Finding Sunny

Chapter 31

*Days prior as Sunstreaker is leaving the scene*

His engine roars as he kept accelerating. Heat raising inside the vehicle, his cooling fans on high trying to bring down the condensation forming on the windows. Whipping between other cars, trying to get as far away as possible. His speedometer reading over a hundred, his RPM's hitting the red zone. He has no idea where he is going, nor does he care at this point. He just lost everything within a few seconds. If he could cry he probably be a blubbering idiot by now, but his pride kept him from even attempting. His twin was pushing hard to get to his side of the bond, all he could do was ignore it. No one will understand what had happened and why, not even Sideswipe.

Sunstreaker has been driving for a few hours now. Finally, his speed slowed, RPM's went down, and heat slowly dissipating, cooling down the inside. As much as he wants to answer his brother, he knows it won't do any good. "What have I done?" He cries out. "I had to. I had no choice. AHHHHH...I wish I could tell Sideswipe...tell Nichole. Oh Nichole. I worked so hard to get us to where we were and now it's all gone. All gone. Primus I love you so much, Nichole. Why couldn't you just accept that? Why did you have to run away?" He screams in anger. Nichole can't take all the blame, as much as he wants to put it all on her. None of this would have happened had he not gotten involved with the Decepticons.

He pulled off the road down a side street. One leading to a dead end area. He parks on the side of the road and turns his engine off. The street is silent, the houses seeming empty and dark, no people outside working in their gardens or taking a stroll. It seems darker than the rest of the area, just the one street. Gray clouds hang over head, threatening the area below with the likeliness of rain. If he were in his bipedal mode right now, he would most likely be staring up into the sky, hoping for the rain to fall. He is unsure of the time and how long he has sat there. Not that he expected anything to happen, but nothing ever stays this silent for long. After some more time of just sitting there, being depressed, he decides he needs to get moving again. He does a quick U turn and heads back to the highway.

His navigational systems tell him he's at least three or four states away from base and Nichole. He's running low on energon and needs to find a supplement. He knows that human oil will suffice, it was always something he didn't want to lower himself to, but right now...he has no choice. His holoform springs to life as he pulls into a nearby gas station. The place is full of life, surprising for a gas station in the middle of nowhere. Though it looks like a small cozy town. There are a few small shops across the street. The houses look a little run down, but the people around don't seem affected by it. A few people stare at his alt as he pulls up next to a pump. He smiles as he hears kids coming out of the store talk excitedly to their parents as they point at his alt. "Alright now how do I do this?" He whispers to himself, staring intently at the pump station.

"Do you need some assistance?" A young women, maybe around the age 25, walks up near Sunstreaker While he's staring at the pump. He jumps in surprise, staring at the femme. He looks her up and down before answering. She's has long bleach blonde hair that is up in a high ponytail, freckles covering her nose and dissipating into her cheeks. Her chocolate eyes are large, full of kindness as they look at him. She's giving him a kind smile, clearly wanting to help him. "Um...no...I...I got it." He stammers not helping out his case. He looks away from her and back at the pump. "Do you have a credit card or want to pay cash?" She moves closer, not believing him for a second. "I said I got it." Sounding a bit more confident. "It doesn't look that way." She giggles and is now standing next to him. He pulls a card out of his pocket and isn't about to tell anyone how he acquired it. She holds her hand out to him, "May I?" He looks at her in question, but slowly hands her the card. As she swipes the card, she points out what she is doing. "What gas do you take?" "There are different kinds?" His cheeks flood with redness as he realized what he just said and from the laughter that just left her lips. She covers her mouth upon seeing his embarrassment.

"Seeing as you have a high-end sports car, I'm going to assume you use premium." She presses a few buttons and opens up the latch to his fuel tank. "Do you race?" She asks as she slips the nozzle into his tank. He does the best he can to not show the shiver that just ran down his spine. He nods, keeping his lips pierced together, avoiding her gaze. He does his best not to sigh after she takes it back out, once finished filling him up, well his alt up. "I bet you win a lot." She wonders, putting the nozzle back and ripping the receipt off and handing it to him. All he can do is give another nod. "You're not from around, here are you?" "Uh no." He answers, his face turning red again. He rubs the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at her. "Um thank you." He forces himself to say. "Of course." She gives him a reassuring smile and heads back from where ever she popped out of. As quickly as he can, he gets in his alt and gets out of there. Doing a small burn out as he leaves the lot.

*--------------------------*

The days were beginning to mesh together. The scenery all looked the same at this point. Sunstreaker kept driving and at night, he found a secluded area, so he could recharge. He stopped feeling his brothers' bond after the third day. It hurt him to feel his brother giving up on him, but he knew it was going to happen, one way or another. Today is no different. Driving on the highway who knows where. He stopped listening to his warnings showing up in his system. He stopped caring all together. At this point he hoped the Decepticons found him and killed him. He wouldn't be able to fight back. His spark was beginning to weaken. The further he drove away from her, the worse it seemed to get.

"Primus I miss you so much." Sunstreaker said as he thought about his scared femme.

Like all the days before, he kept driving tell the sun began to set. Finding an exit, he got off the highway in some random area. He drove until he found an abandoned barn, but before he enter, the roaring jet soared fast to his position. Sirens from a cop car and squealing tires got louder as it got closer. "Frag." He says to himself as he sees the lights from the Saleen Mustang around the corner and race to him. Sunstreaker has no energy in him to race away. He sits there, awaiting his fate. "Well well well." The jet transforms and lands right in front of him. "Not gonna transform and chat." The con took his pede and stepped on Sunstreaker's hood.

"Starscream, we don't have time to chat with this traitor." The mustang transformed, barring his teeth, clashing his fist together, showing off 'Punish' and 'Enslave' brass knuckles. Starscream lifted his pede off of Sunstreaker's hood and Sunstreaker let out a groan of pain. Where his pede was, it left a large dent in its place. Sunstreaker transformed landing on one knee, servo on his chest, the other holding himself up from the ground, looking down at the dent over his spark chamber. "Starscream...Barricade...nice to see you." He wheezed out. Starscream growled, grabbing him by the neck and pushing him against the side of the barn. "Where were your Sunstreaker? You were supposed to meet with our Lord and Master." Starscream sneered, spitting in his face. "He...He got what.... he wanted... I'm done...done working for him. The deal has...been finished." He struggled to get the words out as Starscream choked him harder.

Starscream let go and Sunstreaker fell to the ground, holding his neck. As he was about to stand up, without warning Barricade slammed his fist into Sunstreaker's lower torso, sending him further into the ground. "The deal was not finished, but it will be when we are finished with you." Barricade roared slamming his fist back into Sunstreaker. "I wasn't going to let him kill her." Sunstreaker sneered, wiping energon off his lip. "And that's where you went wrong." They began to beat on him. Sunstreaker tried to fight back, but he knew there was no use. They didn't let any part of him go untouched. Ruining his finish, breaking glass, energon leaking from his core. After minutes of them beating, Sunstreaker finally gave up, his body finally shut down and went into stasis.

*------------------*

His optics began to flutter open, his system screaming at him, telling him his damage. It was only a few seconds after waking, all the pain hit him. He screamed in agony. His systems were flooding, nothing is working correctly. He should be dead with all the damage he took in. It took longer for him to gain movements in his extremities. "I need to get to Sideswipe." His voice coarse and harsh. His pride went against him going back, but he would surely parish is he didn't get help. Metal screeched together as he tried to stand. Falling several times, before he could stand steady on his feet. As he began to transform, his beautiful, graceful transformation is now dysfunctional and painful. It was very difficult for him to get into his alt form. When he completed, he surprised himself in being able to finish it. Now he had to begin a long trip back to Sideswipe. He opened the bond but couldn't feel his twin. "Please feel me soon, brother." He cried as he began to roll out. Driving back the way he came.