Pulling Teeth

I am notorious for taking a long time to update. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers; I'm just prostituting it for my amusement.

Summary: Ratchet's lost one too many patients. He isn't losing this one.

Warning: Gratuitous violence, torture, m/m/m robot alien smut. That should cover it.

Pairings: Eventual Twins/ Ratchet. Jazz/ Prowl.

Getting slagged was not on Sideswipe's list of things to do today. It was just a bright, perfect day, all he wanted was to get his impromptu mission over with and go for a nice long race with Sunstreaker. Sure, Sunstreaker was with him now but they were on guard detail. Wheeljack had invented another tool designed to improve their lives, but in they end was better as a weapon to bring about the end of the world. The recycling box of death needed to be destroyed and Wheeljack, having blown himself into four separate pieces, was not up for the job. So Perceptor had been assigned the task of taking the box to a remote area of the flats surrounding the Arc and detonating it.

As punishment for a prank war with Jazz that had ended with a sea of bubbles taking over the wash racks, and staining Optimus hot pink, Sideswipe was on security detail, despite it being his cycle off. Beachcomber was with them to guide them all to the the appropriate disposal site, and act as Preceptor's transport. Sunstreaker had come along for kicks.

"Why did Jazz get out of this?" Sideswipe muttered.

"Because he's sleeping with an officer," Sunstreaker replied.

"Jazz is an officer as well," Perceptor pointed out.

"There ya go," Sunstreaker said. "He's sleeping with an officer and he's an officer. Besides, I don't think there's anything Optimus can do to punish him that Prowl can't do worse.

Perceptor made a sound of discomfort. The relationships of officers, and Autobots in general, were not something he cared to know too much about. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker shared a laugh. Beachcomber ignored them all together, not because the subject was uncomfortable for him but because he hadn't heard them. As usual, the natural world around them had his complete attention.

Beachcomber was slow, slower with Perceptor added weight and he moved like a snail. Sideswipe ached to stretch his shocks and burn rubber but at this rate his next duty shift would be starting before they were done babysitting.

"I don't know why a minibot had to lead the way," Sunstreaker complained. "Hound would've been faster."

Sideswipe glanced over to Beachcomber, who rolled his eyes, and back at Sunstreaker.

"Ya, i think that's kind of enough," he said.

Sunstreaker muttered to himself and Sideswipe soothed him over their bond. The day was going to be long enough without Sunstreaker trying to get a reaction from Beachcomber but it would be even longer if Sunstreaker got cranky with him. Sideswipe became instantly more focused on their surroundings as they entered a gorge.

'You decided to tag along,' he reminded his twin.

'I've got nothing better to do,' Sunstreaker replied.

'Well Beachcomber's fast enough,' Sideswipe said. 'Maybe we can get this finished before our next shift.'

The next thought Sideswipe had was of searing pain as something exploded under him and tore into his undercarriage and throwing him through the air. He transformed and tried to to drag himself to his feet but he couldn't move, couldn't really even speak. The searing pain bled to a numbing cold.

"Sideswipe!" Sunstreaker yelled as shots rained down all around them. He transformed as well and leapt to his brother's side. Returning fire, he dragged Sideswipe behind a cluster of rocks. Beachcomber and Perceptor were already taking cover behind another group of rocks. Vaguely, Sunstreaker heard Beachcomber calling for help.

Sunstreaker hoped he was calling the Arc, because he was not moving. He shielded Sideswipe with his body and scanned the skyline. 'Primus damn all Seekers.'

Somewhere above them, at the top of the gorge, Starscream whooped with excitement. Sunstreaker couldn't hear any other Decepticons but Seekers, like trouble, always came in threes. Laser fire seemed to be coming from everywhere. He kept his optics on the sky but it remained clear. Molten rage coursed through his systems.

"Come on and show yourselves slaggers, so I can slag you to the pit!'.

Despite their affinity for flight, the Seekers kept their cover. The best Sunstreaker could do was try and fire along the lines were he saw the Decepticons' shots but it was little better than futile. He felt little better than a target on the firing range.

Beachcomber was firing back too, he wasn't totally useless but they both might as well have been. They were out gunned and outclassed. A cluster of fire hit the rock formation where Beachcomber and Perceptor were sheltering. Sunstreaker fired shot after shot at every angle he could. If they were undamaged they would have to join him and Sideswipe if they wanted to stay that way.

Both mechs in question took advantage of the cover fire to make a run for Sunstreaker and the intact formation. Beachcomber added his own cover fire to the mix and apparently Primus was feeling merciful because they stumbled to safety seconds later. Beachcomber perched not far from Sunstreaker and kept up the heat. Preceptor cautiously tried the ease Sunstreaker away from Sideswipe.

"I might be able to patch him until help gets here," Preceptor explained. "But I need you out of the way."

Part of Sunstreaker wanted to rage but the saner part kept control and made him move aside and let Preceptor get to work. He felt like a traitor, even though he was just a foot or so away he felt like he was abandoning his brother. He could still feel Sideswipe over the bond so he new his brother's spark was intact but he could also feel is brother's pain and he knew Sideswipe wouldn't last much longer without help.

"The others are coming," Beachcomber said in that slow droll of his. "A few of 'em were out for a drive not so far away. They'll be here soon."

The minibot's attempt to reassure him raised Sunstreaker's hackles. He didn't need his sympathy or comfort, he needed the others, namely Ratchet the Hatchet, here now.

Beachcomber glanced sideways. Sunstreaker was an abrasive bot at the best of times and Beachcomber would forgive him for it, under the current circumstances. Right now, Beachcomber would forgive him for socking him in the face, If it helped the yellow race car keep it together.

"Hang tight, guys," Jazz's voice crackled over the intercom. "We'll be there in a jiffy."

Why wasn't Jazz laying in the dirt with his coolant bleeding out and his insides ripped to bits? It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair, slag it. Why did him being an officer make him immune from petty punishment? He should have been there too, not off gallivanting with Prowl.

"A jiffy won't be soon enough!" Sunstreaker snarled back unable and unwilling to contain his anger.

"We have Ratchet with us as well," Prowl interrupted.

Sunstreaker did not bother responding. That might have been the best news he had had this click, the Hatchet was the bot Sideswipe needed most right now. The Seekers seemed to have honed in on Perceptor because they were getting all the fire now. Perceptor kept Sideswipe's prone form shielded as he tried to stem the damage.

Primus was looking over them, better late than never. For Aces, the Seekers couldn't seem to make a hit.

The cavalry arrived after what felt like hours later, but it must have just been minutes. Prowl and Jazz led the charge while Ratchet hung back and made a be line for the besieged bots. It wasn't a pretty sight. A pool of coolant covered the dirt around Sideswipe and the expression on his twins face could only be described as feral.

Sunstreaker was covered in dings but was oblivious to them. His fresh coat of paint, wasn't it's usual gleaming perfection, it was scratched and rough. After he had Sideswipe up and going again, Sunstreaker would surely be on Ratchet in seconds to fix all the cosmetic damage. There was no if about repairing Sideswipe. Ratchet had lost so many patients over the millenia but the the memory of the most recent losses, bots who's names he had never known to Decepticons, who didn't matter, haunted him.

Thank Primus for Perceptor.

"Optimus and the others are clicks away," Ratchet said as he dove into the task at hand. Perceptor was a silent, but priceless aid. Ratchet had to plug the holes in Sideswipe's systems before he bled out. It was triage at best but a full repair job would required his tools back at the Arc. Still, he just needed to stem the flow. If he could just patch Sideswipe up just a little bit, he could last until the battle was over and he good be taken home. Slag it, there was no if. He would!

Sunstreaker didn't even look at him. If he didn't keep his eyes on the battle, he would lose it all together. Ratchet was here. Ratchet would save Sideswipe and everything would be okay.

Just then laser hit just inches from Sunstreaker's leg and less than inches from the recycling box of death. The machine rumbled and Sunstreaker's circuits ran cold. Beachcomber pulled the box over to himself and tried to shield it from further fire.

As he focused on Sideswipe, Ratchet couldn't hear the battle. Couldn't hear his comrades shots or movements. His every sense was focused on his hands buried deep in Sideswipe's obliterated chassis. Bypass that circuit for that one. Cover the torn and tattered tubes with band aids that were little different than duct tape. Sideswipe's spark hummed just an inch from Ratchet's hands and he took a peculiar comfort in it. As long as it hummed with life, Ratchet hadn't failed. His hands almost shook. There was so much damage. Prowl had taken a hit once like this, eons ago, Ratchet had saved him. But then, that bot, what was his name?... Ratchet hadn't saved him.

Stop, focus. Forget the dead, just forget them right now. Focus. Focus on the spark humming next to your hand. Focus... Ratchet could feel Sunstreaker through Sideswipe's spark. The yellow Lamborghini's spark shouted at Ratchet. Save him. Save him. Save him. Save him!

Primus.

Had he stopped the bleeding?

The ground actually shook as Beachcomber took a hit and crashed down against the box.' Primus, Wheeljack, how do you come up with these things?' The minibot struggled up, a hand clenching his grazed side and the other trying to move the box before he returned to the fight. Ratchet watched the box. One more hit like that and it would shred them all into scrap metal.

"Firstaid can finish the job at the Arc," Ratchet announced to Perceptor who looked up at him in bewilderment.

Before anyone could voice a complaint, before Ratchet could come to his senses, he took the box and transformed into his alt mode.

"Ratchet!" Sunstreaker yelled.

Ratchet didn't look back, didn't turn back. He put his gears into drive and rolled out as fast as he could. The shouts of his comrades faded behind him. There was only one thought in Ratchet's mind now, get the box away. It didn't matter where, just away.

Slag! Shrapnel tore into Ratchet's rear left tire. When had the slagging Decepticons started using landmines? Ratchet forced himself forward. His axle was still spinning, he could keep going. The box hadn't blown him to Primus. Drive, just drive.

Before he couldn't think, before he could blink, Starscream was in front of him. Ratchet swerved hard, but there was Thundercracker. He swerved again, Skywarp. The Seekers closed in. He swerved again, a gorge wall. There was nowhere else to go.

"Toss that box over here, Autobot," Starscream demanded in that shrill grating voice of his.

"Fine," Ratchet replied mirthlessly as he transformed again. "Take it."

Slag him, but Starscream had some sense of self preservation. He dodged the box and shot into the air just as the box crashed and exploded just feet from where he'd been standing. Shards of metal ricocheted around throwing Ratchet onto his back and scoring hits on Starscreams's fleeing chassis. Ratchets optics offlined

Slowly he opened them. Slag. Starscream smirked down at him.

"That was not a good idea, Autobot," the red Seeker almost purred.

"Have you failed me again, Starscream?" Megatron demanded as he landed close by.

"It was a bomb, glorious Megatron," Starscream replied. "However I have captured the Autopots' medic."

Megatron smiled and Ratchet's circuits went cold.

"That is something, isn't it?"

End Chapter 1.