions, Ups and Downs, Consequences, Splice
When Ratchet heard about it the first time, he chalked it off to Sideswipe’s instable processor. He didn’t judge him by his choices. Scavenger wasn’t the enemy; he was an ally. He was a capable scientist and a calmer personality than the silver mech he was sharing with.
When the sharing wasn’t just a one-time event but turned into something regular, Ratchet was bemused and decided to keep an optic on the developments.
Sunstreaker’s arrival should have put a stop it all.
Ratchet’s confusion rose when it didn’t.
“This is highly irregular,” he murmured to himself.
Scavenger crossed his arms in front of his chest, giving the medic a warning look. Ratchet ignored him and puzzled over the readings he had taken.
“Part of your core spark unit has apparently reattached itself to… another spark,” Ratchet went on. “This has never happened before in any of the mechs I had under my care! It’s physically impossible to fragment a spark and splice it to another.”
“Uhm, split sparks?” Sideswipe reminded him.
Ratchet waved him off. “No, no, no. Split sparks are created like that, for unknown reasons, maybe due to a glitch, maybe because of a processing disorder in the Allspark, maybe because of some higher purpose we never figured out. There were only a few twins ever created, three of which existed in my time.”
Blue optics fixed on Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, then were back on the readings.
“Splicing a spark is far beyond what any Cybertronian medic could ever perform. It’s impossible for a spark to break off parts of itself and merge with another spark! Like I said, highly irregular. I can’t think of any way this might ever happen, but it did. The closest I can compare it to is fission and that would create an enormous amount of energy. Which is unlikely to occur throughout sharing. Sharing doesn’t create energy. It’s an exchange.”
Scavenger shifted again, the warning back. The red optics had changed to a darker color.
“Ratch,” Sam prodded.
Ratchet stopped his rambling and looked at the assembled mechs. “Yes, well… this has never happened before.”
“We know that, Ratchet,” Scavenger told him. “It’s not normal, has never happened before, and it’s fascinating. I didn’t want this and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat us like some new life form.”
Ratchet appeared a little startled. “My apologies, Scavenger. I have to confess that I’ve never seen readings like these before.”
“Told you,” Sideswipe muttered.
“And neither of you experiences any form of a bond? You can’t feel each other’s presence? You didn’t exchange data? There is no negative feedback, no loops, no glitches?”
“No.” Scavenger’s single uttering sounded final. “And I’m not going to be an experiment either.”
“I never implied that.”
“But you think we’re fascinating and need to be studied,” Sideswipe stated. “That means a lab and lots of stupid questions, studying, poking and prodding.”
Scavenger’s optics darkened briefly. His fingers flexed.
“It should be monitored,” Ratchet conceded. “If this continues to develop we have no idea what might happen.”
“We’ll inform you of severe changes,” Scavenger simply said, sounding brisk and final.
Ratchet looked like he wanted to argue, then glanced at Sam. The technopath’s expression was intense and like he had just told Ratchet to can it.
The medic finally nodded. “Please do so. This is for you as much as it is for the science. We have no idea what this means to your sparks.”
“It’s gonna be fine,” Sideswipe said, shrugging and grinning. “I feel great.”
“We told you so you would be aware of it, Ratchet,” Scavenger said, voice still very level. “I doubt any… medical consequences come of it.”
“Are you a medic?” Ratchet snapped.
“No. But I’m well aware of my own spark and my systems. Hook ran a complete check and found nothing amiss.”
“Hook is an architect and engineer, not trained as a medical officer.”
Sam cleared his throat before matters could start escalating. “Guys…”
A technopathic prod helped.
Scavenger gave Sam a nod and stepped down, but he was glowering at Ratchet. Ratchet in turn huffed, but he stepped down as well.
“We’ll let you know if something changes,” Sideswipe promised.
Scavenger turned to leave. Sam watched him go, keeping his face blank. The twins followed.
Sunstreaker had been silent throughout the whole discussion, but it had been clear that he had been there for his twin and that he was slowly getting used to the partnership between Sideswipe and Scavenger. There had been a very protective streak visible when it had come to the whole ‘studying in a lab’ argument.
Sam only hoped that, for all three of them, Sunstreaker would finally accept this for real.
Sunstreaker was only too glad to leave the base and shot off at high speed, polished yellow finish gleaming in the sun. Sideswipe followed, no less glad to be away, while Scavenger had remained at the base. Neither of the twins missed him in any way, but Sunstreaker had found that within the six months he had by now been involved in this relationship he kept out a closer optic for the Constructicon.
He had fought all of this. It had been inconceivable for him to see his twin with another mech, a Constructicon to boot! But he had gotten to know Scavenger and he had seen the positive effect on Sideswipe. And in a way it had a positive effect on him. The whole matter had forced him to confront his own relationship and behavior to his brother, to the other mechs on Earth, and his fractured psyche. He had healed, in a way. Like Sideswipe. They were back together and his twin had found balance in form of a mech he was sharing with.
Sunstreaker was far from wanting the same. He couldn’t understand the attraction and he doubted he could connect to anyone this way. But the eddies coming from Sideswipe, the faint echoes he had told no one about, were calming and soothing.
The other four of the team of genius architects and engineers had accepted the twins as if this was no change at all. Hook couldn’t care less about one or both hanging around the base and had told them so. They weren’t attached at the hip, but they tended to drift toward each other now and then.
Sideswipe finally skidded to a halt, transforming in mid-slide, and kicked up dust. Sunstreaker followed suit, shooting his brother a quizzical look.
“You think Ratchet’s right and things might change?” Sideswipe asked without preamble.
Sunstreaker shrugged. “Can’t stop it.”
So much was true. Sideswipe didn’t to give up on what he had. It might be unique, but it was good. It felt good, it was intense and personal, and it was reciprocated. Sideswipe no longer felt like he was using Scavenger, who had told him a few times before that abuse couldn’t happen throughout sharing.
“Or do you want to pull out now?”
Sideswipe shook his head. Sunstreaker grinned.
“Thought as much.”
“Doesn’t bother you much any more.”
“Still don’t understand it, but if it’s your kinda thing… And hey, we’re unique already, Sides.” He spread his arms, the grin wide now. “Twins. Top of the pops. Best of the best.”
Sideswipe snorted and punched him in the shoulder. “Idiot. So, patrol?”
“You got patrol, not me. Not attached at the hip.” The old smirk Sideswipe knew from so long ago was back.
He had noticed the positive changes, the way Sunstreaker was relaxing more and more, how the harshness evened out. The war had left them both with darkness and bad memories, but they were struggling back to normalcy. And normalcy was banter and having fun.
“Yeah, well, have fun,” Sideswipe only called. “Without me, not likely.” He transformed and revved his engine.
“Asshole,” Sunstreaker only said pleasantly and transformed as well.
They went their separate ways. Sideswipe’s led him back toward the city for patrol; Sunstreaker went to explore.
It was pure happenstance that Sideswipe found Scavenger an hour later. He transformed and sat down next to the engineer.
“Deep thoughts?” he teased.
“In a way.”
“Ratchet getting to you?”
“No. I’m analyzing my own data.”
Sideswipe’s blue optics narrowed a little.
Scavenger smiled “I’m a scientist, Sideswipe. Scientist first, warrior a lot later. I’m not a medic and my knowledge of sparks is limited to what we needed to survive. I’m trying to improve my knowledge, though.”
“Any results?”
“No. Just that we are something new.”
Sideswipe shrugged. “Which isn’t bad. Is it?”
Scavenger smiled thinly. “I don’t think so.”
“It isn’t,” the Autobot insisted. “It helped. It still does, somehow.”
Scavenger tilted his head. “How?”
Sideswipe was silent, studying the ground, then he finally looked up. “You helped me make it through some heavy stuff. The nightmares… the loneliness…”
“I never…”
Sideswipe held up one hand. “Not knowingly. But you helped. And you help Sunny, too.”
The Constructicon stared at him hard.
“I log onto you,” was the soft addition. “Not just because of the interface. I like the resonance, Scavenger. It… helps.”
Soothes.
Calms.
Makes it better, easier… balances.
It was scary to simply think it; he couldn’t say it out loud. He wanted something he didn’t understand and couldn’t put into words. He was looking into the red optics and knew he wouldn’t give this up. No way. Never.
He knew now that there was something of his shared spark attached to Scavenger’s, that it responded, and in turn Sideswipe had some of his pattern in his own spark. It was unusual to happen throughout sharing, but this had gone so far beyond casual that it was no longer within normal realms.
Scavenger studied him silently for a very long time, then a smile stole over his lips. “One damaged spark and a split one. What a combination.”
“Maybe it’s what launched all of that,” Sideswipe guessed, shrugging. “Don’t actually care.” He reached out and ran a playful finger over the heavy armor that hid the interface nodes. “This I like.”
“Addict,” Scavenger teased lightly.
“Probably. In a good way.”
Because he liked the other’s resonance. He liked what it did. He was amazed by how it all felt, by Scavenger’s strength and stability, despite all the other mech had gone through.
He wanted it.
Taking the initiative, Sideswipe pushed the taller mech back, aware that should he cross a boundary, he was easily thrown off. Scavenger’s abilities were not to be underestimated. But the Constructicon let him and the silver Autobot briefly thought about what humans might call this; this what he felt. Lust? Need? Want?
All, probably.
Because he wanted this now.
Scavenger pushed against a panel at his side and sunk the interface points of his fingers inside, now unsheathed, into the sockets. Sideswipe’s optics flared with the first licks of energy against his core.
“This is new,” the Autobot managed, voice wavering.
“Hm, you noticed.”
Scavenger pushed deep into the sockets, his own body reacting to the energy coming through from Sideswipe’s side.
“Quick on the uptake.”
Sideswipe sought out his own connection points and found them already open, ready for him, and he slid into the interface with a push of energy. He unerringly found the older spark and was pulled closer by fine tendrils of light. He drowned out the dead connection to Bonecrusher and forced Scavenger to concentrate only on him; he was the most important thing right now.
Sideswipe agreed.
Letting him lead.
Letting him set the pace.
And Sideswipe took his time, as long as he could hold out himself, and he explored the spark that had given him more than anyone ever before. He brushed over the connection points where fragments of their split spark had logged on and stayed. He delighted in the pleasure he was able to give.
He couldn’t last, though. The resonance he got was too strong, too tempting, and he fell into the pleasurable rush.
* * *
The sun rose over the jagged mountains of the horizon, creeping over the cool sand. Soon it would be warming and the first lizards would start to come out of their hiding places to look for insects.
Sideswipe stood outside the Nevada base, lost in thought. Things had changed. Immensely. He felt it within his split spark, a pull toward Scavenger. He would never call it a bond; he had once talked to Jazz and knew that there was more to a bond than this.
Still… the resonance was strong. He felt it and was aware of it. Maybe Sunstreaker felt it, too. His brother had never mentioned it. Sunstreaker was like an extension of this. He was connected to his twin just like before: one spark, two bodies.
Scavenger… was different.
Sideswipe listened to the buzz of tiny, tiny insects coming to life after a cold night.
He had no idea if this was complicating their lives or not. It had started out as a means to an end, to feel less of the darkness and loss, more of life. Now Scavenger seemed like an interwoven part of him.
Heavy steps on the hard ground alerted Sideswipe to Sunstreaker’s approach.
“Hey, bro,” the yellow mech greeted him. “When did you slink back home?”
Sideswipe made a slapping motion, which Sunstreaker easily evaded.
“So, what now?”
Sideswipe almost laughed at how Sunstreaker spoke out loud what he had been thinking.
“No idea,” he confessed. “This was never to go this far, Sunny. Never.”
“But it did. So what now? We go with the flow?”
“Been doing that all our lives. Nothing new there.”
“And Scavenger?”
“Ask him.”
Sunstreaker snorted. “He’s not here and this is a lot about us, too.”
Sideswipe met the similar blue optics of his brother. “I know I can’t cut this connection, Sunstreaker. It’s… part of me.”
The yellow Autobot looked at him long and hard and finally nodded. “Don’t, then.”
“Don’t?” Sideswipe echoed.
“Yeah.”
“You finally gonna accept this? Completely?”
Sunstreaker shrugged.
Sideswipe grinned. “Cool. Thanks.”
“Hey, can’t change it, right? You like the guy. Your spark likes him. Well, half of our spark anyway.” Sunstreaker shrugged again. “This whole splicing thing is a dead giveaway. And I think he’s okay.”
Sideswipe chuckled. “Yes, he’s okay.”
So that was it. A completely new life. With his twin. With his… whatever he could call Scavenger. He was starting to like Earth a whole lot more, because it had all started here - even if it had started with pain.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sunstreaker said and transformed. “I feel like stretching my wheels.”
Sideswipe grinned and transformed as well, racing after his brother.
TITLE: Medical Investigations
SERIES: Imperfection Deviation - Off Balance
AUTHOR: Macx
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me, sadly. They are owned by people with a lot more money :)
FEEDBACK: Loved
SUMMARY: “This has never happened before in any of the mechs I had under my care! It’s physically impossible to fragment a spark and splice it to another.”
final installment in this series
prior fics:
Wrong, Awkward, Malum in Se - Wrong in Itself, Compensating, Can of Worms, Mutual Understanding, Split Complications, Past the Point of No Return, Bruises, Fragile Tensions, Ups and Downs, Consequences, Splice
When Ratchet heard about it the first time, he chalked it off to Sideswipe’s instable processor. He didn’t judge him by his choices. Scavenger wasn’t the enemy; he was an ally. He was a capable scientist and a calmer personality than the silver mech he was sharing with.
When the sharing wasn’t just a one-time event but turned into something regular, Ratchet was bemused and decided to keep an optic on the developments.
Sunstreaker’s arrival should have put a stop it all.
Ratchet’s confusion rose when it didn’t.
“This is highly irregular,” he murmured to himself.
Scavenger crossed his arms in front of his chest, giving the medic a warning look. Ratchet ignored him and puzzled over the readings he had taken.
“Part of your core spark unit has apparently reattached itself to… another spark,” Ratchet went on. “This has never happened before in any of the mechs I had under my care! It’s physically impossible to fragment a spark and splice it to another.”
“Uhm, split sparks?” Sideswipe reminded him.
Ratchet waved him off. “No, no, no. Split sparks are created like that, for unknown reasons, maybe due to a glitch, maybe because of a processing disorder in the Allspark, maybe because of some higher purpose we never figured out. There were only a few twins ever created, three of which existed in my time.”
Blue optics fixed on Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, then were back on the readings.
“Splicing a spark is far beyond what any Cybertronian medic could ever perform. It’s impossible for a spark to break off parts of itself and merge with another spark! Like I said, highly irregular. I can’t think of any way this might ever happen, but it did. The closest I can compare it to is fission and that would create an enormous amount of energy. Which is unlikely to occur throughout sharing. Sharing doesn’t create energy. It’s an exchange.”
Scavenger shifted again, the warning back. The red optics had changed to a darker color.
“Ratch,” Sam prodded.
Ratchet stopped his rambling and looked at the assembled mechs. “Yes, well… this has never happened before.”
“We know that, Ratchet,” Scavenger told him. “It’s not normal, has never happened before, and it’s fascinating. I didn’t want this and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat us like some new life form.”
Ratchet appeared a little startled. “My apologies, Scavenger. I have to confess that I’ve never seen readings like these before.”
“Told you,” Sideswipe muttered.
“And neither of you experiences any form of a bond? You can’t feel each other’s presence? You didn’t exchange data? There is no negative feedback, no loops, no glitches?”
“No.” Scavenger’s single uttering sounded final. “And I’m not going to be an experiment either.”
“I never implied that.”
“But you think we’re fascinating and need to be studied,” Sideswipe stated. “That means a lab and lots of stupid questions, studying, poking and prodding.”
Scavenger’s optics darkened briefly. His fingers flexed.
“It should be monitored,” Ratchet conceded. “If this continues to develop we have no idea what might happen.”
“We’ll inform you of severe changes,” Scavenger simply said, sounding brisk and final.
Ratchet looked like he wanted to argue, then glanced at Sam. The technopath’s expression was intense and like he had just told Ratchet to can it.
The medic finally nodded. “Please do so. This is for you as much as it is for the science. We have no idea what this means to your sparks.”
“It’s gonna be fine,” Sideswipe said, shrugging and grinning. “I feel great.”
“We told you so you would be aware of it, Ratchet,” Scavenger said, voice still very level. “I doubt any… medical consequences come of it.”
“Are you a medic?” Ratchet snapped.
“No. But I’m well aware of my own spark and my systems. Hook ran a complete check and found nothing amiss.”
“Hook is an architect and engineer, not trained as a medical officer.”
Sam cleared his throat before matters could start escalating. “Guys…”
A technopathic prod helped.
Scavenger gave Sam a nod and stepped down, but he was glowering at Ratchet. Ratchet in turn huffed, but he stepped down as well.
“We’ll let you know if something changes,” Sideswipe promised.
Scavenger turned to leave. Sam watched him go, keeping his face blank. The twins followed.
Sunstreaker had been silent throughout the whole discussion, but it had been clear that he had been there for his twin and that he was slowly getting used to the partnership between Sideswipe and Scavenger. There had been a very protective streak visible when it had come to the whole ‘studying in a lab’ argument.
Sam only hoped that, for all three of them, Sunstreaker would finally accept this for real.
Sunstreaker was only too glad to leave the base and shot off at high speed, polished yellow finish gleaming in the sun. Sideswipe followed, no less glad to be away, while Scavenger had remained at the base. Neither of the twins missed him in any way, but Sunstreaker had found that within the six months he had by now been involved in this relationship he kept out a closer optic for the Constructicon.
He had fought all of this. It had been inconceivable for him to see his twin with another mech, a Constructicon to boot! But he had gotten to know Scavenger and he had seen the positive effect on Sideswipe. And in a way it had a positive effect on him. The whole matter had forced him to confront his own relationship and behavior to his brother, to the other mechs on Earth, and his fractured psyche. He had healed, in a way. Like Sideswipe. They were back together and his twin had found balance in form of a mech he was sharing with.
Sunstreaker was far from wanting the same. He couldn’t understand the attraction and he doubted he could connect to anyone this way. But the eddies coming from Sideswipe, the faint echoes he had told no one about, were calming and soothing.
The other four of the team of genius architects and engineers had accepted the twins as if this was no change at all. Hook couldn’t care less about one or both hanging around the base and had told them so. They weren’t attached at the hip, but they tended to drift toward each other now and then.
Sideswipe finally skidded to a halt, transforming in mid-slide, and kicked up dust. Sunstreaker followed suit, shooting his brother a quizzical look.
“You think Ratchet’s right and things might change?” Sideswipe asked without preamble.
Sunstreaker shrugged. “Can’t stop it.”
So much was true. Sideswipe didn’t to give up on what he had. It might be unique, but it was good. It felt good, it was intense and personal, and it was reciprocated. Sideswipe no longer felt like he was using Scavenger, who had told him a few times before that abuse couldn’t happen throughout sharing.
“Or do you want to pull out now?”
Sideswipe shook his head. Sunstreaker grinned.
“Thought as much.”
“Doesn’t bother you much any more.”
“Still don’t understand it, but if it’s your kinda thing… And hey, we’re unique already, Sides.” He spread his arms, the grin wide now. “Twins. Top of the pops. Best of the best.”
Sideswipe snorted and punched him in the shoulder. “Idiot. So, patrol?”
“You got patrol, not me. Not attached at the hip.” The old smirk Sideswipe knew from so long ago was back.
He had noticed the positive changes, the way Sunstreaker was relaxing more and more, how the harshness evened out. The war had left them both with darkness and bad memories, but they were struggling back to normalcy. And normalcy was banter and having fun.
“Yeah, well, have fun,” Sideswipe only called. “Without me, not likely.” He transformed and revved his engine.
“Asshole,” Sunstreaker only said pleasantly and transformed as well.
They went their separate ways. Sideswipe’s led him back toward the city for patrol; Sunstreaker went to explore.
It was pure happenstance that Sideswipe found Scavenger an hour later. He transformed and sat down next to the engineer.
“Deep thoughts?” he teased.
“In a way.”
“Ratchet getting to you?”
“No. I’m analyzing my own data.”
Sideswipe’s blue optics narrowed a little.
Scavenger smiled “I’m a scientist, Sideswipe. Scientist first, warrior a lot later. I’m not a medic and my knowledge of sparks is limited to what we needed to survive. I’m trying to improve my knowledge, though.”
“Any results?”
“No. Just that we are something new.”
Sideswipe shrugged. “Which isn’t bad. Is it?”
Scavenger smiled thinly. “I don’t think so.”
“It isn’t,” the Autobot insisted. “It helped. It still does, somehow.”
Scavenger tilted his head. “How?”
Sideswipe was silent, studying the ground, then he finally looked up. “You helped me make it through some heavy stuff. The nightmares… the loneliness…”
“I never…”
Sideswipe held up one hand. “Not knowingly. But you helped. And you help Sunny, too.”
The Constructicon stared at him hard.
“I log onto you,” was the soft addition. “Not just because of the interface. I like the resonance, Scavenger. It… helps.”
Soothes.
Calms.
Makes it better, easier… balances.
It was scary to simply think it; he couldn’t say it out loud. He wanted something he didn’t understand and couldn’t put into words. He was looking into the red optics and knew he wouldn’t give this up. No way. Never.
He knew now that there was something of his shared spark attached to Scavenger’s, that it responded, and in turn Sideswipe had some of his pattern in his own spark. It was unusual to happen throughout sharing, but this had gone so far beyond casual that it was no longer within normal realms.
Scavenger studied him silently for a very long time, then a smile stole over his lips. “One damaged spark and a split one. What a combination.”
“Maybe it’s what launched all of that,” Sideswipe guessed, shrugging. “Don’t actually care.” He reached out and ran a playful finger over the heavy armor that hid the interface nodes. “This I like.”
“Addict,” Scavenger teased lightly.
“Probably. In a good way.”
Because he liked the other’s resonance. He liked what it did. He was amazed by how it all felt, by Scavenger’s strength and stability, despite all the other mech had gone through.
He wanted it.
Taking the initiative, Sideswipe pushed the taller mech back, aware that should he cross a boundary, he was easily thrown off. Scavenger’s abilities were not to be underestimated. But the Constructicon let him and the silver Autobot briefly thought about what humans might call this; this what he felt. Lust? Need? Want?
All, probably.
Because he wanted this now.
Scavenger pushed against a panel at his side and sunk the interface points of his fingers inside, now unsheathed, into the sockets. Sideswipe’s optics flared with the first licks of energy against his core.
“This is new,” the Autobot managed, voice wavering.
“Hm, you noticed.”
Scavenger pushed deep into the sockets, his own body reacting to the energy coming through from Sideswipe’s side.
“Quick on the uptake.”
Sideswipe sought out his own connection points and found them already open, ready for him, and he slid into the interface with a push of energy. He unerringly found the older spark and was pulled closer by fine tendrils of light. He drowned out the dead connection to Bonecrusher and forced Scavenger to concentrate only on him; he was the most important thing right now.
Sideswipe agreed.
Letting him lead.
Letting him set the pace.
And Sideswipe took his time, as long as he could hold out himself, and he explored the spark that had given him more than anyone ever before. He brushed over the connection points where fragments of their split spark had logged on and stayed. He delighted in the pleasure he was able to give.
He couldn’t last, though. The resonance he got was too strong, too tempting, and he fell into the pleasurable rush.
* * *
The sun rose over the jagged mountains of the horizon, creeping over the cool sand. Soon it would be warming and the first lizards would start to come out of their hiding places to look for insects.
Sideswipe stood outside the Nevada base, lost in thought. Things had changed. Immensely. He felt it within his split spark, a pull toward Scavenger. He would never call it a bond; he had once talked to Jazz and knew that there was more to a bond than this.
Still… the resonance was strong. He felt it and was aware of it. Maybe Sunstreaker felt it, too. His brother had never mentioned it. Sunstreaker was like an extension of this. He was connected to his twin just like before: one spark, two bodies.
Scavenger… was different.
Sideswipe listened to the buzz of tiny, tiny insects coming to life after a cold night.
He had no idea if this was complicating their lives or not. It had started out as a means to an end, to feel less of the darkness and loss, more of life. Now Scavenger seemed like an interwoven part of him.
Heavy steps on the hard ground alerted Sideswipe to Sunstreaker’s approach.
“Hey, bro,” the yellow mech greeted him. “When did you slink back home?”
Sideswipe made a slapping motion, which Sunstreaker easily evaded.
“So, what now?”
Sideswipe almost laughed at how Sunstreaker spoke out loud what he had been thinking.
“No idea,” he confessed. “This was never to go this far, Sunny. Never.”
“But it did. So what now? We go with the flow?”
“Been doing that all our lives. Nothing new there.”
“And Scavenger?”
“Ask him.”
Sunstreaker snorted. “He’s not here and this is a lot about us, too.”
Sideswipe met the similar blue optics of his brother. “I know I can’t cut this connection, Sunstreaker. It’s… part of me.”
The yellow Autobot looked at him long and hard and finally nodded. “Don’t, then.”
“Don’t?” Sideswipe echoed.
“Yeah.”
“You finally gonna accept this? Completely?”
Sunstreaker shrugged.
Sideswipe grinned. “Cool. Thanks.”
“Hey, can’t change it, right? You like the guy. Your spark likes him. Well, half of our spark anyway.” Sunstreaker shrugged again. “This whole splicing thing is a dead giveaway. And I think he’s okay.”
Sideswipe chuckled. “Yes, he’s okay.”
So that was it. A completely new life. With his twin. With his… whatever he could call Scavenger. He was starting to like Earth a whole lot more, because it had all started here - even if it had started with pain.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sunstreaker said and transformed. “I feel like stretching my wheels.”
Sideswipe grinned and transformed as well, racing after his brother.