The Holiday Killer ✔️

Ch. 5 You Think it's Me?

"Sideswipe, what's wrong?" Sunstreaker asks, hating he feels fear from his brother. He tries to be patient but is getting annoyed, "Sideswipe, you think I'm the killer?!"
Sideswipe flinches at the anger in Sunstreaker's voice, "really?! I've been at the base every day but yesterday since we got back from our vacation! I went to Lily's house yesterday! When would I have been able to leave to kill?!" Sunstreaker slaps his brother across the face before grabbing him by his shirt and throwing him off the bed, "you're just like everyone else; believing I can't change! I'll always be a monster!" Sunstreaker rages as he repeatedly steps on Sideswipe's abdomen.
Sideswipe didn't think Sunstreaker would then use him as a punching bag for what felt like an hour before leaving the room. Aside from a bloody nose, Sideswipe does not know what Sunstreaker did to him. Whatever his injuries are, it's causing pain.

No one is around as Sideswipe walks slowly to the medbay. He knows he's walking slow enough that he should have come across a few Autobots and soldiers. 
Scrap, I think I set Sunstreaker on a killing spree. Sideswipe worries.

"What the hell happened to you?!" Ratchet asks, alarmed as he and Jolt help Sideswipe to an examination room.
"Nothing," Sideswipe lies before screaming in pain as he lies on the bed.
Ratchet knows it's something serious, and no one screams if they have a minor injury.
"Let me see," all he has to do is lift Sideswipe's shirt to see the problem, "you need surgery, Sideswipe," Ratchet tells him, "and don't argue that you don't."

Sunstreaker feels Sideswipe is in pain as he sits on the floor in the training room.
Scrap, I didn't want to hurt him. Sunstreaker worries as he feels like he has a stomachache, but because of the sudden pain, he's feeling Sideswipe is in pain. He panics as the pain fades and rushes to the medbay.

"Jasmine, did Sideswipe come here?"
"Yes," she answers, "he's in surgery."
"Scrap, I-I..."
Jasmine has Sunstreaker sit on a chair. She knows his history and finds this behavior strange. She asks him what happened, not expecting a teary explanation. 
"Jasmine, I need you to—," the two hear Ratchet. He looks at Sunstreaker, livid, "do you have any idea what you did?!"
"Ratchet, stop," Jasmine keeps Ratchet from fighting Sunstreaker, "I will get Optimus, you go back to the operating room," Ratchet does as Jasmine tells him, "I'm sorry, but he's going to find out from Ratchet."
Sunstreaker is tempted to go down to the brig now rather than try to explain himself to Optimus. Yet Jasmine insists he stays to explain himself.

Neither of them thought Ironhide and Prowl would be with Optimus. Both are ready to drag him to the brig, while Optimus is willing to listen to him. He worries Jasmine is going to be in trouble for believing his story.
"Go ahead, drag me to the brig! That's what you want! How long have you thought I'm the killer?!"
"I don't think you are, Sunstreaker," Optimus tells him, "the guards haven't seen you leave the base at night—."
"He would have found another way out!" Ironhide argues.
"True, but he'd have the security system to deal with. He'd have to take cameras out or break into Red Alert's office, which no one has," Optimus points out.
Ironhide and Prowl go back and forth arguing if Sunstreaker is innocent or not until Optimus demands they stop arguing. The two are not pleased that he's on Sunstreaker's side. Sunstreaker questions how long that'll last once he tells Optimus he hurt Sideswipe or when Ratchet gives him the report on the emergency surgery he and Jolt had to do.

Sideswipe is out of surgery in time for Sunstreaker to get Lily from school, but Ironhide decides he'll get her and Annabelle.
A long three hours passed, yet Sunstreaker now has to deal with Jolt and Ratchet. To hear if his brother will be ok. 
"You!" Ratchet rages, "you're lucky he didn't decide he didn't need to come to the medbay!"
"Internal bleeding," Jolt explains calmly, "we had to repair a tear in the stomach. He'll be staying here for three days."
"Get his aft to the brig now!" Ratchet yells.
Ratchet and Optimus argue before Ratchet angrily goes to his office for a few minutes.
Jasmine and Sunstreaker go to Sideswipe's recovery room, waiting for him to wake up.

They don't have to wait long for Sideswipe to wake up.
"Sunstreaker?" Sideswipe says groggily.
"I'm sorry."
Sunstreaker hugs his brother. 
"Sunny..."
Sunstreaker is not liking that Jasmine heard the nickname he despises. She leaves the room as Sunstreaker sits back on the chair by the bed.

Twenty minutes pass before Sideswipe is alert. Sunstreaker apologizes for the fight and hurting Sideswipe. 
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed you're the killer," Sideswipe apologizes.
"After all the killing I've done, I shouldn't be surprised you think it's me. Caring about Audrey, Jasmine, Jamie, and Lily isn't enough. I've killed humans between the day Lily stopped being afraid of me and before we left for our vacation. I know I'll kill again, but I hope it's that fragging copycat."
Sunstreaker leaves the room and the medbay before Ratchet yells at him to get out or argues with Jasmine about defending him.

He talks to Prime about how Ratchet believes he's the killer and how the only solution is to be in the brig until the real killer is captured or killed. Optimus believes that's not the solution, and he believes the solution is to be with Jamie and Lily.
"How?" Sunstreaker asks, "that aft goes after his targets at night when the two femmes are asleep. Unless Ratchet crosses paths with this aft or the aft is caught, he'll think it's me."
Sunstreaker leaves the office, uncertain what to do.

Sunstreaker is about to go upstairs to his room when he sees Jamie and Lily walking out of the hanger with Crosshairs, Drift, and Ironhide.
Did he tell them everything? Sunstreaker questions. Yet Jamie's guardians aren't pissed. I think Jamie would be pissed, and Lily would be heartbroken.
"Sunstreaker?" He hears Lily ask, concerned.
Sunstreaker looks at Ironhide, who gives him that 'I said nothing' look.
"I'm fine," Sunstreaker assures her.
The two femmes go with him to his art room.
Sunstreaker knows he'll have to tell them that Sideswipe is in the medbay and will be there for a few days. The question is what to tell them?
Sunstreaker tries to relax while with the femmes before they find out what happened today. Hoping to find the real killer soon.