Author's Note: Guess who's back?! This is the second installment of the TransHuman series, TransHuman: Operation: Subarctic Blast. For those of you who haven't read TransHuman: Raw Power, it is absolutely necessary you read it first to understand what's going on and for those of you who have read and became fans of the first installment, welcome back!

I'd like to take a moment to address Pat Macken's review for the final chapter of Raw Power by saying this: in my head canon for the story, Isaiah's birthday falls in September so he turned eighteen during his last year of high school. Riley's birthday falls in early June so she would be a grade behind him since she was seventeen during the time of Raw Power. Here, Isaiah is a junior in college and Riley is a freshman. From time to time, I'll be adding flashbacks to kind of fill in the gaps I probably left in Raw Power. :) And I would like to know what parts of the last chapter of Raw Power you said you felt were still left wide open. The constructive criticism was helpful to me while Raw Power was still being written. I'd like to know what parts those were so I can either go back to edit the last chapter or expand on it in the new installment. Thanks! :)

Disclaimer: I still don't own it.

Prologue

The mere sight of the white haired young woman had always given Andrea pause, giving her an unusual and unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. Wherever Andrea goes, the platinum haired woman seems to follow and always runs when Andrea's friends or she try to approach her. The young woman had started shadowing Andrea the day after she got her job at the newspaper two years ago when Andrea was assigned to dig up anything she could on the city's vigilante that surfaced shortly after she and her family moved to Highland Peaks.

And there she was, sitting under a tree some distance away, perking up slightly when the brunette came into her field of view. Andrea watched the woman from out of the corner of her eye with slight apprehension as the woman got up to stand, leaning against the tree, intensely blue eyes watching her movements with interest.

"Andrea? What's wrong?" one of Andrea's friends, Courtney, asked, snapping her out of her temporary daze.

Glancing from the platinum blonde to the redhead beside her before going back to the tree where the woman was, the chocolate haired woman found her white haired counterpart had disappeared yet again. She frowned slightly, reaching up to scratch her head and sighed. "That girl again."

"The one that likes spying on you?"

Andrea nodded. "I don't know what her deal is, but it's kinda creepy."

This time, one of her other friends, Blake, spoke up. "Maybe she's working with a rival paper looking to get the inside scoop on the vigilante. Think about it."

Here, Andrea adopted a thoughtful look, pondering the different scenarios before agreeing the suggestion made sense. "It does make sense, Blake, but she showed up the day after I moved here," she answered, shifting her armload of notebooks and textbooks to get a better grip on them. "But still, I probably know just about as much as the other girl does about the vigilante."

Chris, another girl in the group, let out a sigh, bringing the other teen's attention to her. "What about her little ritual of leaving the weird hieroglyphs on the wall whenever the cops find the bad guys? Do you have anything on that and what it could possibly mean?"

That's an excellent question, Andrea thought, her mind tuning out anything but the glyphs left behind at every crime scene. "You know what, guys? I'm going to head off and see what I can get on the glyphs and see if I can decode them. I'll see you at school tomorrow," Andrea said finally, departing from her friends to leave for home.

Turning her steel gaze down to her notebook, Andrea briefly glanced over her notes, more specifically, the picture she had stapled on the page of the vigilante's graffiti. She narrowed her eyes slightly, the glyphs vaguely reminding the chocolate haired young woman of the names of newspapers scrawled along the tops of the pages in barely recognizable lettering. This is how she spent the next several minutes, straining herself to decipher the words as she walked, eventually translating the first section into a simple word: 'metal'.

The feel of someone bumping into Andrea's arm startled her as she looked up to meet a pair of startling blue eyes. "If I were you, I would abandon your attempts to get close to the vigilante... lest you wish for something to befall your family and friends," the platinum blonde spoke cryptically, narrowing her eyes dangerously before continuing on her way.

Andrea stood there for a few moments longer, stunned by the fact the woman spoke before she turned around to chase after the white haired woman. "Hey, wait!" Andrea called out to her, but the woman ignored Andrea as though she never addressed her. Watching the unnamed woman round a corner, the brunette picked up her pace but found her quarry was gone. "Damn it!"

XxXxX

I shook my head, finding myself more and more annoyed by the brunette. "She still won't give up," I groused to myself, watching from my vantage point on the building top to observe as Andrea continued her search for me with no success. "What do I have to do to throw her off?!"

"What are you doing, Riley?"

"Not now, Isaiah. I'm sulking," I muttered, waving away my older sibling as he joined me.

The blonde frowned. "There's time for everything, Frosty. Why don't you just go to her as Metal Frost, give her what she wants and never talk to her again?" he said, taking my arm and pulled me away from the edge. "Saber Streak and I could help you out with that if you want."

"That might work. Showing them the vigilante has two accomplices might ease the work load probably," I replied, crossing my arms as a thoughtful look came onto my face. "But then again, that'll only get more people interested in what I'm doing."

Isaiah shrugged, shoving a lock of hair out of his eyes. "Either way, Saber Streak and I are willing to help you out if things get to be too much."

"How soon can you and Saber Streak get ready to help out?"

"Right now."

I grinned. "Good. There's an old hotel on the outskirts of town that I like hanging out at sometimes. Tell your twin to meet us there and we can probably start working on the latest round of information I've gathered so far."

XxXxX(Gray Stone Hotel—three hours later)XxXxX

Pulling up outside the old structure, I allowed myself a smile at the familiarity of the surrounding area before making my way for the entrance. I stopped just short of the entrance, admiring the Army green and black Peterbilt and deep red pickup truck. "Glad you could make it," I greeted, watching as Isaiah and Saber Streak (now known as Emma to our human friends) climbed out of their respective vehicles to walk with me to the door. "Welcome to the Gray Stone Hotel."

"I have to say it's an improvement over the junkyard," Isaiah said, holding the door open for me and Saber Streak. "How'd you find this place anyways?"

I scowled, turning to face my brother as he closed the door. "Don't dis the junkyard, Isa," I said flatly, leveling the blonde with a pointed look. "I still hang out around there. This is where the vigilante— that's me— works her magic at."

"Hey, at this point, I'm just happy you didn't tell us to meet you there."

I chose instead to ignore the comment, moving past the front desk to press a button hidden beneath one of the panels on the surface. Pivoting on a heel to face my two siblings, I watched in obvious satisfaction as their eyes grew wide in surprise as the walls peeled back to reveal what's behind them.

"Good God, Riley. What is all this?!"

I grinned, beckoning them closer to the massive room hidden behind the panels. "Don't look at me like that. Since we were made to leave the Autobots behind, I've had to have something to keep me from going insane."

Saber Streak made a small noise of delight, wasting no time in looking through my latest projects scattered across the floor. "When do we get to go kick some ass, huh?"

"Don't tell me you're going to help me like that," I frowned, waving my hands towards the other girl's clothing. "Hiding defining features about you is key. So far, it's been kinda quiet lately. But having extra pairs of eyes helps more than you know." Striding past Saber Streak to an elevated platform to stand next to a large metal mass, I gave Isaiah a cheeky grin and pulled the tarp hiding it away to reveal my latest creations.

Isaiah said nothing, watching me from where I stood for a moment before asking, "What exactly is it that you're working on? Another Autobot?"

"Two, actually. Why?"

"Don't you think that the Autobots will track you or their signals when you activate them?"

"Nah. The surrounding area is completely dark thanks to an EMP generator. Any tracking devices— human or otherwise— can't get through it," I said, proud of my accomplishments. "I have stuff lying around you might find useful, so pick up whatever catches your eye."

"When will these guys be active?"

"Soon. I just need to finish up a few things and they'll be ready for duty." Turning away to face the open panel on the side of the mech's head, I sighed, taking up a welder to start working. "I already have something in mind for them when they come online."

"Andrea? You're not going to kill her, are you?"

"I'm not going to kill her; I'm merely going to have one of them shadow her to keep tabs on her."

"What is there to gain from spying on the girl, Frosty?" Isaiah asked, moving to lean against a case full of armor. "So far as I can tell, she ain't doing anything wrong."

"For now. But I want to scare her away 'cause if she gets too close, she's going to get hurt."

XxXxX(Later that night...)XxXxX

Isaiah let out a huff, crossing his arms over his armor plated chest and closed his eyes. "When did you say they'd be coming this way, Frosty?" he asked, opening an eye and craned his neck to watch me where I sat on the railing of a fire escape.

Shifting my position to see him, I narrowed my eyes slightly as I scrutinized what little of my brother's face showed through from behind the visor, the rest being hidden behind a battle mask similar to that of Optimus Prime. "Soon. Any moment now, they'll come." No sooner had I said that, the dark haired woman, Jaqueline, I believe her name is, strode past. "Speak of the devil," I mused, pulling my mask on and quietly made my way down the fire escape and grabbed her, covering her mouth before a scream could come out, pulling her back into the alleyway with me. "Do yourself a favor and tell your friends to stay out of my business. Tell Andrea to stay away or she will get hurt."

The woman turned in my grasp to face me, eyes wide in surprise. "You're the—"

"Vigilante. I know," I finished, frowning. "Just pass it along, Jaqueline. You all could be in danger trying to get close to me and my associates."

Jaqueline continued her silence, merely nodding her head in the affirmative. "But if you know her like I do, you'll find she's impossible to deter from something when she sets her mind to it."

"I know. And that's why I'm giving her this," I answered, heaving a sigh in knowing and reached into a pocket to produce a flash drive and placed it in the other woman's hand. "That holds a gigabyte of information I'm sure will satisfy her."

"What kind of information?"

"The kind that we could go to jail for the rest our lives over just having it on the flash drive. Give it to her and all the questions she could possibly have will be answered."

"How did you—?"

"You don't wanna know. Do as I say and get her to back off." With that, I turned to leave, motioning for my siblings to follow. "And by the way— the name's Metal Frost."

XxXxX

The image of the glowing blue eyes of the vigilante was now seemingly burnt into the back of Jaqueline's mind as she left the alleyway and its three occupants behind to enter the building whose wall helped make up the alley; the library. She had stayed quiet for well over twenty minutes when Blake spoke, snapping Jaqueline out of her trance.

"You're real quiet tonight, Jack. Something on your mind?" the dark haired young man asked, watching Jaqueline's face carefully. "What's wrong?"

"The vigilante stopped me before I could come here. She told me to make Andrea to stay away," she answered, looking around suspiciously for prying eyes. "And she wasn't alone."

"Wait— the vigilante spoke to you?! She never talks to bystanders unless she's gonna beat the hell outta you!" Zach interjected, eyes wide in surprise. "What all did she say?"

Jaqueline shrugged helplessly, averting her eyes to check for people eavesdropping on the conversation before pulling the flash drive out of her pocket. "She gave me this." Reaching into her pocket, the dark haired young woman produced a small flash drive. "She said there was stuff on it that could shed light on the incidents in Mission City, Chicago, Desert Plateau, and any other place supposedly ravaged by the aliens."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What was that you said about there being others with her? Did she just get through sinking her claws into someone?" Zach interjected, causing a silence in the group as all eyes turned to Jaqueline expectantly.

She shook her head. "They were wearing uniforms like her. They didn't exactly do or say anything, just standing there watching me."

"You remember what they looked like?"

"There was a guy and a girl. The dude looked like he was jacking Master Chief's style but a different shaped helmet and the girl was wearing a red and white version of the vigilante's usual blue and white."

Blake stayed quiet, observing her face for a long while before asking, "Did she or the other two say anything else?"

"She calls herself Metal Frost."

XxXxX

Wandering through the expansive floor of the building, Andrea let her gaze wander around between the rows of books in search of her friends. "This is ridiculous. Where are they?" she sighed in irritation, keeping up with her search before she found her friends huddled in the back corner of the building where the computers are kept, muttering amongst themselves.

XxXxX

Jaqueline stared, fingering the flash drive in thought. "Should we?"

Blake shrugged. "For all we know, the vigilante is a crazy conspiracy theorist," he said finally, intertwining his fingers behind his neck.

Melanie chose that moment to jump in, saying, "I say do it. There could actually be some truth to what the conspiracy theorists are saying about the attacks. Jack, you realize the vigilante has never before interacted with anybody she wasn't trying to stop from hurting someone else. If she wanted us to look at it, look at it. That simple."

The dark haired young woman moaned a little in anxiety. "If there is something on here that the government didn't want anybody to see, should we look anyway? What if we get in trouble just for having this thing?"

Blake chose to reenter the conversation, taking the flash drive into his hand, stating, "Look, if it makes you uncomfortable, then don't look at it or get rid of it. It's your choice."

XxXxX

Andrea nodded in agreement, having only just walked in on the end of the conversation. "Do it, Jack. I don't know what they're telling you to do, but do it."

The brunette's voice made them jump, Jaqueline spinning around to face Andrea in surprise. "Andrea... the vigilante actually talked to me."

Andrea's eyes widened. "You're joking. She never talks to anybody but the people she's beating the hell out of," she said incredulously, unable to help the feeling of shock that swelled in her chest. "What did she say?"

"She said this had all the answers to the destruction of countless different locations around the globe and the source of conspiracy theories worldwide," Blake answered, holding up the flash drive between his thumb and index finger for the new arrival to see.

"Has anybody looked at it yet?" Andrea inquired, taking the flash drive and, without missing a beat, popped it into a USB port. "No? Let's find out what the lady in blue wanted us to see."

XxXxX(On the outskirts of Highland Peaks...)XxXxX

Observing the quiet town nestled at the base of the mountain range from her lofty perch on a rock formation off a dirt path carved into the side of the mountain, a lone figure leaned back to brace her elbows against the rock beneath her. Azure colored hair swept into her face from the breeze had been shoved aside and a scowl formed on her face, crimson colored eyes narrowing as if insulted. "So this is what my first mission is? Pathetic," she sighed, disdain dripping from her voice at the prospect of going anywhere near the town.

::Is that a complaint I hear? You were sent there for a reason and Lord Megatron expects you to go above and beyond what is necessary to succeed. Would you rather return and I tell him that you felt this important mission was too troubling?:: a voice over the communications network mocked, prompting the scowl to deepen.

::It is not troubling; I said it was a waste of time.:: she retorted.

::This isn't a waste to our leader. So if you like being amongst the living, I suggest you get your job done and return.:: With that, the line went dead, leaving the young woman in silence.

XxXxX(Two years ago— NEST base; Diego Garcia)XxXxX

"Dad?"

The man turned, offering a smile in greeting and pulled me in for a lopsided hug. "What's up, sweetheart?"

"I still can't believe they're making us go through with this. I've sworn allegiance and fought alongside them— hell, I was tortured for them— and they still think I'd be able to sweep something of this magnitude under the rug!" I groaned, frustrated now more than ever that my relationship with Ironhide has finally been smoothed out only for there to be yet another obstacle to be thrown in the way.

"I know, baby. But a place like this is no place for someone so young," Dad sighed, leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of my head. "And I agree with removing us from here. Every time I turn my back, either you or your brother is mortally wounded and on Death's doorstep and I can't allow that to happen again."

The words hold a cryptic edge to them, sending a chill down my spine as mental images of Isaiah hooked to all those machines and fighting for his life to pictures I was shown of my time in the hospital in a coma. Isaiah and I looked so pale— lifeless, even— that we may as well have been dead, the machines being the only thing keeping us alive. Sensing a deplorable change in mood, I change the subject.

"Did they ever tell you where we're being sent?"

"Alpine Trails, Oregon, along with that family you fought to take with us, naturally," he answered, giving my shoulders a light squeeze. "Question is, how are you planning on keeping things going between you and Ironhide? The government clearly doesn't want hormonally charged teenagers running amongst beings that destroyed cities in their battles on Earth."

I frowned, craning my neck to appraise the giant metal bodies suspended by cables against the wall. "Of course they don't. They're jealous because the Autobots chose me over them. And Isaiah was a holy terror in Desert Plateau, makin' it rain on the Decepticons with RPGs and all that good stuff."

"He's just looking out for his sister like your mother and I do for you two—"

"There's three of us now, Dad. Saber Streak's coming with us."

"For you three. It's our job and your brother's God given right to protect his sister like it's my God given right to hate any young buck trying to get his hands on my little girl," Dad returned, an amused gleam coming to his eyes when I snorted.

"You know I could never completely cut ties with them. With the Allspark shard still in my chest, they can track the energy from anywhere."

"I know. And if they come back into our lives, so be it. And the next time around, I'm not letting any of you kids out of my sight again seeing as bad things occur when that happens."

"Only thing is, we'll be ready for them the next go round. Once we're out of here, it's only a matter of time before the Autobots return to our lives again."

Author's Note: I think I did rather good with the start off to the story, don't you? Did you think it was good? Bad? Awesome? Or did it suck? Let me know! Constructive criticism is welcome! :)