Author: DitzyMusicLover
Coauthors: Taipan Kiryu, iratepirate, eeyop1428, Trapped in Reality, Starfire201
Transformers is copyright Hasbro/Takara
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Before he even came out, Sunstreaker knew what Ratchet was going to say. When he did come out to tell him, the look of surprise that flashed briefly on the medic's face didn't go unnoticed to the golden warrior. But the look of pity that followed was unwarranted. An unnatural mechanical screech came from his vocals, causing a flinch from Ratchet before Sunstreaker ran without even a word exchanged.
He didn't know where he was going, just that he needed to get away. Once he left the Ark, Sunstreaker transformed and drove away at an unsafe speed, paying only enough attention to stay on the roads and away from the cities and dodge any obstacles. The golden Lamborghini sped so fast, everything was a blur.
His internal comm. beeped more than once, but slag if he was going to answer it. He could care less about anyone on the Ark. He heard them talking when they thought he wasn't listening, and they all said relatively the same thing. "It finally got him." "He should've known better than to try for THAT one." "Who won the bet as to how they would go?" It pissed Sunstreaker off to no end. And Ratchet – he didn't even try his best like usual, otherwise… Prime and his never ending concern for his soldiers; if he tried to lay some on Sunstreaker, he could shove his pitying concern up Megatron's barrel…
Slagging cars in the road weren't going fast enough. He had to swerve around them. Granted, Sunstreaker could blame him for his stupidity, everyone else did. Even Sunstreaker knew not to go up against that Seeker. But the golden warrior couldn't find it in his currently colder-than-normal spark to blame him.
He didn't stop until the road dead ended into a cliff. Slamming hard on his brakes and spinning in the dirt, he transformed to avoid going over the edge. But at the moment, he didn't care. He wanted to die. He should've died. He knelt on the ground, miles away from the Ark, fans working overtime to cool his redlined engine and fuming temper, and all Sunstreaker could hear was his voice, see his melted body lying there, and feel his pain. He didn't know why he didn't follow, but he knew why he was still here. Sunstreaker needed to avenge Sideswipe's death. He needed to kill Sunstorm.
There was the voice again… was it his voice, or his own inner voice advising him against looking for termination? Sure, Sunstorm had been created from a fusion reactor and was almost as powerful as Optimus Prime himself, perhaps more… not to mention that he was completely insane.
But as Sunstreaker saw it, every astrosecond he kept functioning didn't belong to him anymore. He should be dead, his body gray and his optics permanently shut down, just as him… And he was claiming vengeance, their bond still warm despite having been so brutally severed. Sunstreaker was just one half, the half that wasn't allowed to decide anymore. Sunstorm had to be terminated. He owed that to Sideswipe.
Sunstreaker was on his own, he was very aware of that. No other Autobot would help him in his crusade. He would have to bring Sunstorm down by himself. How? It didn't matter. It didn't matter that Sunstorm was undefeatable, Sunstreaker was as sure that he would kill him as he was of his own corroding pain.
The killer's whereabouts became priority. Sunstorm was an errant spark, a monster to all beliefs, so looking for him within the Decepticons nest would be useless. But Sunstorm too had another half; Sunstorm too had someone who was the only purpose of his despicable life.
Sunstorm would be where Starscream was. And even if it happened for a nano-second only, Sunstorm would learn about the pain of losing a brother. He transformed again and continued on, desperate.
He didn't know how long it took for that small blip to appear on his radar, time didn't matter when the course of three lives could only follow one path; the path to death.
The Autobot transformed and stood out in the open, the golden light of the rising sun caressing his form with warmth that made him shiver. He waited...waited for what seemed an eternity for his target to appear within his field of sight, and when he finally did the Seeker didn't disappoint, circling overhead in a matter of astroklicks.
"What a surprise to see you...functional..." Starscream mocked as he lowered his altitude, still circling.
But Sunstreaker didn't bother replying, heavy laser fire taking the place of words.
Time again seemed to take on a new appearance, lost with a barrage of blinding hatred. At some point he was hit, but again that didn't matter, because the damaged form of Starscream had fallen from the sky and now lay off-lined at his feet.
"And now, it's time for your lesson, Sunstorm," Sunstreaker hissed as he hefted the Seeker's body over his shoulder, heading in the direction of that second energy signature lingering so close to his position.
Sunstreaker stared forward, unblinking in the blinding sun, focused on nothing else except the appearance of his enemy – and vengeance. His internal comm. link bleeped once again, urgently almost, but it went unanswered. Sunstreaker permanently switched off any access of communications to him. No-one would interrupt his mission. The dirt underfoot crunched loudly to his audios in the silent wilderness, and the wind whispered now and then, brushing sand across the ground. With no other sound, it made Sunstreaker feel oddly calm and peaceful for the moment.
The energy signature was very close now; a quarter of an hour must have passed. Only several more metres left. The energy signature had moved position. It was travelling to Sunstreaker. Sunstreaker halted and lifted his sights to the skies. Soon enough a glowing jet shot into view, transformed and landed on top of a nearby cliff sloping upward from the earth. Sunstorm glared down at Sunstreaker holding his original template. Waves of radiation pulsed from his body as if manifesting his anger. Sunstreaker met his glare, pulsing with an anger of his own. His dentures clenched tight.
"What hast thou done to my brother?" Sunstorm called down, the echo of his voice carrying the outrage in it.
"Exactly what you've done to mine," Sunstreaker replied, "killed him." He released his grip on the limp body and let it drop with a heavy clunk. "A brother for a brother."
Sunstorm looked at Starscream, analyzing, then back at Sunstreaker. " Killed? I doth not believe ye. Starscream may be inferior to I, but he cannot be killed by a foe weaker than himself. It is the law of the universe."
Sunstreaker grinned sharply. "Looks like I've broken that law, haven't I? And now I'm gonna break you. You'll pay for what you did!"
"Will I now?" Sunstorm inquired, unconvinced. "I doubt that ye could even touch me, let alone bring harm unto me, an insignificant insect like you."
He floated down from the cliff using his thrusters and touched the ground; the dust at his feet made way for him. He then started walking slowly in Sunstreaker's direction; more dust parted around him, trying to get away from the electromagnetic waves. The sun's rays brightening his golden alloy to a white glow; the uncontrollable flow of radiation coming from his body; the unbending posture and expansive wings – all this made Sunstorm truly look like a god, a god with unequalled power.
Sunstreaker braced into a battle stance. This was what he had been waiting for. It was time for vengeance.
"What I hath done to your brother," Sunstorm said as he moved, "was a fault of his own. A foolish mistake for which he paid with his life. I am not to blame. Ye will meet the same fate as he did by repeating the actions of your brother." His optics flashed. "And for what ye have done to my brother – I shall deliver divine judgement upon your head. At least for that ye may greet your brother in the Well of Allsparks."
Sunstreaker bared his dentures. "Not unless I send you there myself, you deluded freak!"
Sunstorm stopped walking. "So be it..." Gradual light began to form under his thrusters. Sunstorm dug the tips of his feet in the earth, and suddenly bolted, speeding across the ground inches above it, his thrusters blazing behind him. With one arm outstretched, he fired null ray blasts at Sunstreaker, quickly closing the distance.
Sunstreaker managed to evade the shots and transformed to escape contact with the radioactive jet. Sunstorm reached him as he transformed and attacked. But the Lamborghini was faster and avoided a near fatal strike from a fist above the roof, and sped off. The earth was hit instead, sending clumps of it flying. When the dust cleared Sunstorm unstuck his fist with one yank, leaving a deep crater. Crumbs of hard dry soil fell off his knuckles.
Sunstorm just stood for a moment, watching the Autobot drive away to a safer distance. Then he turned to Starscream's still body. He didn't go near it, but examined it. The dark face was lying on one side, and the arms and legs were splayed out. The colours remained bold and bright. The bond was faint, but still existed.
Evidence of the previous skirmish peppered the downed jet's frame, but it was the steadily growing pulses from the bond that caught his attention—Starscream was steadily recovering from the attack. Sunstorm grinned. "Autobot, how do you expect to beat me in your present state?"
He looked up to find that the other had transformed, eyes blazing with the insanity that was slowly eroding his CPU. "I'm going to kill you!" Sunstreaker snarled as he charged and took aim. Within a second, the yellow jet was behind him, and within another second, Sunstreaker was on the ground. The radioactive punch sent his systems on the fritz. For a brief moment, his optics fooled him into seeing Prowl crouched and aiming his acid pellet weapon, but the image disappeared. Like any Autobot would be here with him anyway.
"What are ye looking at, Autobot?" Sunstorm asked.
A hand burned the armor on his leg as he was lifted up. With quick reflexes, Sunny bent his body up and took a close shot at the jet's face. He was rewarded for his efforts when he was dropped to the ground. Sunstorm hissed in pain, but Sunstreaker was already moving, placing his weapon on the joints and firing. Against such armor as Sunstorm's, the attacks proved nothing more than irritations, but it prevented the jet from laying another hand on the Lamborghini.
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"Have you raised him yet, Red Alert?"
It had been more than two hours since Sunstreaker had roared out of the Ark, and as yet, there had been no response from him to their hails. Optimus was worried. Sunstreaker had been close to his brother and with the loss apparently affecting him, there was no telling what he could do.
"No, sir, he's not answering any of the pings I've sent out. Until he does respond, if he does, there's no way the search teams can trace him."
Red Alert hesitated.
"Sir, you don't believe he's gone after Sunstorm, do you? It is certain that Sunstorm killed his brother, even if unintentionally."
Optimus was quiet for a long moment. He had a nasty feeling that Red Alert was correct, and given the state of mind that Sunstreaker was in, there was no telling what he could do, whether to Sunstorm or to anyone standing between he and Sunstorm.
Optimus made a decision.
"Give out the order to the search teams to track Sunstorm's signal rather than Sunstreaker's. It may be the only chance we have to find him."
"Yes, sir. Any other orders?"
"Sunstreaker needs to be restrained. Do whatever is necessary to bring that about."
Red Alert nodded, and turned to give the orders to the search teams. Optimus sighed. I just hope I'm doing the right thing.
When Red Alert relayed Optimus's orders, chatter shortly followed. Once it was ordered they should look for Sunstorm's special energy signature, it wasn't long before he was found.
Jazz chimed in, "We're about a half hour away from the coordinates."
"Jazz, you're the closest team to them. Get to him, now," Optimus ordered as his own team headed for the entrance. "We're on our way." He then turned to join his team.
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Sunstreaker examined his leg and found it looked worse than it felt. Then again, physical pain meant nothing now. Nothing meant anything except his revenge. A chuckle was heard coming from the back of his CPU, distracting him. It sounded as if the sound was coming through water or glass. He knew that laugh anywhere.
The chuckling changed into a voice he shouldn't be hearing. "Come on, Sunny, if you want to beat him, you gotta find his weakness."
Shaking his head, he ignored the voice and forced himself to focus. Sunstorm was in his clutches, and he wasn't letting him out until the Seeker was dead. Hand to hand combat was out of the question: the Seeker was barely damaged by anything that Sunstreaker did with his hands. Unless he could get rid of that radiation or 'holy fire' as Sunstorm like calling it, but the melee warrior was no Wheeljack. Sunstreaker clutched his head. Thinking hurt. He then said to the voice, "I've told you, DON'T CALL ME SUNNY!"
"Sunny?" Sunstorm laughed out as he dodged Sunstreaker's shots. "I hath not called you, Sunny. A word I hath not spoken. That name has never laid on my audios before." He returned fire. "I like it. I will have to remember that one." The two stared at each other as Sunstorm said with a smug expression, "If anyone shall be called Sunny, It shall be me," He flared his fire for emphasis as he spoke the last part.
"You won't be alive long enough to enjoy it!"
"Aim for his left side, Sunny. His plating is weaker there."
There it was… the voice again. His paranoia, his denial… but there it was, speaking to him from the deepest part of him, from the core of his spark itself, the spark that was not only his.
"Well, are you going to stand like a fool all day? He's going to kill you if you don't kill him first!"
Sunstreaker barely dodged what it felt like the eruption of a volcano, the heat threatening to melt his right arm. But he did what he said; he aimed toward Sunstorm's left side and he could feel the unique pleasure of his enemy's pain.
But fate was treasonous. It seemed that such pleasure would be the only one he would have that day.
"Don't come here, Sunny… It's dark. It's not your time yet."
The next word pummelled his spark. Not an order, not a plea… but his last wish.
"RUN!"
It was in that moment that Sunstreaker realised he'd reached the edge of the abyss, the point of no return gaping wide before him, waiting for his decision. Clenching his fists, he shook his head in defiance.
"No."
"Sunny, please! I don't want you to end up like me, dying needlessly by doing something stupid. I don't want you to die because of me. Escape now, while you still have the chance! You won't last against him."
"I said no, I'm doing this for you. I'm doing this to avenge you for what he did to you. He took you away from me – he took half of my spark away, and it's tearing me apart, Sides!" Sunstreaker clutched his chest as if he were experiencing pain. "This feeling of... of... incompleteness, of a hollow space that can't be filled... Without you, it's like I don't know who I am anymore, what my purpose is. I don't know what I'm living for anymore."
"...Sunny. I'll always be a part of you, even when my body is gone. We're twinsparks, remember? Nothing will ever change that, not even when one of us is gone. I'm still talking to you, aren't I? Or are you hearing a stranger's voice? You know it's me, Sunny. I'm still alive, in you."
"No, no, you're dead; I saw your life signals go out." Sunstreaker shook his head, unable to believe in the voice of his brother, almost unwilling to.
"Sunny..." The voice paused, then said: "Have you gone completely psychotic or completely idiotic, because I don't know which."
Sunstreaker's optics widened.
"This is really me with you, right here, right now. We share a spark which ties us together no matter what. I don't know how, but it's true. If you don't believe me, then I'm gonna have to prove it: Remember when Hoist got himself a job in a movie? You, Tracks, Warpath and Powerglide decided to get in on the action. I know because you told me all about it when it was over, and you complained that you didn't get to do some real acting. How about another memory? Remember the Trans-Europe charity race? We were in it. I made you take a detour in Italy, but you said if I hadn't done that you would have been ahead in the race. Heh, and then we got ambushed by the Stunticons," Sideswipe's voice said with nostalgia. "I think that was my fault, though. I chose the wrong way, straight to them. Well, that's history."
Sunstreaker remained silent. He was brought back to the past, where Sideswipe was.
"Still don't believe me? How about this? Our very last practical joke: we spread super glue on Ratchet's tools and his chair. Boy, was he mad." A chuckle. "He whacked our heads so hard with the wrench stuck on his hand. But we couldn't stop laughing. It took nearly a whole day to get his tools off of him and the chair off his aft. He was too attached to his things." There was a smile in his voice.
Sunstreaker's optics softened. A smile crept on his lips. Yes, he remembered that. He remembered all the things he ever did with his brother, on Earth and on Cybertron. All the adventures, all the fun. He didn't know why, but a vibrating chuckle began in his throat and he couldn't stop it. Sideswipe's voice laughed with him as if Sideswipe were right beside him, sharing his amusement and memories. "Yeah, he was. A shame he didn't get the joke," Sunstreaker said when he could stop. "...I never thought it would be our last one together."
Some distance away Sunstorm was on one knee, head bowed and a hand pressed on his damaged side. His face was screwed up in pain. Electricity jumped from the damaged area randomly. The jet looked up. There was a smile on Sunstreaker's face; his laughter was within earshot. Upon seeing his opponent's enjoyment the pain on Sunstorm's face was replaced by a dark fury, red danger glowing from his optics. He steadily straightened himself on two feet, thinking only of blasting the grin off that insolent fool's face and making him pay for mocking him, the great divine. Then Sunstorm would be the one laughing.
The jet removed his hand from his side and aimed at Sunstreaker. He locked on to his target.
"You still remember. You see, Sunny, you've not lost me totally. You've never lost me. The bond between our sparks keeps us together, to the very end. ...So, come on, let's go back home, where our friends are. You don't need to be here, you never did."
"Sides'..." Sunstreaker began, "I –" But he was cut short. A single beam of energy struck his shoulder; the force of it made him spin and fall on his front.
"Sunny!"
More blasts hit the ground around him like miniature comets, each one sending clouds of dust in the air. One blast travelled close to his head.
"Get out of here!"
Sunstreaker didn't hesitate – he got to his feet and made a run for it. Laser fire chased him and almost caught him, but he zigzagged away and lengthened the distance between himself and the shooter. When Sunstreaker neared a large, tall rock embedded into the ground he flung himself behind it before a stream of shots hit him. He rolled, stood up and spread his back flat against the rock. A blast pierced the corner of the rock next to his head and singed the surface; several more blasts landed on the same spot.
Sunstreaker held up his weapon with a tight grip.
"Sunstreaker, no! I told you to get out of here, you'll be killed."
"No way," Sunstreaker replied. "There's no turning back now. I'm going to do what I came here to do, and that's to destroy this crazy glitch once and for all."
"What? Haven't you heard anything I said? You can't beat him, he's too powerful."
"Yeah, I heard what you said. But it can't hurt to try, right? And I still want to avenge you," Sunstreaker said before Sideswipe could protest again, "because even though you haven't left me just yet, he still done what he did to you, and I can't let that slide. It's time for a little payback."
"Sunny, he didn't kill me."
"Yeah, I know, the bond –"
"No, I mean, urgh." Sideswipe's voice paused for some moments. "I mean... it's my fault. That I died... sort of died. I was stupid. Saw an opening, a weakness, at least I thought I'd seen it, and thought Jet Judo would do the trick and take him down. I tried to get him, he tried to shake me off, and like an idiot I hung on. Then... he got me. So, it was my own fault that he ended me, my own stupid mistake. I realised that. I'll take the blame if it means stopping you from doing the same thing. Please, Sunny, don't do this. You don't have to avenge me. You dying won't do any good, especially for our friends. They need you, Sunny. Whatever you may think, they need you. ...And they care."
"I..."
"Ye cannot hide forever, Autobot!" Sunstorm called out, drawing closer to Sunstreaker and firing every few seconds at the rock shielding him. "Your time has come!"
"It doesn't matter anymore," Sunstreaker said, resolute. "I don't care anymore. I don't care if I die. Because if dying brings me back to you... then I'd happily do so. That's all I care about, Sides; nothing else matters."
"Sunstreaker, you idiot! What about the cause – the future of our faction, the war? Are you just going to abandon all that after everything you've done for it, for some stupid wish? Get a grip, Sunny! You can't die now, you just can't!"
"What difference does one less Autobot make? More than one die every day but we haven't lost yet. Optimus and the others can deal with it...I'll see you soon, Sides."
"No, Sunny, no... no... no... no...!" The voice faded from existence in the same way it had made itself known. It left such a silence that Sunstreaker felt almost certain it was all in his head, that the voice's words were conjured up by some subconscious mechanism in order to assuage him from his grief, in the guise of his brother. But it sounded so real...so like him. Did Sunstreaker truly imagine it, or was his brother now dwelling inside his very core, communicating with him beyond possibility?
Laser blasts stole his attention; Sunstreaker turned his head in the direction of the firing. Whatever the voice had said to him lessened some of the resolve he had to carry out his objective. Sunstreaker shut his optics and saw his brother falling to earth from the sky, flames marking his trail downward; his burnt-black, melting alloy; the weak life signals finally going flat on the screen. He opened his optics, came out from behind the rock, and answered the attack with a barrage of laser bullets, sending a piercing war-cry with it.
His shots were sporadic, most missing his intended target. The voice in his head kept nudging him to hide behind the rock again. "Sideswipe, if you don't stop, you're going to kill me," Sunstreaker threatened. The nudging stopped, and his accuracy returned.
How does one destroy a fusion reactor? That would be the key to his victory.
The Decepticon fired back, but it was the image behind Sunstorm that chilled his spark. "Why didn't you tell me Starscream was still alive," he hissed.
His twin whined, "I tried to, but you wouldn't listen!"
Behind Sunstorm, a very much alive Starscream woozily rose to his feet, just out of Sunstreaker's firing range. "You did not mention anything about Starscream!" the yellow warrior growled.
"I was getting there, but you had to cut me off!"
Sunstorm turned to see what had distracted Sunstreaker. He stopped firing to help his brother up. "Now is a good time to run."
"No, now is a good time for an attack!" Before his brother could protest, Sunstreaker ran for the downed mech, and just when Starscream was well within range, Sunstreaker opened fire. The aerial commander collapsed again under the fire power. Enraged, Sunstorm opened fire on the Autobot, but Sunstreaker did some pretty impressive rolls, and began firing specifically at the holes in Starscream's chassis armor.
Luck was not with Sunstreaker. None of the shots reached their target. Inexplicably, they all seemed to bounce off.
"What?" Sunstreaker was confused; every shot should have been a true hit.
"That's enough, Sunny," said a familiar voice, seemingly speaking out of nowhere.
The air shimmered, and suddenly Jazz was standing there, along with Hound and Trailbreaker.
"I know you're hurtin'," Jazz continued, "but killin' Sunstorm and his brother ain't goin' to bring Sideswipe back. The only thing you're gonna do is bring the 'Cons down harder on us. 'S that what you want? What Sides would want?"
"Please listen to him, Sunny" Sideswipe's voice pleaded.
Sunstreaker ignored it. He aimed at Starscream yet again, but Trailbreaker kept his shield firmly between them. There was no way that Sunstreaker could get a clear shot.
One part of his revenge was gone, but there was another way...Sides said that his left side was weaker, maybe…
"Look, Sides," Jazz went on, "We've all lost friends and family to this war, but we can't let our desire for revenge get the better of us." He held out his hand. "Come back to the base, and we can talk. Then, we can give ol' Siders a proper send-off, just like he would have wanted."
Sunstreaker seemed to be listening, and for a moment, Jazz thought his words had gotten through. But then, Sunstreaker aimed his gun again, this time at the ground. He fired several shots and created a dust shield between himself and the others.
As it began to clear, the next thing the four mechs behind the shield saw was Sunstreaker gripping tightly to Sunstorm who, in an attempt to dislodge him, had taken to the air.
What the fraggin' Pit is he doin'?" was Jazz's thought. Then he saw Sunstreaker tearing back the plating on Sunstorm's damaged left side, Sunstorm still trying to dislodge him even as he did so. Sunstreaker's armor was starting to melt, but he no longer cared.
"Please, Sunny, stop this," pleaded his brother.
"I can't, Sides," he whispered. "It's gone too far now."
With fading strength, Sunstreaker aimed his weapon into the hole he had created and fired three times. One of the shots hit the lines leading to the fusion reactor, causing a chain reaction. A look of shock appeared on Sunstorm's face as he began to feel it, but now it was too late to let go.
As a bright light engulfed them both, Sunstreaker suddenly felt much calmer. See you soon, Sides.
That was all he had time to think before the light surrounded them both, the mechs on the ground watching in horror.
Optimus's group caught up with Jazz's group, just as a bright explosion lit up the sky. After their optics rebooted, Jazz and Optimus looked at each other briefly before taking off towards the area where debris was falling; everyone following suit, Starscream included.
Upon arriving at the impact site, everyone stared. Metallic debris littered the area, obviously formerly Sunstorm. Starscrem picked up a large piece that used to be his brother and stared at it for a long moment, before throwing it down in anger. He then activated his thrusters and transformed before he was barely off the ground and took off, speeding towards the clouds. None of the Autobots stopped him from leaving.
Sunstreaker's torso was barely still intact. As the others came upon him, they were able to see his damages better. His legs were blown off and had landed far apart in two different directions. His right arm was blown to bits, and so was his left hand, halfway up to his elbow joint.
Ratchet scanned him upon arriving. He looked up at Optimus and Jazz and shook his head, indicating he wouldn't survive. Then Sunstreaker stirred. Jazz knelt next to him and put his hand on Sunstreaker's chest. Sunstreaker booted his optics. His right optic flickered, before going out. His left optic shone, despite being cracked.
In a static-filled voice, he said, "I did it, I killed him."
Jazz smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile. "Yeah, ya did it all right," he said to his longtime friend, "but ya didn't have to."
"But I did," Susntreaker grimaced from the pain. "You really think someone was going to kill you and get away with it? Plus, you aren't going to the Well of Allsparks without me."
Jazz looked at him, confused, until he realized Sunstreaker thought Jazz was his brother. "Sunstreaker, I—"
"I'm ready to go, Sideswipe," Sunstreaker said, cutting Jazz off. His optics powered down, and then his body went limp as the color drained from his chassis.
No one moved for quite a while after this. Not wanting to break the mood, Optimus finally cut in, ordering his men to clean up the debris. "We aren't going to have Earth littered with our dead."
By sunrise the next day, the place didn't have a shred of metal, wires, or Energon left. What was surprising was when Starscream's trine showed up around midnight to help in the cleaning, though his reasoning was different than Optimus's. Later that day, the Autobots had a funeral service for the twins. All the Autobots were in attendance, even the ones that didn't like the twins.