Disclaimer: I don’t own the Transformers, I just like to write about them.

The Price We Pay

Chapter 3

It had been a long cycle, the pile of datapads didn’t seem to be getting any smaller and Bluestreak was starting to realise that his attention was wandering off, when Prowl’s door-wings twitched violently and made him jump.

“What is it?” Bluestreak asked. For a moment he wondered if the older mech had heard him, as the tactician didn’t move or speak, just stared vacantly at the opposite wall. “Prowl?” he called again.

Almost a breem passed by as Bluestreak wondered whether or not he should call Ratchet, but before he could make the decision the tactician snapped out of his daze and looked at him. “Did you say something?” he asked.

“A couple of things actually,” Bluestreak explained, “Are you okay? I was starting to worry...”

Prowl gave him a warm smile, “I’m fine Blue, or as fine as I can be anyway. I was talking to Jazz.”

“Just talking?” Bluestreak asked with a mischievous grin, “Only usually when you’re on the comm, you don’t freeze up like that.”

“Talking through our bond,” Prowl said in clarification, “It was a relief to hear from him. He’s reached his destination and asked me to come and get him.”

“That is a relief,” Bluestreak smiled, “Can I come?”

“Not this time Blue. There’s a good chance this will end in a fight and you’re not able.”

“But Prowl…”

“I said ‘no’ Blue,” the tactician snapped before he activated his comm-link, “My unit to the shuttle bay.” He stood up and quickly made his way out of the room and the young gunner hesitated for only a moment before he followed.

“Just as far the bay,” he said quietly when he caught up with Prowl.

The older mech nodded and they hurried on in silence. It didn’t take long for everyone to assemble, Ratchet asking for a situation report as he joined them.

“As good as we could hope for,” Prowl answered.

“I still want to come,” Bluestreak added petulantly.

“Blue if you want to help, go to the med-bay, I’m sure Perceptor won’t turn down the assistance,” Ratchet suggested.

“Oh that’ll be fun,” the young mech snapped before he turned and stalked off.

Both of the older mechs watched him go before they headed into the waiting shuttle, and soon after the shuttle was in the air. As they neared their destination Prowl stilled again, “They’ve been found,” he whispered.

Ratchet glanced up from his equipment with a worried look on his faceplates, “Are they alright?”

“So far, but the chances of them getting away are getting slimmer by the astro-second,” Prowl reported fearfully, “Can this thing go any faster?”

Five engines almost screamed with effort as Jazz’ unit did their best to keep ahead of their enemies taunts. Driving along side Mirage, Wheeljack scanned his partner for about the hundredth time. The spy’s energy levels weren’t falling anymore and his self-repair systems had healed the broken fuel line, but that wasn’t going to stop him worrying.

“There’s another set of Seekers coming up on our flank,” Jazz warned them, “But our shuttle is coming in fast, we won’t have to hold them off for long.”

“Well if there’s a real fight to be had,” Sunstreaker snarled, “I’m making the most of it.”

“Sunstreaker don’t, Prowl’s almost here with re-enforcements,” Jazz commanded.

The yellow warrior didn’t respond, instead he threw himself into a tight turn, transformed and landed on his feet with his sidearm in one hand and a laser knife in the other. “Come on you Slaggers!” he bellowed, “You’ve proved you can talk a good fight, now let’s see you try to win one!”

In answer, the Seekers blazed a trail of shots. He didn’t even flinch as they scorched the ground around him, or hesitate to return fire.

A moment later Sideswipe took his place at his brother’s side, while Jazz barked orders for Wheeljack and Mirage to keep moving and wheeled round to join the twins. Sunstreaker shot the saboteur a slightly surprised look as he stepped up at his side.

“I don’t leave anyone behind,” Jazz said quietly, his faceplate was a mask of grim determination that echoed in his stance, “Let’s dance,” and with a fluid and deadly grace he leapt at the first seeker stupid enough to get too close.

As Jazz had predicted, Prowl’s unit joined them after a few breems, but Decepticon re-enforcements had also arrived and before long the fight turned into a fully-fledged battle.

None of that mattered to Sunstreaker, nothing was important except predicting where the next attack was coming from and landing the next blow. The skirmish seemed to pass in a haze of fury to the golden warrior. His attention was for Decepticons only, whether he was shooting them down or finishing them off with his laser knife. Once he even found his shot blocked by Jazz’ own weapon, and the saboteur had grinned at him and spun away to face off a new opponent without a word.

“I never thought a savage like you would become an Autobot,” a cool, familiar voice sneered from behind him, “Or do they keep you in a cage until they need you to fight?”

Sunstreaker turned slowly, keeping half his processor on what was going on around him, but still meeting the pair of red optics set in a face that he hadn’t seen in what felt like a lifetime. “Stormrider,” he greeted the other mech menacingly, “Still Megatron’s lackey then?”

“He’s rewarded me well for my loyalty - my own unit to command, good quarters, more femmes than I could ever ask for. You should join me, I’m sure they’d enjoy you.”

“Not that it’s anything to do with you, but I have a partner now.”

“Sounds tiresome,” the seeker taunted him. “They’ve tamed you Sunstreaker, made you their very own pet killing machine, and for what? Lord Megatron would give you a command, and we could fight side by side again.”

“If your lord of nothing at all wanted me to join him, he shouldn’t have tried to kill Sideswipe,” Sunstreaker snarled. They had already begun circling each other and the fight was inevitable, the only thing he didn’t know was which word would start it.

“He was making you weak. You were glorious Sunstreaker, beautiful and merciless, even Megatron loved watching you fight.”

“Sideswipe was trying to stop me getting myself killed. My life matters to him, but the same could never be said for you.”

“I always had your back, didn’t I? How many times did I fight at your side in the games? Did I ever let you down?”

“This isn’t The Arena,” the yellow twin pointed out coldly, “there are no crowds cheering their favourites in the stalls, no one to say when we’ve fought enough and announce the winner. We’re not gladiators now, we’re warriors, and we’re not on the same side anymore.”

“You never really lost a fight, did you?”

“One,” Sunstreaker admitted, “But you weren’t involved in that.”

Stormrider nodded in agreement, his fingers twitching around his laser knife in what could have been nervousness or anticipation. “Let’s find out what’s changed and what hasn’t,” he said quietly.

“Let’s,” Sunstreaker agreed. He launched himself at his one time friend, but saw only a target.

Their weapons clashed for the first time and Stormrider smiled at him, “You’re still beautiful Sunstreaker,” he leered, “But is there mercy in your spark now?”

“Not for you.”