Thanks for this go to Hearts of Eternity and Litahatchee for several ideas, and Litahatchee's story, "Night Fire", which actually inspired me to pull Flashback out and write about her again.

Transformers and movie characters belong to Hasbro and Michael Bay

Flashback belongs to me, and so does the idea of her design, origin, and past. The story itself is mine as well.

(00000 means a scene change, of course)

Part 1

Newcomer

The shadow was an impressive sight as it looked around the huge plain. She was waiting for something. What it was, she couldn't have said, but she would stand there as long as she needed to. Not willingly, mind you. "Where is he?" She muttered, shifting the cannons on her arms, her good eye bright with impatience.

She had been standing there for what felt like ages, even for her. She'd sent the slagging signal that she was here at least five times, with no response. Her head jerked upwards at the sound of an engine. A yellow Camaro was driving up, but it slowed cautiously.

The figure watched it with a single, narrowed optic. The other was destroyed completely, with a long scar running through it like a sword blade's mark. It gave her a nasty, vicious look.

She stood tall, displaying the Autobot symbol on her chest proudly and clearly.

"State your name!" She called in a voice that resonated despite being female. The Camaro seemed to relax on its wheels a bit, and stopped about forty feet from the femme, a respectful and slightly weary distance.

The Camaro transformed into a small, bright yellow Autobot. "Bumblebee! Optimus Prime sent me to come and take you back to the base." He sounded startled and out of breath as his vents gasped in air.

The larger figure realized that this was a youngling. An older youngling, but still a youngling. Her face softened slightly. "Bumblebee, then. You can call me Flashback. That's what most Autobots do." She said, examining her left arm cannon casually. Bumblebee had a pretty good idea what those cannons could do.

"I seriously thought that you were Ironhide for an instant back there." Bumblebee panted, still staring, wide-eyed at the largest and only femme that he'd ever seen.

"I get that more than you'd think. So, is the old rust-bucket still around?" Flashback asked, glancing at Bumblebee.

The yellow bot nodded. "Yea. He was one of my main care-takers." He said, still breathing hard.

Flashback nodded. "Thought so. He's too stubborn to roll over and die for anyone." Finally, she looked interested in the youngling. "So, The rumors are true, huh?" She asked, examining him.

Bumblebee frowned. "What do you mean?"

"That there is another youngling. Interesting." Flashback murmured, then shrugged. "Never mind, not important. I have vital information for Prime." She said, straightening. Her shoulders were broad and stiff, and she stood with most of her weight on one leg. She was covered from foot to helm in scars, welds, chips and wounds that were old and never repaired.

Bumblebee still looked a bit hesitant. He'd always imagined that femmes would be small and nice and thin; this one wasn't much of any of those categories. "Right… Um…"

Flashback narrowed her good optic. "Is there a problem?" She asked, folding her arms. She wasn't anymore used to having her orders disobeyed than Decepticons were to getting hugs.

Bumblebee winced in surprise. "No, no, of course not!" He said quickly. "It's just that… well… you can't go walking around on Earth like that…"

Flashback glanced at her armor, then looked thoughtful. "True. I'll find something. But let's get going. Prime and Ironhide need to hear what I have to say." She growled finally, much to Bumblebee's relief.

000000000000

The yellow Camaro drove ahead of a black, dually Silverado, nervous at the thought of having the huge femme behind him. It was a scary thought, having those cannons right behind his bumper.

Flashback could almost taste the anxiety coming from Bumblebee in waves. "You can relax, little guy. I'm an Autobot by trade and by loyalty." She said flatly, and Bumblebee felt himself grow hot with embarrassment.

'How could this complete stranger know what he was feeling?'

Seeming to read his thoughts, Flashback snorted. "I'm a trained war captain, Bumblebee. I can sense anxiety and fear from a light year away."

Bumblebee grew even less relaxed. He tried not to think much, fearing that this stranger was literally reading his thoughts. She sure did act weird for an Autobot, and a femme at that. But she didn't have red optics… but that didn't mean that she wasn't a Decepticon…

"Rookie, can you stop freaking out? I'm not gonna shoot you." Flashback growled from behind him as they veered off the road down along the many old, long abandoned farm land areas that were so common in Oklahoma.

The Autobots had made their base here, which was owned by the Air Force stationed at Tinker Air Force base. Flashback was running scans, checking for any humans. She was irritated to find that there was one around, but just one.

"This base human-proof?" She asked wearily.

Bumblebee failed to notice that she stiffened every time she went over a pot-hole in the notorious roads.

"Sort of. I mean, there's Lennox and Sam and Michaela, but that's it." Bumblebee replied, surprised. Sure most Transformers didn't like humans, but Flashback seemed to like them less than most.

"Three of them?" Flashback sighed. "Great. Just fragging great. I'm gonna have to talk to Ironhide about security."

The yellow Camaro was silent, surprised as Flashback began muttering under her breath, using words that even he hadn't heard before. He was getting pretty sure that this was a Decepticon.